Presenter, Female # 1
Our correspondent in Yemen reported that unidentified masked gunmen attacked two state security buildings in Zinjibar, in Yemen’s Abyan province. Eyewitnesses said that clashes led to the death of 2 gunmen and the arrest of 7. In addition, one policeman was killed and 8 others were wounded.

Reporter, Male # 1
Yet another operation targets Yemeni intelligence. The two simultaneous attacks on the intelligence and security services headquarters were carried out by unidentified masked individuals in Zinjibar, a large city in southern Yemen’s Abyan province. It led to the death and injury of a number of people. The attackers launched their two attacks on the buildings, which are located in different regions, by using bombs, machine guns and cruise missiles. Security forces on site exchanged fire with the attackers; then, they cordoned off the sites of the two attacks and closed the city’s main roads that lead to them. Eyewitnesses said that some of the attackers fled toward Jaar, a village located around 15 kilometers north of Zinjiba, a stronghold for extremists in southern Yemen. Security sources saw al-Qaeda’s fingerprints in the two attacks, which come after the organization claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted an intelligence headquarters in the southern town of Aden, in which 11 people were killed, among them 7 policemen. Khaled el-Khashef, al-Arabiya.

Presenter, Female # 1
During a phone call from the Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship, our al-Jazeera correspondent said that the ship’s technical team has fixed an engine problem and that the ship is sailing again, but is surrounded by Israeli warships.

Presenter, Male # 1
He confirmed that Israeli authorities have threatened to storm the ship if it insisted on making its way to Gaza, and refused to divert its destination to the Egyptian port of el-Arish. The ship’s executive director informed our al-Jazeera correspondent that he insists on sailing toward Gaza.

Reporter, Male # 2
The Libyan aid ship is still heading toward the port of Gaza, and, according to those responsible for the voyage, it has no intention of changing its path. The ship is located nearly 80 miles off the coast of Gaza and 60 off the Egyptian port of el-Arish. In an audio recording broadcast by the Israeli radio, the captains of the Gaza-bound ship said that they were stuck because of engine trouble. Israeli sources indicate that the ship is now heading toward the port of el-Arish. However, this didn’t prevent Israeli authorities from sending four warships to observe the ship. In the Israeli port of Ashdod, the military has been placed on high alert. The navy has threatened to storm the ship if it insisted on heading toward Gaza. Meanwhile, at the port of Gaza, everyone is simply waiting. Palestinians here know that it is unlikely that Israel would allow the entry of the Libyan ship into the Gaza port, and deplore what they refer to as Israeli piracy.

Guest, Male # 3
The surrounding of the Libyan Hope ship by Israeli warships and its prevention from reaching Gaza is a clear example of piracy and Israeli terrorism, which is being carried out in the middle of the sea. Just like what happened with the Turkish Marmara ship.

Reporter, Male # 2
Israel does not want any ship to reach Gaza because that would mean a breach and a challenge to its naval blockade of the Strip. However, its dealing with the Libyan ship so far shows that it does not want a repeat of the experience of the Turkish Marmara when Israeli soldiers killed 9 Turks on board the ship in international waters in May. Israel was subjected to strong international pressure after that incident, which forced it to allow the entry of some goods into Gaza. Nonetheless, it has maintained the siege, and this is what drove international activists to send the Irish Rachel Corrie ship that was seized by the Israeli navy after it refused to return home or dock in an Israeli port. For now, the only thing to do is wait for the end of the voyage of the Libyan ship to find out to what extent Israel is desperate to defend its siege on Gaza and protect it from any ship that is carrying aid, even if it’s called Hope.

