Presenter, Female #1
Today, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry has confirmed to the BBC that Shahram Amiri, the Iranian nuclear scientist who disappeared from Saudi Arabia several months ago, has taken refuge in the Pakistani embassy in the United States. Tehran accused the US intelligence of abducting Amiri. So far, Washington has not made any comments about Amiri’s fleeing to the Pakistani embassy.

Reporter, Female #1
The Pakistani government told the BBC that Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri has taken refuge in the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistani embassy in Washington. According to Islamabad, Amiri entered the embassy requesting to immediately return to his country. However, Amiri’s trip from Tehran to the United States is still ambiguous. Tehran accused the US intelligence of kidnapping the Iranian scientist, and released a video tape in which Amiri says that he was detained in Tucson and subjected to pressure and torture. Washington released another video tape, in which Amiri says that he has defected to the United States and is living freely. Americans say that the Iranian scientist has provided them with important information on the nuclear plants in the Iranian city of Qom. Amiri’s resorting to the Pakistani embassy does not confirm either story. But Iranian sources say that Tehran is communicating with Islamabad in order to transfer him to his country. Dima Hamdan, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
The United States welcomed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s statement that Iran is moving closer to having the capability to produce a nuclear weapon. The statement was described as a sign of growing international unity on this issue. The Russian president’s statement was considered one of the few times in which Russia has publicly confirmed this possibility.

Reporter, Female #2
Iran is moving closer to having the capability to produce a nuclear weapon. This is not a European or American statement, nor is it an Israeli warning. This is an unusual statement made by Russia, which has, until recently, pursued a different policy towards Iran.

Guest, Male #1 (Russian President Dmitry Medvedev)
“Iran is moving closer to possessing the potential which in principle could be used for the creation of nuclear weapons.” But its possession of such a capability is not forbidden according to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Reporter, Male #1
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev added that Tehran is not acting in the best way. So what are the reasons for Moscow’s change of attitude, which has been even described by some as a coup? The answer may be found in between the lines of the Russian president’s statement. Medvedev’s statement on Iran was accompanied by a call for the formation of special alliances with the EU and the US. This position may strengthen the opinions and analysis indicating that Moscow is distancing itself from Tehran as much as it’s getting closer to the West. About one month ago, Russia voted in favor of the forth package of sanctions in the UN Security Council, which were described as the harshest on Iran. Moscow lost its military and economic deals with Tehran due to this position. Iran’s criticism of Russia followed, warning it against joining the enemy’s side. Iran then received an undiplomatic response from Moscow, demanding that the Iranian president stop the political demagoguery. The relations between the two continue to deteriorate. Iranians demand that their relations with their old friend Russia be reconsidered. Moscow responded by saying that its national interests are more important than anything else. But some interpret Russia’s position as pragmatic in its pursuit to gain more cards in the balance of power game with major countries. Moscow does not view the sanctions on Iran as effective, and warns that losing the opportunity for dialogue with Tehran will mean failure for everyone. Russia is currently siding with both the West and Iran. Will it choose one or the other? Wa’il Tamimi, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee approved the construction of 32 new settlement units in the Pisgat Zeev settlement in northern occupied Jerusalem. These settlement units are considered part of a bigger settlement plan that includes 250 new settlement units.

Presenter, Male #1
Coinciding with this decision, the Israeli occupation forces demolished two Palestinian homes in the village of Isawiya, north of Jerusalem, under the pretext that they were built without a permit.

Presenter, Female #1
Our correspondent in Jerusalem Elias Karram has the details.

Reporter, Male #1
The Jerusalem municipality approved the construction of 32 new settlement units in Pisgat Zeev in northern occupied Jerusalem. This decision will be followed by the approval of 48 settlement units next week. This is part of a bigger plan aimed at expanding the settlement by adding 250 new settlement units.

Guest, Female #1 (Hajit Oufran, Peace Now movement in Israel)
Netanyahu’s goal is to give the world the illusion that he wants peace, but without actually achieving it. The construction in Pisgat Zeev is only the beginning. Netanyahu could’ve stopped it, but he chose not to.

