Top 7 cabinet members are meeting for the 5th time to discuss the prisoner swap. The ministers will be discussing what to do with the released Palestinian prisoners, as some are concerned about releasing them to the West Bank and risk the security of Israelis. The Shalit family met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but stated that he gave them no new updates on the situation.

Presenter, Male #1
In Israel, the controversy over the harvesting of organs from the bodies of dead Palestinians, Israelis, and foreign workers by the Israeli forensic institute continues to unfold. The story of harvesting was first aired on the Israeli channel 2 television. In response, the Palestinian Council of Ministers formed an investigation committee to follow up on the case. In addition, Ahamd al-Taibi, an Arab-Israeli Member of Parliament, said that the inquiry, which he filed with the Israeli Minister of Health, will be discussed in the Knesset next Wednesday. More details are in the following report by Walid al-Umari in Jerusalem.

Reporter, Male #2
The scandal over organ theft began emerging, after the organs were harvested from the body of Bilal Ghanim, a Palestinian martyr. The harvest took place during an autopsy at the Israeli forensic institute in Tel Aviv. The report, which stirred wide scale condemnation by Israel, was made public by a Swedish journalist. The journalist secretly captured images of Bilal’s body, which was transported by the Israeli army to the village of Imatain in the northern West Bank two days after he was killed. The incident took place in 1990, when Bilal was shot to death by Israeli forces near the entrance to his home. Nearly 4 months ago, the Swedish journalist broke the story. This prompted U.S. Professor Nancy Scheper-Hughes to release an audio tape that was recorded in 2000. In the audio tape, Scheper-Hughes interviewed Jehuda Hiss, the former head of the Israeli forensic institute. During the interview, which was part of scientific research, Hiss talked about what appeared to be a systematic harvest of Palestinian organs. The audio tape was released, with Hiss’ voice on it by Israeli Chanel 2. Channel 2 has aired the interview next to a story of an Israeli father, whose son was a soldier killed during a military training in 1997. The father, who is a doctor, discovered that corneas and skin has been harvested from his son’s body. Hiss, the former head of the Israeli forensic institute, told U.S. Researcher Scheper-Hughes that his institute had indeed harvested organs during the 1990s, in cooperation with the Health Division of the Israeli army. The Israeli army sent physicians from the military reserve division on a mission to harvest organs and store them in the organ bank at the Hadasa Hospital for medical treatment purposes. Hiss confirmed that workers at the institute had harvested skin, corneas, heart valves and bones from the bodies of dead Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers, without permission from their families in most cases. The Israeli forensic institute told the Israeli channel 2 that they ended this practice more than 10 years age. However, many of the Palestinian families, whose sons were killed and taken to the forensic institute in Tel Aviv, noticed that the bodies of their relatives carry scars similar to those discovered on Bilal’s body. Bilal’s body was stiched close from his chin to his lower abdomen, which is why his family believes that his organs may have been harvested. What would the Israelis say if this scandal had taken place in different country, and its victims were Israelis? A question that my find an answer one day. An answer that may help end the harvesting of organs from the bodies of the deceased, without the permission of their families. Walid al-Umari, Aljazeera, West Jerusalem.

Presenter, Man # 1
The third Artery of Life convoy arrived in Greece after leaving Italy. The convoy’s final destination is Gaza, passing through Turkey and Jordan. In Jordan, professional unions are preparing to receive the convoy on the 24Th of December and called on the Jordanian people to prepare a number of vehicles to join the convoy.

Reporter, Man # 2
The Artery of life convoy departed from Britain and passed by France, Italy and Greece. The convoy which has been receiving public and official support will go to Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt before finally arriving in Gaza. This convoy is the third one to be led by British Parliament member Gorge Galloway. It is now in Greece. It includes 200 cargo trucks, 60 of which were donated by Turkey. It aims to transport humanitarian supplies from Europe and the world to Gaza. In Jordan, professional unions announced during a press conference their willingness to receive the convoy on the 24TH of December. The convoy is scheduled to arrive in Gaza on the first anniversary of the Zionist war.

Guest, Man # 3
The plan is to have the convoy arrive in Gaza on the 27TH of December, to mark the first anniversary of the war on Gaza. It has been three years since the suffocating siege was imposed on Gaza.

Reporter, Man # 2
Jordanian professional unions hope that the third Artery of life convoy will receive a warm welcome from the public and officials. They also hope that the Jordanians will extend their arms to the people of Gaza by donating the largest possible amount they can.