Presenter, Female #1
The Egyptian authorities have denied entry to “Ansar Wahid” or the “Solidarity One” aid convoy, bound for the Gaza strip via the Egyptian port of Nuweibeh. Organizers of the convoy said that the transport company has demanded security permits from the delegation, as requested by Egyptian authorities. Meanwhile, several governmental and non-governmental organizations in Jordan are exerting efforts to end the standoff with the Egyptian authorities. Around 150 activists are travelling with the “Ansar Wahid” convoy, which includes 25 trucks. Nasir Shadid has monitored the launch of the convoy from Aqaba and prepared the following report.

Reporter, Male #1
A new aid convoy is en route to Gaza, as part of efforts launched by the Jordanian professional associations, one of the largest civil society organizations in the country. The convoy includes 25 trucks loaded with basic humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and medical equipment as well as building materials. The convoy has left Amman and is heading to the port city of Aqaba, where activists will travel on a ferry operated by a maritime company to the Egyptian port of Nuweibeh.

Guest, Male #2 (Mohammad Bashir, Deputy Director of “Ansar Wahid” Aid Convoy)
By deploying this aid convoy, we are trying to highlight the impact of this unjust siege on the Gaza Strip, saying that it is unacceptable and must end. The aid, though it’s symbolic, is another way to show that the people of Gaza are not alone and isolated from their neighbors. This comes despite the political positions adopted by the Arab regimes, which are bound by accords and agreements that are hampering the Arab nation from trying to lift the siege by force.

Reporter, Male #1
For the first time, women in Jordan are taking part in the efforts to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Guest, Female #2 (Dima Tahbub, Partisan Activist)
We thank the professional associations for allowing a delegation of women to take part in this effort to break the siege on Gaza. We are part of the general public front.This is the least we could do. I’m glad that the convoy was named “Ansar Wahid,” which means that there are more to come. This will not be the last convoy, God willing. We are very happy to take part in this convoy, regardless of whether we get there or not. But of course, we hope to reach our destination.

Reporter, Male #1
Some children chanted slogans in solidarity with this “professional” aid convoy. The organizers of “Ansar Wahid” are saying that it may be very difficult for them to gain entry into the Gaza Strip, amidst the stringent position of the Egyptian government, but that it is worth the risk. The Egyptian embassy in the Jordanian capital, Amman, refused to deal or even talk with the organizers of the convoy, signaling that the Egyptian government may not have agreed to allow them entry into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli attack on the freedom flotilla led to the detention of nearly 30 Jordanians for two days. The detainees were released due to diplomatic efforts launched by several groups. Nasir Shadid, BBC, Amman.

Presenter, Male #1
Arab Member of the Israeli Knesset, Hanin Zoabi, was reprimanded over her participation in the freedom flotilla. With 34 votes in favor and 16 against, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution to strip Zoabi of her diplomatic immunity. The resolution also permits the authorities to prevent Zoabi from leaving the country, as well as cancel her diplomatic passport. Israel is accusing Zoabi of siding with the “enemies of the state” due to her participation in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla. In the Knesset, Hanin Zoabi is a member of a party that represents Israeli-Arabs. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli practices, including the siege and the aggressions, continue to impact the lives of the Palestinians. Forty two-year-old Na’ma Abu Said was martyred last night and more than 5 others were wounded in Israeli artillery shelling in the area of Juhr al-Dik, east of the Buraij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. This news comes during an Israeli incursion in the area. A shell fell on Abu Said’s family home. As soon as the Israeli prime minister returned home from Washington, his government started to demolish additional homes in East Jerusalem and build dozens of housing units in nearby settlements. The new development is part of the random preemptive measures taken by the occupation’s government ahead of, US Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell’s visit. Mitchell will soon arrive in the region in an effort to revive the direct peace talks. From Jerusalem, Sheruk Asad reports.

Reporter, Female #1
This small house in the eastern Beit Hanina neighborhood, north of occupied Jerusalem, was owned by the Rajabi family, who exerted tremendous efforts to stay in Jerusalem. Without prior notice, the Israeli army surrounded the Rajabis’ home and in minutes razed it to the ground. They didn’t even wait for the family to remove their belongings from the home before turning it to rubble. Dalal’s mother said that she had helped build her daughter’s home brick by brick.

