He has just returned from four months in turkey. We will also talk with him about the battle for the Syrian Border the kurdsbani between and fighters from the Islamic State. Then pennsylvanias republican governor tom corbett is set to sign into law a bill critics say will trample the free speech rights of prisoners like Mumia Abu Jamal. I welcome the governors signature on an unconstitutional bill that proves the government of pennsylvania, the executive and the legislature, dont give one whit about their own constitution of the commonwealth of pennsylvania, nor the United States constitution. I welcome that because it proves that they are the outlaws. We will hear Mumia Abu Jamal in prison. Will this be one of the last times we will hear his voice from the jail . All that and more coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Cuba is sending 91 additional medical staff to west africa to help combat a record outbreak of ebola. The teams of doctors and nurses are departing today for liberia and guinea. Cuba has already dispatched 165 Health Workers to sierra leone, bringing the countrys total contribution to 256 people. More than one third of all medical staff there. Leaders from latin american and the caribbean gathered for an ebola summit in havana on monday. Speaking at the summit, cuban president raul castro offered to work with the United States. We believe that any politicization of this great problem should be avoided. The divorcement from the fundamental objectives, which is to help this epidemic in africa and prevention in other regions. Following from what the sick terry general of the United Nations secretarygeneral said september 5, we have representatives participate in events held at the World Health Organization and the United Nations, confirming that cuba is willing to work closely with all countries, including the United States. Ebola has killed more than 4,500 people in west africa, including 239 healthcare workers. In the United States, the centers for Disease Control and prevention has unveiled new protocols for healthcare workers treating patients with ebola. The guidelines include rigorous training for staff and supervision as workers remove their protective gear. The steps come after two nurses who became infected with ebola while treating Thomas Eric Duncan in dallas are currently undergoing treatment. On monday, 43 people who had been in contact with duncan were cleared from ebola monitoring after the 21day incubation period. About 75 healthcare workers involved in duncans care are still being monitored. The United States has continued its bombardment of Islamic State forces near the syrian city of kobani along the turkish border. According to u. S. Central command, u. S. Military forces conducted six airstrikes near kobani on sunday and monday. In a bid to hold off the isis advance on kobani, the United States has begun droppingair supplies of weapons and aid to the syrian kurds, while turkey, under heavy u. S. Pressure, is now allowing Iraqi Kurdish forces to cross over into syria to join the fight. On monday, secretary of state john kerry emphasized the importance of kobani. Turkishlked with authorities, i did, the president did come to make it very committed clear this is not a shift of policy by the u. N. And states it is a crisis moment, an emergency, where we clearly do not want to see exampleecome a horrible of the unwillingness of people to build a help those are fighting isil. The Obama Administration had previously said kobani was not a part of its strategic objective. Well have more on that story with richard falk later in the broadcast. John kerry was speaking in indonesia where he attended the president ial inauguration of joko widodo. Known as jokowi, the former Jakarta Governor defeated the u. S. Trained former army general Prabowo Subianto in this summers elections. The inauguration was celebrated with events including a parade, concert, and the release of thousands of paper lanterns. Indonesia,ws on austrian authorities have announced theyre dropping an investigation into the deaths of five australian journalist killed in the town in the lead up to the indonesian invasion of east timor in 1975. In 2009, and indonesian officer admitted the military had killed the journalist did attempt to hide its actions in east timor. This is one of the journalists, australian Tv CorrespondentGreg Shackleton, and the report he said the night before he was murdered. Why, they ask him or the indonesians invading us yet cap invading as . Why did they not send a delegation to find out . Want, they ask him are the are surely ins not helping us . When the japanese invaded, they did help. Wire the portuguese not helping . It is still portuguese colony. Who will pay for the terrible damage to our homes . Trucks that was a story and journalist Greg Shackleton speaking in 1975. The next day he would be killed by the indonesian military. 