Presenter, Male#1
At least 50 Iraqis were killed and more than 180 others were wounded in a series of bombings in Baghdad, Kut, Ramadi, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Basra.

Presenter, Female #1
Among them was a suicide car-bomb attack that was launched on a police station in Baghdad, killing 15 people. A similar attack was also launched in Kut, killing 26 people.

Reporter, Male #2
Violent acts struck various parts of Iraq, similar in pattern to previous attacks but different in terms of their timing and targets. The bombings were launched in 6 provinces, distributed on all levels, generally targeting police command centers. Dozens of people, including police officers and civilians, were killed or wounded in the attacks. The bombings come shortly after similar attacks, targeting traffic police officers and judges, were launched in the country. The nature of the attacks, in terms of their coordination and timing, is raising questions about the capability of the Iraqi security forces to maintain control in the country. In the past, Iraqi forces relied on US support while carrying-out combat operations. Today, Iraqi forces found themselves alone on the frontlines, after the US announced the end of its combat operations and a troop-reduction in the country. A US official said that his country’s forces fell below 50,000 ahead of the planned withdrawal at the end of this month. The US military command center hinted that it may redeploy its forces in Iraq if the security situation spirals out of control and the political constituents fail to form a national unity government. Iraqis and Americans alike believe that the formation of a national government is overdue, which is helping fuel the security situation in the country. Negotiations and meetings between winning political blocs in Iraq are about to enter their 7th month, without a glimpse of hope to break the deadlock impeding the formation of the next government. A series of thorny and complicated issues continue to overshadow the negotiations among the various political blocs. The head of the Iraqiya coalition, Iyad Allawi, said that the US wants to see an Iraqi official, close to Iran, appointed to the post of prime minster.This has stirred more doubt about the position and nature of the Iranian-American relations towards the Iraqi plight.

Presenter, Female #1
Joining us from Baghdad is Abdullah Badran, a journalist.

Presenter, Male #1
Do you have the exact death toll of these bloody attacks?

Guest, Male #3 (Abdullah Badran, journalist)
Iraqis woke up this morning to the sounds of the bloody bombings that struck Baghdad. The first of these bombings started with a booby-trapped car that targeted a police station in the Cairo neighborhood, north of Baghdad. It was followed by another car bomb attack in the Aden Square, north of Baghdad, near Karkh. In addition, several police stations in the provinces of Basra and Karbala, including the Police Coordination Center, were hit by car bombings. A string of booby-trapped cars were detonated in the areas of Kirkuk and Ramadi. A car bomb attack was launched in the province of Tikrit. In addition, a booby trapped car, targeting the commander of ground forces in Salah Din, exploded.

Presenter, Female #1
Fighting resumed this morning between Somali government forces and al-Shabab fighters in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. This news comes one day after fierce clashes erupted in the capital, killing more than 70 Somalis.

Reporter, Male #1
This building appears to be normal. However, it was part of the big fish that was briefly captured by the armed al-Shabab fighters. The building is comprised of a hotel, which serves as a home to many Somali parliamentarians and officials. The hotel was targeted by armed fighters of al-Shabab Mujahidin Movement. The attackers, who were disguised in security uniforms, were able to enter the hotel. Once inside, they immediately opened fire on its occupants, killing 6 Somali members of parliament and 5 security officers. Somali security forces rushed to the scene and exchanged fire with the gunmen. While one of the attackers was captured by the security forces, the other two bombers blew themselves up. More than 31 people were killed, mostly civilians, including women and children. Most of the victims were employees at the hotel, which is located close to the residence of Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmad. The attack comes amidst the fragile political and security situation in the country, which is being run by a transitional government that only has partial control of Mogadishu. The massacre comes one day after several hundreds troops from Uganda arrived in Somalia to offer support for the nearly 6,300 African Union peacekeeping troops deployed in the country. The main duty of the AU forces is to protect the airport and President Sharif Sheikh Ahmad. Al-Shabab fighters, who are backed by al-Qaeda, declared war on what they referred to as “invading foreign forces.” On Monday, al-Shabab fighters clashed with the government forces around the Somali capital, killing more than 30 civilians and expanding their control in the capital.

Presenter, Female #1
In Lebanon, calm was restored on the streets of the capital, Beirut, following armed clashes between Hezbollah supporters and the Ahbash sect, west of Beirut. The National News Agency said that at least four people were killed in the clashes, among them a local Hezbollah official. The Lebanese army has opened an investigation into the incident.

Reporter, Male # 1
This is the Lebanese capital, Beirut, which witnessed the death and injury of several people in armed clashed between Hezbollah elements and others from the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects, known as al-Ahbash.

Guest, Male # 2
This shouldn’t have happened. I think that we’ve been living together for a long time in this neighborhood…30 or 40 years.This shouldn’t have happened. There was some negligence.

Reporter, Male # 1
Military sources confirmed that a personal conversation between a Hezbollah member and another from al-Ahbash, developed into a collective clash that led to human losses on both sides.