Guest, Female #2
My husband has been admitted to the hospital. When I arrived here, they told me that Dalal’s home was getting demolished. No one was at home. It was built with bricks. Part of the roof was made with zinc. She wanted to keep her family in Jerusalem.

Reporter, Female #1
Two houses and a farm house in the Essawiya neighborhood in Jerusalem have also met the same fate. More than 25 people, including 16 from the Abu Rumaila family, were living in these homes. The head of the Abu Rumaila household couldn’t bear watching her home getting demolished. Amidst the rubble, sadness, and fear, residents expressed concern over the fate of their homes, built without Israeli permits, which are usually not granted to Arab residents, and come at a high price with many obstacles.

Guest, Female #3
How could it be done? Where can we get a permit? The Israelis can build 600 settlement units. We live in a coop, and yet they want to demolish it. God doesn’t accept this. In two or three months, it might be my home getting demolished.

Guest, Female #4
They are building towers, more than 22 or 23 stories-high. They are building many of them. However, we are not allowed to build even one-story-homes, barely a basement. Look, it’s a wooden shack, nothing more.

Reporter, Female #1
Not far from here, in the Misgav Zeev settlement, Israel is preparing to build new settlement units.

Guest, Male #2 (Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Saeb Erikat)
The Israeli government is responding to the White House announcement that Senator Mitchell is coming to the region. Israel is proposing to build 233 settlement units in Misgav Zeev, as well as demolishing homes. Nothing is left to discuss in the indirect or even direct negotiations.

Reporter, Female #1
This is what is left from the Rajabi home, just like what is left for the Palestinians to negotiate over. Observers believe that the least the Palestinian leadership can do is seriously look for new options, as opposed to resuming the peace talks, which seem to only provide a political blanket for Israel. Sheruk Asad, Dubai TV, occupied Jerusalem.

Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri said: “I would like to talk about all of that in Iran, and make everything clear.” He added that “when I escaped from the U.S. agents...the Iranians got the first side of the video that I made on YouTube, in which I explain clearly what had happened. Afterward, I was captured again...when the American agents realized that I had posted a video like that...they decided to make another video of me in which I would say that I was going back to Iran”.

Presenter, Male #1
Turkey has demanded that the Iraqi and US governments, as well as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), hand over members and officials of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK,) who are seeking refuge in Iraqi mountains.

Reporter, Male #2
The KRG has reiterated its commitment to helping Turkey end the PKK’s presence in northern Iraq. The spokesman for the KRG, Kawa Mahmud, said that his government will only answer statements issued by the Turkish government, and will not acknowledge directives issued by the Turkish military or any other source. During an earlier visit to Ankara, the President of the KRG, Mas’ud Barzani, stressed the importance of cooperation in order to resolve the PKK crisis in a peaceful manner. The Turkish army’s Chief of Staff, Ilker Basbug, warned, via the Turkish Millat Newspaper, that the presence of PKK fighters in northern Iraq will have a negative impact on Turkish-Iraqi relations, similar to those that Turkey had with Syria in 1998. Basbug directed his warning to KRG President, Mas’ud Barzani, the Iraqi government and the US. Meanwhile, Turkey asked Iraq, the United States and the KRG to hand over PKK officials and fighters who are seeking refuge in Iraqi mountains. Ankara submitted to the Iraqi and US authorities a list of 248 PKK rebels, saying that they must be immediately extradited to Turkish authorities. Turkey also proposed the launch of a joint military operation to capture the fugitives, if deemed necessary. Since last May, the PKK has been intensifying its attacks on the Turkish army in northern and southeastern Anatolia. KRG Presidential Advisor, Adel Barwari, said that while the Iraqi central government is willing to help the Turkish government eliminate the PKK, the problem will not end there, as it originates in Turkey. Barwari added that the PKK problem can only be resolved by the Turkish government, through maintaining control over its internal front. To resolve the PKK issue, in 2005, Iraq and Turkey formed a joint security committee, led by the Turkish minister of interior and the Iraqi minister of state for national security, as well as the US military commander in Iraq. However, the committee has failed to broker a security agreement to end the crisis. Observers believe that a security agreement between the Iraqi government and its Turkish counterpart is the only way to end the crisis, warning that in the absence of a solution, this issue will continue to affect stability in the region and Iraq, especially in the Kurdistan region.

