Presenter, Male #1
The following report shows images of Iran’s celebration of the 31st anniversary of the Iranian revolution. More details in the report.

Reporter, Male #1
Iran, 31 years ago. Imam Khomeini returns to Tehran from Paris, where he had lived in exile for 15 years. February 1st is officially considered to be one of the most important days in Iran, the day sirens started going off the moment Khomeini’s flight landed. For the next 10 days, celebrations are held in all corners of the country, reaching their peak on February 11th, which marks the collapse of the regime of the Shah and the beginning of the Islamic revolution in 1979. This part of history established a new society in Iran. Khomeini, who enjoyed wide-spread popularity among the public, became the spiritual leader of the new country. But the celebrations this year come at a time when the Islamic Republic is facing one of the worst political crises in its history, after the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June. Some political opposition parties still doubt the integrity of the election, and they seize any opportunity to take to the streets in protests that sometimes become violent. The Iranian regime has still not managed to stop the protests, despite its campaign against the opposition which led to several opposition members’ deaths, injuries and arrests. Some of the opposition members who once were the pillars of the revolution, such as Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, directed criticisms towards the regime and led to its destabilization. The celebrations also come at a time when tensions rose between Iran and the West, due to Iran’s rejection to give up its nuclear program. The United State and Israel both threaten Iran with possible military action if the diplomatic approach fails to settle the dispute of the controversial program. Usually, President Ahmedinejad takes the opportunity during these celebrations to announce more achievements in the nuclear field. He just recently announced that his country would be enriching uranium to 20% purity by the anniversary of the revolution this year. Hasim al-Khouri, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that an open war between Israel and Syria might expand into a wide-range regional war if the two countries cannot reach a political settlement. He said this during a meeting held yesterday by the top commanders of the occupation army. Barak said that the Middle East is a difficult place, stressing that all options remain on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran; indicating the possibility of a military option. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas lowered the conditions for resuming direct negotiations with Israelis, going from a full halt of settlement construction to a mere 3 month freeze. In a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Abbas affirmed his readiness to restart the negotiations if Israel stops the settlement construction for a certain period of time. Abbas had set a 10 month time-frame for freezing settlement construction as a condition to resuming negotiations, but he cut that time limit down to only 3 months during his interview with the British newspaper The Guardian. Israeli occupation forces announced today that they have cordoned off parts of the coast and that some Israeli beaches will be closed until further notice. The occupation forces started to patrol the coasts of the Mediterranean. This measure was taken following the discovery of two barrels packed with explosives. The barrels, each containing 15-20 kilograms of explosives, were found yesterday on the beach of the two settlements of Ashkelon and Ashdod, south of Tel Aviv. Israeli authorities claim that Palestinian organizations attempted an attack from the sea.

Presenter, Female #1
Days after submitting its response to the Goldstone report, Israel reprimanded two of its senior commanders who led the military operations in Gaza during its “Cast Lead” military aggression. The Israeli report did not mention anything about the use of the internationally-banned white phosphorous. The Palestinians responded by saying that all Israeli officials must be held accountable for the crimes committed in Gaza during the Israeli military operation. We leave you with Katya Jamil.

Report, Woman #1
It stated that it is reassessing past mistakes to avoid their recurrence. This is how the Israeli army justified its decision to reprimand two of its senior officers: division commander, Brigadier. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg, and former Givati Brigadier Commander, Col. Ilan Malka for their role in the Cast Lead military operation in Gaza. The decision was made after investigating an incident in which the UNRWA building was hit on January 15th of 2009. The Israeli report did not suggest any punitive measures; it only indicated that two of its military officers allowed the usage of missiles in populated areas. It did not mention the usage of white phosphorus against civilians, which the Israeli army has been accused of using during its Cast Lead operation.

Guest, Man # 1
Israel does not need to be questioned by any international organization. We have high moral standards and the fact that we have taken punitive measures against senior officials proves that.

Guest, Man # 2
This is a clear recognition that some Zionist officials committed war crimes here in Gaza. This is also a preemptive measure taken in an attempt to prevent having these military officers tried at the International Criminal Court.

Reporter, Woman #1
The people in Gaza want the acknowledgment of wrongdoing and insist that it must be accompanied by tangible steps to hold Israeli officials responsible for their actions. The people in Gaza still remember the aggression that killed 1,400 of their loved ones in 22 days.

Guest, Man # 4
The entire Israeli army must be tried, not only two military officers.

Guest, Man # 5
The entire Israeli army must be tried for declaring war on Gaza. They killed innocent people for nothing.

