• Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Calls for Transitional Government
• ACLU Challenges State Department's Use of Ideological Exclusion
• EU to Start Clamping Down on Undocumented Immigrants
• Colombo Operation Trial in Chile
• Sarkozy in the West Bank
• Commentary By Mumia Abu-Jamal

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Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Calls for Transitional Government
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called for a
transitional government paving way to a democratic election.
Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the country's Presidential elections that
were scheduled this Friday, was speaking shortly after leaving the
Dutch Embassy where he had sought refuge citing fears for his life.
Davison Makanga reports.

ACLU Challenges State Department's Use of Ideological Exclusion
The American Civil Liberties Union is in federal court today – accusing
the US government of censorship at the border. The case involves
Professor Adam Habib, a South African scholar who was deported when he
arrived in the US in 2006. The State Department eventually sent Habib a
letter citing his involvement in what they called "terrorist
activities" as the reason his visa was revoked – but the ACLU claims
that the US has no legitimate grounds on which to deny Habib entry, and
that he is instead being unfairly targeted for his critiques against
the Bush administration. The ACLU adds that prohibiting Habib from
entering the country to speak to audiences prevents US citizens and
residents from hearing speech that is protected by the First Amendment.
We spoke with ACLU Senior Attorney Judy Rabinovitz about the Case.

EU to Start Clamping Down on Undocumented Immigrants
There has been a global outcry from Latin American nations and from
international human rights groups, responding to a European Union vote
last week to enforce what's called the Returns Directive – which deals
with the deportation of undocumented immigrants. South America's
Mercosur trade bloc is strongly condemning the new laws, while Spain
stated yesterday that it would not change its immigration policy. The
new directive comes after two years of negotiations, and while some
have dubbed it a draconian crackdown enforcing the "Fortress Europe"
mentality, others say it's an important step towards standardizing
immigration policies across the EU. Cinnamon Nippard has more from
Berlin.

Colombo Operation Trial in Chile
98 former members of Chile's secret police are on trial for their part
in the so-called Colombo operation, which resulted in the murder and
disappearance of 116 opponents of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. The
Colombo trial is another example of Chile's efforts to bring
dictatorship-era human rights violators to justice. As FSRN's Jorge
Garreton reports from Santiago, the legal process continues despite
efforts from certain sectors of society to end all prosecutions.

Sarkozy in the West Bank
French President Nicholas Sarkozy was in the West Bank yesterday, where
he pledged in a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to
construct an industrial zone in the city, calling on Israel to freeze
settlement activities. FSRN's Ghassan Bannoura reports.

A Commentary By Mumia Abu-Jamal
A commentary by death-row inmate, Mumia-Abu Jamal