Newscast for Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Anti-war groups seek greater coaltion against Afghanistan war
On this 8th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama is discussing the Afghanistan strategy with his national security team, amidst requests from military officers and Republican lawmakers to increase troop numbers.

As the President contemplates this decision, the American public is showing their concern.  Two new polls reaffirm Americans’ opposition to the Afghanistan war, especially an expansion of the war.  A poll by Quinnipiac University says that just 38 percent of respondents want President Obama to increase troops in Afghanistan.  While a survey conducted by the Associated Press says less than half, only 46 percent,  support a troop increase.

As the majority of Americans are growing more skeptical about the benefits of a heavy troop presence, peace groups have organized various demonstrations. But as FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, protests are small as anti-war activists are struggling to organize a strong opposition.

Afghanistan veterans struggle to return to civilian life
As the war in Afghanistan rolls on, so do the problems and struggles of veterans who are trying to readjust to civilian life. FSRN´s Karen Miller spoke to a group of veterans in Washington DC.

National Priorities Project says war spending growing in Afghanistan
Some public interest groups are using the occassion of the Aghanistan War anniversary to raise awarenness about the costs of the war.

The National Priorities Project monitors war spending in Iraq and Aghanistan and calculates the wars will cost more than $1 trillion by March of next year.  The New Hampshire-based organization says taxpayer dollars could do a lot more if spent on education, health care, housing and other public goods and services.  FSRN spoke to the National Priorities Project´s Director, Jo Comerford.

If you´d like to see war spending figures for your state or your city, you can visit the NPPs website at www.nationalpriorities.org.

Colombian activist connects hostages with families through Voces del Secuestro  radio show
In Colombia law enforcement authorities are prosecuting three men for the murder of 12 indigenous Awa people in August. Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva spoke about the case Tuesday, shortly after the suspects were captured by police officers in the southwestern Nariño province.

"The people who committed this horrible crime are members of a band called Los Cucarachos, they are also members of the Awa ethnic group. They had been operating in that region as common delinquents and hitmen. They had been runnig drug trafficking operations in the region. They are under investigation for other crimes in the deparment of Nariño such as participating in massacres, kidnappings and extorsion."

Colombian newspaper EL Tiempo reports an informant tipped off the police, saying the men massacred 12 Awa indians in August because they wanted to silence a witness to a previous crime.  The Colombian Defence Minister  said one of the detained men is a former member of the FARC guerrllas, who have been involved in previous massacres of indigenous people in southwest Colombia.

Meanwhile, the FARC are negotiating the exchange of some 20 military hostages with Colombian authorities. More than 4,200 people have been kidnapped by the FARC over the last 15 years. Currently, more than 700 are held captive. These people have no way to contact their families and many are held by the FARC for years. But one activist is doing all he can to connect those held captive with their relatives; Voces del Secuestro or “Voices of the Kidnapped” is a radio program that has been aired every Sunday for more than a decade. FSRN´s Natalia Viana has the story.