Reporter, Woman #1
These calls will most likely fall on deaf ears, and most importantly they will not protect the people in Gaza from another similar Israeli aggression which can be waged at any time without any justification.

Two senior Israeli field officers in the Gaza war have been disciplined for exceeding their authority. The two, a brigadier general and a colonel, were reprimanded over artillery shelling in a heavily populated area which hit a United Nations compound during the fighting. Additional investigations are ongoing.

Presenter, Female # 1
The Egyptian foreign ministry welcomed Hamas’ calls to achieve Palestinian national reconciliation, indicating that this willingness was absent in the past. A statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry indicated that Palestinian reconciliation and the end of Palestinian division was and will always be a pivotal goal for Egypt in its dealing with the current Palestinian situation, and considered the mediation between the Palestinians once again to be a constant role for Cairo. The statement stressed that the Egyptian proposal was not up for negotiation because that would only undermine the reconciliation process and cause its indefinite delay. During the second day of his visit to the region, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi met with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem. Berlusconi arrived in Israel yesterday, heading a delegation of eight top ministers for a joint cabinet meeting with their Israeli counterparts. During their meeting, Netanyahu and Berlusconi discussed the developments witnessed in the region, and especially the mission of the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and relations between the two countries. The White House announced that American President Barack Obama and his Vice-President Joe Biden met with Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi in Washington. According to the White House statement, the discussions revolved around the importance of holding transparent elections in Iraq, in addition to the importance of wide-scale participation in these elections. They also discussed the issue of the refugees. At a time when banned Iraqi parliamentary candidates have nothing else to do but wait for the outcome of their appeal to the anti-discrimination body that was approved by the Iraqi parliament, the president of Al-Iraqiya Alliance Iyad Allawi asked President Jalal Talabani to exercise his influence and to interfere in order to solve the issue of banned candidates. From his side, Talabani affirmed the importance of everyone’s participation in the elections. Talabani and Allawi’s statements came after the latter visited the president.

Presenter, Female # 1
Israel handed over Lebanese citizen Rabih Zahra to the UN interim forces in Lebanon, after kidnapping him from Bastara Farm and detaining him for hours.

Reporter, Male #1
Israeli occupation forces released Lebanese citizen Rabih Mohammed Zahra after they abducted him from the liberated Bastara Farm, located near the town of Kfarshouba. After hours of detention, the Israeli army handed over the young man to the UN forces at the Ras Naqoura crossing, close to the border. UNIFIL handed over Zahra to the Lebanese army at the crossing point. A joint committee comprised of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL members headed to the location where the kidnapping and violation took place. The young man talked about the incident. After the detention, he had marks on his face and neck suggesting that he was beaten.

Guest, Male #1
I told my cousin there’s something over there. Next thing I know, they jumped on me and captured me. They hit me on the head. I didn’t know where I was going. They asked about my parents, about Hezbollah, and Lebanese and Palestinian intelligence agencies.

Reporter, Male #1
What exactly?

Guest, Male #1
If Hezbollah was patrolling with Lebanese or Palestinian intelligence agents. I told them no.

Reporter, Male #1
Member of the resistance group, Representative Ali Fayad, who visited the kidnapping location, considered the incident to be a critical step taken by Israel in its violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Guest, Male #2
This incident is a classic example proving that the United Nations and the international forces cannot play their role properly. It shows that these forces are incapable of fulfilling their role of implementing resolution 1701 that protects Lebanon’s sovereignty and Lebanese civilians. Perhaps, the need for the UN to take tangible measures has now become imminent in order to confront Israeli violations.

Reporter, Male #1
Fayad said that the resistance group continuously evaluates the situation in the south, taking into consideration the major interests of Lebanon.

Presenter, Female #1
The new commander of the international forces in southern Lebanon stressed the importance of continuous collaboration with the Lebanese army and of strengthening the bond with the local residents.

Reporter, Male #2
President Michel Sulayman met with the new commander of the UN interim forces in southern Lebanon, Spanish General Alberto Asarta. The president wished the commander success in his mission, praising UNIFIL’s peacekeeping work and its collaboration with the Lebanese army. The general thanked the president for his support and expressed hope to accomplish his mission and fulfill UNIFIL’s obligations. He stressed the importance of a continuous collaboration with the leadership of the Lebanese army and of strengthening the bond with the residents of the south. General Asarta then met with Defense Minister Elias Murr, and affirmed that he is fully ready to consolidate the foundations of cooperation with the Lebanese army and improve its equipment. The new commander of the UNIFIL met with the general commander of the army, Jean Kahwaji, and discussed ways of cooperation and collaborating with the Lebanese army. They also discussed the kidnapping of Lebanese citizen Rabih Zahra by the enemy Israel, and the measures taken to rescue him. General Asarta met with Nabih Berri, speaker of the parliament and Minister Nawar Sahili in Ein el-Teene, to study the situation in the south and brief them about the work of the international forces.