Guest, Man # 4
We, the professional unions, call on everyone in Jordan to donate to the convoy. We also hope that the government supports the convoy. We demand that the government play a major role in welcoming this convoy as a way to express the Jordanian position.

Reporter, Man # 2
Jordan will donate 60 additional cargo trucks loaded with humanitarian aid. Two committees were formed, one for receiving the convoy and another to survey the amount and kind of medicine needed in Gaza in order for it to be shipped with the convoy. The convoy will be received at the border of every province before leaving Aqaba to Egypt.

Presenter, Female # 1
News reports coming from the Iranian city of Qom indicate that Basij members attacked the home of the late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri and ripped up the book of condolences. The city of Qom hosted the majestic funeral that witnessed clashes between supporters of the departed leader and Iranian security forces.

Reporter, Male # 1
Hundreds of thousands of Iranian mourners participated in the funeral procession to bid farewell to dissident religious leader Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in the Iranian city of Qom. Sources indicate that hundreds of thousands of reformists attended the funeral. Among the most notable attendees were Mirhossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi, who stressed to the opposition the importance of attending the funeral of Montazari and considered today a national day of mourning. Supporters of the opposition repeated chants against the government, and in support of opposition leader Mousavi, which resulted in confrontations between them and armed pro-government supporters, who used megaphones to disrupt the march even though Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned agitators and ordered the public to respect the funeral processions.
Demonstrations also took place in a number of Iranian cities and universities to mourn the death of Montazeri. Iranian security forces extensively spread in the streets of the capital Tehran, in Isfahan and Qom, and arrested several pro-reform supporters on their way to take part in the funeral procession. The authorities issued a strict warning to local and foreign media in regards to their coverage of the funeral. In addition, all means of communication between Qom and other Iranian cities were cut off. The Iranian street seemed saddened by the departure of Montazeri, and businesses closed for the day to mourn one of the biggest critics of the government. Newspapers featured the life of the departed opposition leader instead of his criticism of the current government. They simply highlighted his role in society, as he is considered by some to be a great man for his support of the Iranian revolution. With Montazeri’s death, who was once the designated successor of Iman Khomeini but became isolated, the opposition lost a strong moral voice of support. Many considered him a spiritual father of the reform movement in Iran for his repeated defense of it during the clashes that followed the last presidential election. Khaled el-Khashef, el-Arabiya.

Presenter, Female # 1
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, denied any link between Tehran and weapons seized by Thailand this month from a plane coming from North Korea, following reports that the weapons were bound for Iran. Jalili stated that his country, unlike North Korea, is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Presenter, Male #1
The Yemeni government said that its offensive, which it launched two days ago in the provinces of Abian, Sana’a, and Arhab was meant as a preemptive strike against Al Qaeda. The government added that its offensive has foiled a plot by Al Qaeda to carry out bomb and suicide attacks, targeting government and foreign installations.

Reporter, Male #2
The security operation that the Yemeni government carried out against Al Qaeda cells in Abian, Arhab, and Sana’a, is more proof of the growing conflict between Yemen and the network. Sana’a is seeking to isolate Al Qaeda and eradicate its influence inside Yemeni territories. However, the airstrike that the Yemeni army carried out against Al Qaeda training camps in the area of Mahfad in the province of Abian, generated many reservations among Yemenis inside and outside the country. This news comes after some Yemenis criticized the army offensive, which they claim has killed dozens of civilians. A source in the Yemeni High Security Committee in Sana’a called on the countries, where the former Yemeni President, Ali Salim al-Beid and the former governor of Abian, Mohammad Ali Ahmad are living, to hand them over to Yemen because they are wanted by the Yemeni judiciary. The Yemeni government announced that its military operation was meant as a preemptive strike against Al Qaeda terror cells. Al Qaeda has been plotting to carry out a series of bomb and suicide attacks against government and foreign institutions and installations. A Yemeni government source said that 34 armed Al Qaeda fighters were killed and more than 29 others were captured in Sana’a and Arhab. The source added that among the dead were high ranking Al Qaeda operatives in the region of Ma’jala in Abian. Meanwhile, the Yemeni security agencies in Ma’arib have published a list including 25 names of the most dangerous Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen. The army also heightened security measures along Yemeni state highways in order to capture fleeing members of Al Qaeda. Furthermore, the army stepped up security measures around the capital in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by Al Qaeda. Sources are warning that the next round of confrontations with Al Qaeda will likely take place in the province of Ma’arib.