Reporter, Male #1
Sources from the Israeli prime minister’s office said that the new settlement units in Pisgat Zeev will not spark a new crisis with the US administration. On the other hand, the Jerusalem municipality resumed its policy of demolishing Arab homes after months of freezing the settlement construction on the basis of the Israeli-American agreement. In the village of Isawiya, neighboring Pisgat Zeev, a bulldozer from the occupation tore down 3 homes under the pretext that they were built without a permit. They also demolished another house in the suburb of Beit Hanina. With the ongoing demolitions and settlements, Israel is pressing to move to direct negotiations, which the Palestinians reject.

Guest, Male #2 (Sa’ib Ariqat, Chief Palestinian negotiator)
Netanyahu has political needs. He is trying to maintain the settlement plan, and at the same time, begin direct negotiations. So he has his political needs, and we have our position, which is not to meet any political needs but our national needs. Like I’ve said before, the option to move to direct negotiations is open to Netanyahu. Let him stop the settlements in Jerusalem, and we will agree to resume the negotiations on all final status issues, including Jerusalem.

Reporter, Male #1
Political observers say that the Jerusalem municipality will soon approve the construction of hundreds of settlement units in the settlement areas surrounding Jerusalem, in addition to other settlement plans intruding on the center of Arab neighborhoods. Israel appears to care more about the peace process than peace itself. It knows well that its urgent demand for direct negotiations reduces some of the international pressure on it and changes its image of being the reluctant side in the peace negotiations. It also places itself in the other camp, in opposition to the Palestinians, who reject any negotiations under the shadow of the continued settlement construction. Elias Karram, al-Jazeera, from the Pisgat Zeev settlement, northern occupied Jerusalem.

The highly anticipated report on the IDF investigation into the naval raid of the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara is being released for publication. The 150-page internal IDF report is highly critical of the navy’s military intelligence, mainly that the navy failed to anticipate that the IDF commandos would be met with violence and that flawed preparation resulted from that failure.

Presenter, Male # 1
There are intensive Lebanese efforts aimed at extinguishing the tension between the international emergency forces and the residents of southern Lebanese towns. This deterioration has prompted the UN Security Council to convene, as requested by France, saying that UNIFIL must be allowed to move freely across the territory. What are the main tasks of the international forces, which have been deployed for nearly 30 years, as mandated by UN Resolution 1701? Our correspondent, Eliane Shatri, visited some of the southern villages and compiled the following report.

Reporter, Female # 1
Lebanon is catching its breath after its southern front cooled off. This news comes after diplomatic efforts, which have extended to various fronts, have succeeded in containing the escalation between UNIFIL and the residents of some border villages, including the town of Toulin that witnessed the latest skirmishes.

Guest, Male # 2 (Hasan Ayalee, Mayor of Toulin)
It’s over. Each UNIFIL patrol is being escorted by the Lebanese army. This is reassuring, for both the international forces and the residents. The Lebanese army is more familiar with the needs of the villages.

Guest, Male # 3
The situation went back to normal. There’s no urgency. It has been calm here. There are no problems at all.

Guest, Male # 4
The Lebanese army and UNIFIL are like family to us.

Reporter, Female #1
Despite the recent scattered incidents, UNIFIL has a specific mission that has not changed since its deployment in Lebanon nearly 30 years ago. It was established by the UN Security Council, as requested by the Lebanese government, to maintain security and stability in southern Lebanon.

Guest, Male # 5 (Niraj Singh, UNIFIL spokesman)
The Lebanese army is primarily responsible for security, law and order in our territory. UNIFIL is assisting the army, as per the UN Resolution 1701.

Reporter, Female # 2
The UNIFIL mandate has prompted the Lebanese government to rally support for the international forces. In addition, the Lebanese government reiterated its full compliance with UN Resolution 1701, vowing to expand the deployment of the Lebanese army in order to protect the safety of the international forces deployed in territories south of the Litany. Everyone agreed that the tension between UNFIL and the residents has ended, once and for all. Meanwhile, the south is facing a test on the implementation of UN resolution 1701, a test that coincides with the 4th anniversary of the July 2006 War. From the headquarters of the UNIFIL Force in Naqoura, Eliane Shatri, Dubai TV, Southern Lebanon.