2007, the corner found shackleton and the four other journalists were executed a donation special forces. Today, the federal police said there was currently insufficient evidence to prove in advance. South african olympic and paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius has been sentenced to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. Pistorius is expected to serve just 10 months before entering house arrest. Last month he was convicted of culpable homicide, a charge equivalent to manslaughter for shooting steenkamp through a bathroom door. He claimed he mistook her for an intruder. Two new reports accuse Ukrainian Forces of using cluster munitions as part of their fight against prorussian rebels in the city of donetsk. The New York Times reports the two attacks in early october wounded at least six people and killed a red cross employee. Cluster munitions contain dozens or potentially hundreds of smaller components which fan out indiscriminately over a wide area. Many dont explode right away, and effectively become landmines. Human rights watch says ukraines apparent use of cluster munitions in Populated Areas may amount to war crimes. The group said it suspects antigovernment rebels have also used cluster munitions. Protests are continuing in the philippines where a u. S. Marine is suspected of murdering a transgender woman. Outrage has focused on the visiting forces agreement, a decadesold deal between the u. S. And the philippines which critics say has been used to shield u. S. Servicemembers from punishment. Under the deal, u. S. Marine joseph scott pemberton, remains on board a u. S. Navy vessel while local authorities investigate the murder of jennifer laude, who was found in a motel bathroom where she was apparently drowned in the toilet. On monday, philippine president Benigno Aquino rejected calls to abandon the visiting forces agreement. The murder came just six months after the United States signed a yeareement to revive its military prence in the philippines, which is a former u. S. Colony. The United Nations warns Sexual Violence has become rampant in the civil war in south sudan. Fighting erupted in december between forces loyal to president salva kiir and supporters of his former deputy riek machar. More than 10,000 people have been killed and over 1. 5 million have fled their homes. U. N. Special representative on Sexual Violence, zainab hawa bangura, said Sexual Violence is survivors and Health Care Workers have told me stories of rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage. Those who tried to fight back against their attackers are often raped with objects instead. Some victims have even been rape d to death. Items include women, men, girls, and boys. According to the statistics victims are 74 of under the age of 18. The youngest victim theyve treated is two years old. In indiana, police have arrested an alleged serial killer accused of killing seven women. Police say darren vann confessed to killing a 19yearold in a motel room and provided information that led to the discovery of six more bodies. At least two victims appear to have been prostitutes. Police suggested vann may have murdered other women in crimes dating back 20 years. The World Trade Organization has ruled against the United States in a multinational dispute over the labeling of meat. The United States requires the disclosure of a Meat Products country of origin. But mexico and canada have argued the rules harm their livestock exports. On monday, the wto found the latest u. S. Requirements violate trade rules. U. S. Consumer groups including food and water watch have urged the Obama Administration to appeal the wtos ruling, saying the wtos continued assault against commonsense food labels is just another example of how corporatecontrolled trade policy undermines the basic protections that u. S. Consumers deserve. Two u. N. Officials have called for the city of detroit to restore water to residents who cannot afford to pay their bills, saying the citys mass shutoffs go against human rights standards and hurt its poorest residents. Detroit has shut off water to at least 27,000 households this year as part of a consolidation plan which residents see as a step toward privatization. Water bills in detroit cost nearly twice the national average, while the poverty rate is 40 . During a visit to detroit, catarina de albuquerque, u. N. Special rapporteur on the right to Safe Drinking Water and sanitation, and leilani farha, u. N. Special rapporteur on adequate housing, met with residents and city officials. We met today with the mayor and city officials and we are aware of measures that have been then in order to a dress water issue. We are of the view that such initiatives are to ensure [indiscernible] were concerned because africanamericans who are living in detroit and facing water shutoffs are being asked to make a possible choices. Imagine you are choosing at ores to either pay your rent pay your water bill. Twothirds of households impacted by the water shutoffs arfamilies with children; the children can be taken away by protective services if the house does not have water. The United