Presenter, Female # 1
Afghan President Hamid Karzai started his visit to Saudi Arabia today to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with King Abdullah Ben Abdel Aziz.

Presenter, Male #1
This visit holds special importance because it comes days after Karzai called on Saudi Arabia to mediate between his government and the Taliban movement to achieve what he called reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan.

Reporter, Female #1
Only four days ago, the London conference on Afghanistan concluded. It was attended by more than 60 countries and received a lot of attention, but it ended with an initiative calling on Saudi Arabia to mediate between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The initiative aims to reintegrate Taliban fighters who have no links with Al Qaeda and do not use violence. During the conference, huge sums of money were called for in order to achieve this alleged reintegration. No time is wasted; according to the Afghan foreign minister the initiative has the complete backing of the intentional community. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced what can be described as the pre-conditions for negotiation with the Taliban. He called on the Afghan government to make sure that its negotiations with the Taliban do not violate the Afghan constitution, democratic principles, laws and human rights. During the London conference, the Afghan president frankly called on the Saudi King to play a prominent role in what Karzai called the peace process. The first Saudi response came from Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal who said that the Kingdom will start the mediation between the Afghan government and the Taliban on the condition that Afghanistan first cuts its ties with what he called terrorists and stops providing a safe haven for Osama Ben Laden. More importantly, Taliban fighters who are expected to accept the money, the reintegration process, and the mediation will refuse to negotiate with Karzai and others until all foreign forces leave Afghanistan. The Taliban sent a clear message by launching fierce clashes with NATO and Afghan government forces only a few hours after the London conference ended, which the movement called propaganda and a waste of time. Karzai refused the Taliban’s conditions and said that the foreign forces came to his country to eliminate terrorism and extremism and they will not leave until their mission is accomplished. Questions remain; who will reconcile with whom, what will they negotiate about and between whom will they mediate?

Presenter, Male #1
Human Rights Watch described human rights conditions in Saudi Arabia as “deteriorating.” In its annual report, Human Rights Watch said that Saudi authorities continue to systematically suppress the rights of women, foreign workers, and the Shia minority. The report adds that Saudi Arabia continues to systematically discriminate against Ahl al-Bayt, or the “Family of the Prophet.” Saudi officials discriminate against the Shia in their religious practices, education and in the justice system, as well as employment and renounce their faith publicly.

Reporter, Male #2
This rare footage captured on a video camera, shows the practices taken against Saudi citizens by the sons, grandsons, and relatives of Al-Saud, the Kingdom’s royal family. This incident only shows a glimpse of a dimmer picture of the human rights abuses committed by members of the Al-Saud royal family. On all levels, the Saudi ruling authorities are committing blatant human rights violations. The number of violations cited against the Saudi authorities can’t be examined due to absence of laws protecting the freedom of expression and the opinions of others. According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia continues to suppress the rights of individuals and women and to restrict political and religious freedoms guaranteed by the heavenly books. This prompted some human rights organizations to assess the condition of human rights in the Saudi Kingdom. Human Rights Watch describes human rights in Saudi Arabia as deteriorating and that they remain a serious concern. In its 2010 annual report, Human Rights Watch said that the Kingdom continues to systematically suppress, or fail to protect, the rights of fourteen million Saudi women, eight million foreign workers, and some two million Shia Muslims. Acts of discrimination against the Shia minority encompasses religious practices, education, and the justice system. In addition, government officials continue to exclude Shia residents from employment and decision-making, and to publicly condemn their religious beliefs. The report made reference to random arrests of Shia residents and the closure of their houses of worship. It also criticizes the Saudi authorities over the arbitrary detention, without trial, of more than 2,000 people due to their political orientation. According to the report, the detainees are commonly the victims of systematic violations of due process and trials, in addition to torture and mistreatment. The report called on the Saudi government to guarantee the rights of its citizens and grant its Shia residents their rights to political and religious freedom. This call is neither the first nor will it be last by a human rights organization. The ruling authorities in the Saudi Kingdom think that they are above the law, and can’t be held accountable, based on the rule:”Al-Saud owns the land and its people and they have the absolute power to do as they wish.”

In Nigeria, militants have ruptured a Royal Dutch Shell pipeline running through the Niger Delta. The main militant group in the volatile region says it had no hand in the pipeline sabotage. The company shut three oil stations after the incident that came shortly after Nigeria’s militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) announced the end of a three-month-old ceasefire.