Nation briefs 5/19/04

Rocket launcher found near Atlanta train station

ATLANTA -- A military rocket launcher was found Tuesday near a suburban commuter train station, authorities said. The 3-foot shoulder-held launcher was not loaded, authorities said. The FBI and police searched the area. Transit employees discovered the weapon near a station just outside Atlanta, on an embankment next to the tracks, said Gene Wilson, MARTA police chief.

Justice: 17,000 human trafficking victims in U.S.

WASHINGTON -- As many as 17,000 people each year are brought to the United States by human traffickers who trap them in slavery-like conditions for forced sex, sweatshop labor and domestic servitude, the Justice Department reported Tuesday. A Homeland Security Department official estimated that human smuggling and trafficking generate $9.5 billion each year.

Soldier who fled 'oil-driven' war faces court-martial

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- A U.S. soldier who left his unit in Iraq rather than fight for what he called an "oil-driven war" faces a court-martial today on a desertion charge. Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, 28, of Miami Beach, Fla., could go to prison for a year and receive a bad conduct discharge if convicted.

Bill requiring hospitals to ask residency rejected

WASHINGTON -- The House rejected legislation that could have led to hospital emergency rooms denying some services to illegal aliens while helping to get them kicked out of the country. Hispanic legislators led opposition to the bill, joining medical groups in contending that it would prevent illegal residents from seeking life-saving medical treatment.

-- From wire reports