Guest, Male # 3
We would like the government to enforce its authority in all of Lebanon. What else can I say? Clashes between Muslims is wrong in the month of Ramadan.

Reporter, Male # 1
Immediately after the clashes, the leaderships of both sides called for an urgent meeting. They issued a joint statement to confirm that the incident was personal, and does not indicate political or sectarian disputes. For its part, the Lebanese army deployed some of its soldiers to the region. In addition, the army leadership decided to open an urgent investigation into the incident, in order to find out the reasons and details behind the clashes, in which the two sides used machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The exchange of gunfire lasted several hours. The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects was established in Lebanon in 1983. It gained power in 1992 when it managed to win a seat in parliament; at the time, parliamentary elections were widely boycotted. However, four years later, it lost the seat. Ihab el-Alfi, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
We stay in Lebanon, where Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the party provided evidence, not proof, in connection to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. He indicated that it opens up new prospects for the investigation. During an Iftar of the women’s Islamic Resistance Support Organization, Nasrallah said that he was not concerned with the international tribunal. He confirmed his readiness to cooperate with the Lebanese judiciary.

Guest, Male # 4 (Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General)
I am being asked to provide the information I have about the international tribunal and the international investigation. However, the course of events indicate that this is not a confession, and I am neither concerned with the international tribunal, nor the international investigation. God willing, my reasons and evidence will be unveiled at the right time.

Presenter, Female #1
For his part, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad el-Hariri said, during an iftar in Beirut, that nothing will prevent the international tribunal from moving forward. The tribunal is investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq el-Hariri. The Lebanese prime minister asked all Lebanese sides to maintain a calm atmosphere during this difficult phase currently experienced in Lebanon.

Guest, Male # 5 (Saad Hariri, Lebanese Prime Minister)
For many weeks now, we have been calling on everyone to maintain the calm. We need to stop covering-up the truth. However, sadly, some insist on obstructing the opportunities provided for calm, dialogue and objectivity.

Presenter, Female #1
New pleas for help were issued by the UN to counter the deteriorating situation in Pakistan. The U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, said that they need 40 more helicopters to reach the 800,000 people who were cut off by the floods that are still threatening to displace millions in the Sindh region. Meanwhile, signs of desperation started to appear in the flood-stricken regions, raising concerns of possible social unrest there. Ghassan Eid reports.

Reporter, Male #1
It’s a struggle for survival, sending chilling messages of panic and concern among Pakistani officials and UN relief agencies. The UN issued a warning of looming social unrest in Pakistan’s flood-devastated regions, where millions of residents are left without food and shelter. The dire humanitarian situation could lead to security instability in the flood-devastated regions, which may further complicate relief efforts there. The UN is warning that violence could break out in the flood-stricken regions, as water and food supplies cannot be easily delivered. Fighting over food and water will have deadly consequences, as many of the flood victims are weak and powerless.

Guest, Female #2
As floods swept through our village, everyone fled. My father took my two children and fled. I found a carriage, which I used as shelter from the water but the floods swept my father and my two children away.

Reporter, Male #1
This woman’s story is shared by many of the displaced here at this refugee camp. While many in this camp have access to food and water, hundreds of thousands of other Pakistanis have been cut off by flood waters and are only reachable by air, as confirmed by the UN. The UN asked for 40 more helicopters to facilitate lifesaving aid to the increasingly desperate people, saying that “these unprecedented floods require unprecedented measures.” These were scenes of the Pakistan tragedy that resulted from the worst disaster to hit the country. However, it seems that the worst is not over yet, as floods continue to threaten millions of other residents in the Sindh region, in southern Pakistan, warning of a new struggle for survival.

Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak discussed today the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians with quartet Middle East Envoy Tony Blair. Barak said that both sides will be required to make brave decisions during the direct negotiations. Blair expressed his own hopes that the Palestinian Authority will find the internal power to move ahead with the talks.

Presenter, Female #1
According to a study by the India-based Strategic Foresight Group, the Middle East is at the forefront of the world’s most armed regions. And that the cost of the conflict in the region has exceeded 10 trillion dollars. More details with my colleague Norma al-Hajj.

Reporter, Female # 2
This report revealed that the Middle East is the most armed region in the world, based on all measures, such as the percentage of the gross domestic product spent on defense, human losses, and the number of youth associated with the security sector. According to the report, the Middle East spends the most on the military, for which it allocated 6 per cent of its gross domestic product in 2005. In addition to the military costs, the conflict has also had economic, social and political costs. Economically, the invoice of the conflict in the Middle East reached 12 trillion dollars between 1991 and 2010. Socially, the report unveiled that the conflict has had an extreme effect on Palestinians, as the death toll has exceeded 4,000 people since the intifada began in 2000. In addition, the number of those living in extreme poverty increased in 2006, and now account for over 1 million people. The study concluded by reporting that the conflict in the Middle East has cost the world’s economy much more than is visible, especially since the so called “war on terror” resulted in additional costs for security measures, in addition to its repercussions, which led to the increase of oil prices, among other consequences.