States has spent millions of dollars on Social Security benefits for suspected nazi war criminals. An Associated Press investigation found the payments have continued under a legal loophole through which nazis were persuaded to leave the United States in return for keeping their benefits. Surviving recipients of the taxpayerfunded benefits include jakob denzinger, a former auschwitz guard now living in croatia. On monday, white house spokesperson eric shultz said the white house opposes the payments, but he did not outline any plans for ending them. Alabama House Speaker mike hubbard has been arrested and indicted on 23 charges of corruption. Hubbard led a republican takeover of the Alabama House in 2010. He is accused of using his position as speaker and his Previous Post as head of alabamas Republican Party to funnel Business Contracts and investments to his own companies. This year is poised to become the hottest on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says 2014 is on pace to either tie or surpass the current record. Last month was the hottest september on record worldwide. Before that, both august and the entire summer of 2014 were also the hottest ever recorded. The Climate Change whistleblower rick piltz has died. Piltz resigned from the Us Global Change Research program in 2005 and provided documents which revealed how the Bush Administration was editing government climate reports to downplay the threat of Climate Change. Just days after the story broke in the New York Times, philip cooney, the white house ficial who made the edits, resigned to return to his former job as an oil industry lobbyist. Rick piltz later started the Climate Science watch blog at the Government Accountability project. This is piltz speaking in a video made by gap. The Government Accountability project. In the 2005, i started the Climate Science watch project watchdog in the federal government on how it is stealing the Climate Change problem on how it is dealing with the Climate Change problem. Uni people on the inside saying, yes, this is what we were told. They all need a watchdog. Rick piltz died over the weekend after a battle with cancer. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with aaron mate. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. We begin with the continued fight for the Syrian Kurdish town of kobani, and the issues its raised with the country on its border, turkey. After a more than monthlong assault, the Islamic State appeared on the verge of taking kobani just last week. The u. S. Initially appeared indifferent, saying kobani was not a part of its strategic objective. But as news cameras on the turkishSyrian Border showed Islamic State fighters assaulting a town in plain sight, the u. S. Responded with the most airstrikes of its syria campaign. A resurgent defense by syrian Kurdish Forces backed by the u. S. Led strikes appears to have repelled the isis advance for now. And after weeks of u. S. Pressure, turkey said monday it will open its border with syria to let Iraqi Kurdish fighters join the fight. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the move on monday. Were fully cooperated with the coalition with respect to kobani. We want to eliminate all caps of threats in the region and was to the military and medical aid outfitted by iraq kurdish brothers and airdrop to the United States defending from the perspective. Were facilitating the passage of peshmerga fighters to kobani. Further talks are underway on this matter. For weeks, the Obama Administration had been urging turkey to take a more active role against isis. The turkish government has opposed aiding the Syrian Kurdish pyd, which it considers an extension of longtime foe, the kurdistan workers party, the pkk. Reportedly backed down this weekend under heavy u. S. Pressure. According to al jazeera, president obama told turkish counterpart recep erdogan that the situation in kobani is desperate. The u. S. Meanwhile has begun dropping air supplies of weapons and aid to the syrian kurds, a move it had resisted for weeks. That adds a new twist to the shifting alliances that the fight against isis has provoked. The syrian pyd is closely allied to the pkk, a group on the u. S. Terrorism list. Just last week, turkish warplanes bombed kurdish pkk rebels near the iraqi border. The strikes were the first by turkey against the pkk since a 2012 truce. Well to help us sort out this complicated picture we are joined by a guest who has just spent four months in turkey and has been involved in Global Politics for a lot longer since the 1960s. Richard falk is Professor Emeritus of International Law at Princeton University and Research Professor in the Global Studies Department at uc santa barbara. He has authored, coauthored, and edited more than 40 books on International Law and world affairs. And he has just completed a sixyear term as United Nations special rapporteur on palestinian human rights, which well talk about in our next segment. Richard falk, welcome to democracy now start off b