Pakistan’s main opposition party says that it will not support unconstitutional actions against President Zardari or his government. The Pakistan Muslim League, however, has warned of protests if Zardari does not give up some powers. The party has called for Zardari and two ministers to step down after the Pakistani Supreme Court revoked an amnesty that protects senior government figures. Zardari said that no member of his government plans to resign.

Prime Minister Samir el-Rifai vowed that the government will try to achieve higher growth figures and improve citizens’ standard of living. Rifari said that economic decisions should be coordinated with all parties involved in charting economic policies to ensure a sound bank system and apply international criteria to spur the economy.

Presenter, Female #1
The Lebanese military, the UNIFIL and Red Cross are continuing to search for the crew of the ship that sank off the Tripoli shores. The death toll has exceeded 10.

Reporter, Female #1
When British citizen Robin took off from a port in Uruguay, he couldn’t imagine that his destination would be the morgue in a hospital in Tripoli. Robin and 10 of his travel companions died in Lebanese waters after their ship, the Panamanian-flagged Danny FII, sank off the Nakhil islands in Tripoli before it could drop anchor in the port. The stormy weather did not prevent the rescue teams from searching for the missing crew. Once the vessel sank, the Lebanese army, UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese Red Cross mobilized their naval and air troops. They found 11 dead bodies and 39 others with mild to severe wounds, including Lebanese national Ahmed Arab. The other 33 people are still missing. Some of the dead and injured, mostly Asians, drifted into Al-Abdi shore in Akkar. Reports indicated the possibility of bodies getting carried away from Lebanese waters by strong waves. The cause for the sinking ship has not been determined yet. The ship was heading to the Tartus port in Syria, but altered course because of the storm and a possible mechanical failure.

Guest, Male #1
There are many factors that could have caused the ship to sink. But I don’t think it was because it was overloaded. It could be the weather; there may have been a problem with the stability of the ship which led to mechanical failures. We haven’t determined the exact cause yet. We have rescued a large number of sailors, and we hope that one of them is a technician who can tell us exactly what happened.

Reporter, Female #1
Helicopters were used in the rescue operation and to transfer the wounded to al-Qayiat airport. They are now checked in to several different hospitals in Tripoli.

Guest, Male #2
“I was waiting for the water to go up”. Because it was dangerous to jump. When the water rose and submerged us, I started to swim.

Reporter, Female #1
According to New TV, the agent of the ship Danny Eftou is a Lebanese national and is a member of the Fakhri family. The rescue commanders have two major concerns: the first one is humanitarian, since the hope of finding more survivors is becoming very dim because of the bad weather and the cold water. The second is environmental, seeing that the ship was carrying more than 50 thousand calves. If they break out of their pens, the animals will die, and the sea will be seriously polluted. From Port Tripoli, Kristin Habib, New TV.

Presenter, Female # 1
Mauritania is one of the developing nations threatened by global warming, and the first noticeable consequence is the scarcity of drinking water that has, in turn, driven its prices up. To make matters worst, work on new water pipes that will provide just a limited amount of clean drinking water has not been completed yet. Mauritanians have no choice but to resort to using donkey carriages to distribute water. From Nouakchott, Mahmud el-Mohamed.

Reporter, Male # 1
The streets of the Mauritanian capital are constantly under some form of construction work, and right now holes are being dug up to install water pipes, supposed to provide Nouakchott and its suburbs with safe drinking water. In the mean time, residents of the city only have access to a very limited amount of water, sold at exorbitant prices, which leaves poor people unable to pay for this basic necessity. The priority for the remainder of the saved water from previous years goes first and foremost to the owners of donkey carriages. They come from impoverished areas and as long as water is available in its points of sale, they send the money they make home. The authorities are tackling the water problem as a means to reduce the hardship of poor neighborhoods. Here, carts line up to transport water barrels. However, the work of carriage owners collides with the greed of the owners of the water taps, who constantly increase the price.

Guest, Male # 2
They constantly hike up the price of the water. They did so on Wednesday, on Thursday and Saturday.

Reporter, Male # 1
Donkey carts roam the streets of the city without any embarrassment since it provides an income to a lot of residents. Donkey cart owners with filled carts usually don’t complain. Poor residents here tell us that the reason for not solving the water scarcity goes back to the fact that water is abundantly available to decision-makers, those who are responsible for resolving the problem. Mahmud el-Mohamed, Dubai TV, Nouakchott.