Presenter, Female #1
Eye infections, caused by viruses and bacteria, pervade throughout Lebanon’s poor and polluted areas. The two neighborhoods of Soulom and Khandaq el-Ghamek are two samples, where more than 1,000 people are infected. Our colleague, Hussein Khreiss, visited the two neighborhoods and brought us the following report.

Reporter, Male #1
The state’s misfortune and negligence, along with the power shortages, lack of water and increased pollution, have made out of the air a medium for the transmission of eye bacteria. This is an old virus that is once again active due to the rising temperature. It has created an epidemic in poor over-populated regions, which has lead to the infection of entire families. The symptoms start in one eye, and then spread to the other; they include redness, swelling, and a sensation of a strange organism in the eye.

Guest, Male # 2 (Dr. Ali Qobaysi, Ophthalmologist)
I have seen many cases, which can be classified into 2 types. The spread of the virus and the spread of the bacteria. The latter’s symptoms are a little different, and is more prominent than the inflammation of the virus. In both cases, antiviral drugs are required. However, in the case of the bacteria, antiviral drugs are more effective. The virus does not having any treatments. The inflammation requires time, and it varies from person to person. It could take anywhere between 3-4 days, up to 10 days. Treatments differ, and complications could occur in some cases. After a while, we notice the inflammation of the cornea, which could last months. In this case, the patient will have some problems with their eyesight. I would like to remind you that the inflammation is transferred through touch.

Reporter, Male # 1
Khandaq el-Ghamek and the Soulom neighborhoods are two samples. And the list of environmental problems in both of them is long. Let’s hope that some officials understand the dangerous situation and feel inclined to tackle it.

Guest, Male # 3
Look at our eyes, it’s been 5 days. The entire neighborhood is this way. We want the minister of health to come and tell us what’s going on, that’s all.

Guest, Female # 2
We got this virus from the dirt, the lack of electricity and water, there’s nothing here.

Guest, Male # 4
The Ghandour Company is here. It struck a deal with the organizations of the neighborhood. It has a labor union; the company throws it trash and bacteria all over the neighborhood.

Guest, Male # 2 (Dr. Ali Qobaysi, Ophthalmologist)
The biggest part of the treatment is prevention. First of all, following some sanitation measures can prevent the spread of the disease.

Reporter, Male # 1
Sanitation, then, is the basis, according to Dr. Qobaysi. Let’s look for it here, in a river that still hasn’t gained notoriety among tourists, al-Ghadir River. A new germ broke through the atmosphere of a country hit with the virus of clean air deprivation, to become an epidemic that does not dare reach the children of the officials in the country of law and institutions. From one of the neighborhoods situated in Beirut’s no man's land, Hussein Khreiss, New TV.

In Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan, concerns have yet again been raised over the government’s dealings with foreign contractors over the region’s vast oil resources. Iraq is now estimated to have an amount of oil reserves second only to Saudi Arabia. Most of it is concentrated in the far south and the northern parts of the country.

Presenter, Male #1
The divorce rate in Diqar Province is significantly rising. Ali al-Atabi reports on this matter.

Reporter, Male #1
Reports released by courts in Diqar Province indicate that divorce cases account for 70% of all court cases. This phenomenon comes after the province witnessed some changes, such as the rise of the unemployment rate on one hand, and the general improvement of living standards on the other, in addition to the decline of traditions and customs.

Guest, Female #1 (Kuthar Mansour, lawyer)
One of the most important reasons is the early marriage of both spouses. Another reason is the lack of social equality. There is no parity between the husband and wife. Another factor is the age difference between the spouses.

Guest, Male #1 (Hadi Aziz Karam, lawyer)
In the past, marriage was imposed because you had to marry your cousin, or you had reached a certain age. So we say that the reasons for divorce are based on social norms.

Reporter, Male #1
Social studies experts hold the country responsible for the rise of its divorce rate, which is due to the lack of clear laws that limit or prevent such a situation from occurring.

Guest, Female #2 (Samira Faris, official, Court of Appeal in Dhi Qar)
The state must play a role in this field. We need a law that would end early marriage for girls, because at the end, the marriage will be terminated. From a total of 25 or 29 marriages, perhaps 5 of them will last, and the rest will file for divorce.

Reporter, Male #1
The cases in Diqar indicate that the chance of reconciliation between the husband and wife in a divorce case is almost zero, especially if the divorce is legally valid.

Guest, Male #2 (Faris Musin Matrud, judge of the first family court in Al-Nasiriya)
The court is obligated to accept the appeals, especially for divorces filed outside the court’s jurisdiction. The court is obligated to approve these divorces if they prove to be real and conform to all the legal conditions.

Guest, Male #3 (Jamil Kazim, lawyer)
I call on religious authorities not to interfere in divorce cases. In our court, there are more divorce approvals than anything else, and they are valid. When the divorce takes place, no religious authority…courts must approve the divorce if it is valid.


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