Presenter, Male #1
Saudi Arabia has urged the Iraqis to speed up the formation of the new government in order to boost security, and called on them to cling to national unity and stability. Meanwhile, the Iraqi parliamentary blocs have failed to hold a session aimed at ending the government’s stalemate. The Iraqi blocs agreed to hold a parliamentary session next Monday in an attempt to reach a consensus about the three ministerial posts.

Reporter, Male #2
The constitutional bylaws have failed to resolve the crisis of the Iraqi government’s formation by the due date. This news comes after the major political blocs failed to reach a consensus over the three ministerial posts, following their meeting at the constitutional hall of the parliament. Iraqi parliamentary political blocs decided to postpone the parliamentary session for another two weeks in order to give them an opportunity to reach a consensus over the three ministerial posts.

Guest, Male #3 (Fuad Masum, Head of the Kurdish Parliamentary Bloc)
We hope to reach a political consensus soon, God willing, within two weeks. This will ease the political process with regard to the formation of the government.

Reporter, Male #2
The Kurdistan Alliance is calling for the reelection of President Jalal Talbani. Meanwhile, Iyad Allawi and Nouri al-Maliki are competing for the post of prime minister. Until the president’s and the prime minster’s posts are filled, the post of the parliament’s speaker will remain open.

Guest, Male #4 (Haydar al-Mala, Iraqi Member of Parliament, Iraqiya List)
Honestly, the Iraqiya list believes that the elections of the president of the republic, the prime minister, and the parliament’s speaker must be held concurrently, as they all fall in the same political basket. The Iraqiya list believes that separating this political basket, by filling the posts of the president and the prime minister, while leaving the parliament’s speaker post open, will further complicate the government’s formation problem rather than resolve it. Therefore, we are concerned about finding a remedial solution to the Iraqi government’s formation crisis.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, the Iraqiya list has accused the Federal Supreme Court of what it described as yielding to the interests of certain political sides in its interpretation of Article 76 of the Iraqi constitution. The attempts to broker a political consensus have failed in Iraq, as tension deepened among the major parliamentary blocs over the election of the three ministerial posts. This news comes despite talks about a possible breakthrough in the formation of the government at the end of the month. From the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, Majid Hamid, al-Arabiya.

Presenter, Male #1
Iraqi refugees in the Syrian capital, Damascus, are enduring harsh living conditions, prompting a 16-year-old boy to drop-out of school and look for work in order to support his family.

Reporter, Male #2
As soon as the dawn prayer call stopped echoing across the deserted streets of the Syrian capital, the daughters of the Iraqi national Rashid wake up to study. Unlike the family’s older son Gailan, the two sisters have attended Syrian schools since the family fled Iraq in 2008. Sixteen-year-old Gailan has not attended school since the family arrived in Damascus, as he is the family’s sole provider. He works a 16-hour shift in a textile factory, and tries to steal naps as his two sisters get ready for school. Today is their examination day, so he gets up early to escort his younger siblings to school.

Guest, Male #3
I want you to stay in school and succeed. I had no choice but to drop-out of school because my family depends on me. I want you to stay in school and graduate.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite the fact that the Syrian government has allocated specials seats for Iraqi refugee students, many, like Gailan, had no choice but to drop-out of school due to financial constraints.

Guest, Male #3
I swear to God, our financial situation is very bad. I would really like to go back to school and take a break from work but this is not an option. Both of my parents are ailing. I earn nearly 1,500 Syrian Liras, which is not enough to make ends meet.

Reporter, Male #2
For Gailan and his family, leaving Iraq was not an option: His father had been kidnapped by an armed group in Iraq and then caught in a separate market bombing. In Syria, the family’s conditions continue to deteriorate day by day. The family depends on aid provided by the UN, and says it has nothing left to spend. Gailan was also kidnapped in Iraq and fell victim to a violent crime in Syria.He might have not attended school but in the eyes of his father, he has earned something better than a college degree.