Presenter, Male #1
On the ground, a local resident was wounded in a new wave of shelling by Turkish warplanes, east of the governorate of Irbil. A source affiliated with the Democratic Patriotic Alliance of Kurdistan said that Turkish warplanes violated Kurdish air space and carried out raids on border villages and the mountains in the area of Sidi Kan, east of Irbil Province. The shelling, which lasted nearly an hour, wounded a local resident, identified as Tawfiq Abdullah, in the area of Lulan Mountain. Abdullah was transported to a local hospital in the county of Suran. The source added that the bombardment caused massive property damage to local farms and pastures. The shelling also caused fear among the residents, who fled to safer areas.

Presenter, Female #1
The Arab world is becoming the region with the highest unemployment rate in the world. Arab countries are facing a worrying economic situation, especially in relation to their employment sector. It is estimated that the Arab world will need to create tens of millions of jobs in the next decade. Even the oil industry in Arab countries has not managed to avoid the unemployment problem.

Reporter, Male #1
For a long time, the Arab world has been facing the economic challenges that come with unemployment and poverty. These challenges are the biggest obstacles facing the security of the Arab people. The number of those living under the poverty line in this part of the world is estimated at nearly 70 million. Arab countries will need to create tens of millions of new jobs by 2020. These jobs will become an urgent need in order to accommodate the young people entering the job market. The unemployment rates of young people in Arab countries have been relatively high, and unemployment is considered to be one of the main reasons for the lack of economic security in most Arab countries. According to documents by the Arab Labor Organization, the average unemployment rate in the Arab world is 15%, while the world’s average rate is 6.3%. The latest estimates indicate that the unemployment rate, which is rising in Arab countries by 3% every year, has now reached 20-25% of the total workforce. Meanwhile, the average unemployment rate in the world does not exceed 6.3%, which virtually makes the Arab world the region with the highest number of unemployed people. In addition, the unemployment rate of Arab women is higher than that of Arab men, and among the highest in the entire world. This renders the current unemployment situation in the Arab world one of the worse in the world, and it is about to reach a critical stage. Therefore, Arab economies must pump in about 70 billion dollars, increase their economic growth from 3% to 7%, and create at least 5 million new jobs every year in order to overcome this severe problem. Economic experts say that decision-makers in the Arab world should plan to create millions of jobs by 2020, as the current labor force in the Arab world has reached 120 million. Reports by the Arab Labor Organization confirm that there isn’t a single Arab country that is immune to unemployment anymore, especially the oil-producing countries. The unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab country in terms of size and local and foreign employment, has reached about 15%. In the Sultanate of Oman, it is 18%; in Qatar, over 11.6%, as for other Arab countries, the situation is more or less the same.

Presenter, Female #1
Saudi Arabia has formed an investigative committee, including at least 6 government officials, in order to reinvestigate the smuggling of oil products from a Saudi port to a number of European countries. The smuggling operations lasted nearly 11 years before getting uncovered. The former investigative committee concluded that the oil-smuggling company bought oil surplus from the government-owned corporation, Aramco, at symbolic prices, on condition that it be used domestically. However, the company resorted to smuggling the oil surplus and was exporting it to European countries.

Movements to ban full-face veils are gathering support across Europe. French lawmakers have voted to ban the wearing of burqas in public, causing the condemnation of human rights organizations. France is home to Western Europe’s largest Muslim community, with about 5 million Muslims.


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