Guest, Male #4
My son has earned something better than a college degree, or even a PhD. He’s a man who sacrificed for the sake of his family, brothers, and relatives. He is such a great man to sacrifice for his family.

Reporter, Male #2
The Syrian Ministry of Education, the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, as well as other partners like the European Union, have initiated a program to help Iraqi refugee drop-out students go back to school. The program aims to support the educational system in Syria as well as offer remedial classes for Iraqi students who have many reasons for not attending but one reason to return.

Presenter, Female #1
The information we have received that explains why Firas Haidar took the action that he did seems to be contradictory. Airport security Chief Maj. Gen. Wafik Shoukair requested that the Minister of Interior, Ziyad Baroud, relieve him of his duties. Salma al-Hajj reports.

Reporter, Female #1
This is a story that opened the door to the kind of hell in which ghosts lurk around in the absence of security. Details of Firas Hossein Haidar’s trip from Beirut to Riyad have begun to unfold. After Firas’ brother, Ali Hossein Haidar, was called in for an investigation, some sources said that Firas Haidar, born in the southern town of Markaba, is a resident of Bourj al-Barajneh, and that his body was identified through two photographs sent by Saudi authorities to their Lebanese counterparts. Ali said that Firas left his parents’ house 3 days ago, and had been suffering from a nervous breakdown. Ali also said that there was a clear change in his brother’s behavior, which started about 6 months ago. The story recounted by some sources was confronted by a clear and frank objection from the family of the deceased. Firas’ parents and siblings are so devastated by the incident that they are unable to talk. Silence, or rather a complete breakdown, rules this tragic incident.

Guest, Male #1 (Mohammed Shoukair, defense lawyer, Firas Haidar case)
He never consumed drugs, and, as I told you, he was a very smart person. He was recently completing his BT3 official exams, and we were waiting for his results. What is being said is absolutely false. The only right thing is that his financial situation was a little hard, maybe that’s what drove him to take this action.

Reporter, Female #1
Is there any information, in terms of security, as far as how Firas entered the airport? Did he have a ticket to travel to Saudi Arabia, or were you surprised by the news?

Guest, Male #1
We don’t have information on that. No, I don’t think he had a ticket but I don’t know for sure. I can’t confirm or deny it.

Reporter, Female #1
And there is no information on how Firas entered the airport?

Guest, Male #1
No, nothing at all.

Reporter, Female #1
It is said that Firas’ brother, Ali, acknowledged during the investigation that Firas was emotionally or mentally instable.

Guest, Male #2
I talked to Ali, and I asked him. He said that they made him feel responsible for the situation. Contrary to what some media reported, he told them that his brother was living through a crisis, and facing very difficult circumstances, but not that he was mentally unstable. A lot of people use this term without knowing what it really means, it doesn’t mean that he was unstable. He was actually living a tragic reality because his financial situation was not good.

Reporter, Female #1
You said that he was placed under specific circumstances, what does that exactly mean?

Guest, Male #2
Of course, they asked him how he breached security and how he arrived there, how are we supposed to know?

Reporter, Female #1
In terms of security, we headed to Beirut International Airport again, which has not witnessed any additional measures or reinforcement. The situation there remains the same. The National News Agency said that airport security Chief, Maj. Gen. Wafik Shoukair, submitted a report to the minister of interior on the incident in which Firas’ body was found in the tires a plane that belongs to the Saudi Nas Air. The news agency mentioned that Major General Shoukair’s report included a request to be relieved of his duties as the airport’s security chief. The National News Agency also revealed that Minister Baroud is studying the matter, indicating that no statements have been released from Baroud’s office until now. So, barbed wire does not mean security.The airport is surrounded by fences that we managed to break through earlier, specifically from this spot. We sneaked into the heart of the airport in bright daylight. This means that our speculation of a security breach was proved by video and audio documentation that will be revealed to the public at first and the relevant institutions next. This also means that there might have been many individual infiltrations and large cases that were exclusively or deliberately concealed. From the center of the barbed wire surrounding the Beirut International Airport, Salma al-Hajj, New TV.


** Mosaic News is produced by Jamal Dajani. Contact: mosaicnews{at}linktv{dot}org