Presenter, Female #1
A severe blow to security in the heart of the Syrian capital Damascus led to the death of the chairman of the "crisis cell," General Hassan Turkmani, Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, and his aid Assef Shawkat, the Syrian president's brother-in-law. In addition, top military and security officials were injured.

Reporter, Male #1
Wednesday morning was a normal day on Syrian TV; it was like every other day of the Syrian crisis, which has been ongoing for a year and a half, until the scene changed.

Presenter, Female #2 (Syrian TV)
We just received news of a terrorist bombing that targeted the National Security building in Damascus.

Reporter, Male #1
At the National Security building, the "crisis cell" meets on a daily basis. It has led the country since the beginning of the mobilization. The National Security building is located in the neighborhood of al-Rawda, between the areas of Abu Romani and al-Maliki, where many embassies and government facilities are found. It is a neighborhood near the presidential palace that is described as the "security triangle."

Reporter, Male #1
The security cell consists of General Hassan Turkmani, Brigadier Mohamed al-Shaar, General Dawoud Rajiha, Brigadier Assef Shawkat, Mohammad Said Bikhaitan, General Ali Mamlouk, Colonel Hafez Mamlouk, Brigadier Mohammad Deeb Zaitoun, Brigadier Jameel Hassan, Brigadier Abdul Fatah Qudsiya, and Hisham Bakhtiar.

Reporter, Male #1
In a small conference room no wider than three meters, the security circle, consisting of military and intelligence leaders, or "Syria's Generals," met around a table. Information indicates that one of the security leaders' guards was wearing an explosive belt, and he blew himself up inside the hall.

Presenter, Male #2 (Syrian TV)
The explosion led to the death of General Dawoud Abdullah Rajiha, deputy chief of the military and armed forces, deputy prime minister, and minister of defense. And Brigadier Assef Shawkat, deputy of the defense minister. Also, a number of participants were injured.

Guest, Male #3 (Colonel Malik Kurdi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Free Syrian Army)
The Free Syrian Army definitely claims responsibility for this operation that was executed against this regime. We had previously vowed to move the battle to Damascus, to stop the massacres that this regime is committing against the people.

Reporter, Male #1
Syrian leadership hurried to avoid the consequences of these deaths by appointing Brigadier Fahad Jassim al-Freij as Defense Minister.

Guest, Male #4 (Fahad Jassim al-Freij, New Syrian Defense Minister)
We count those who fell as martyrs for the sake of the pride and dignity of the state. We insist that our military's men will not be deterred by this cowardly terrorist act from continuing their sacred work, tracking the remnants of these criminal terrorist gangs, and amputating any hand that reaches out with the aim of harming the country and its citizens.

Reporter, Male #1
Later, Syrian State TV announced the death of assistant to the vice president General Hassan Turkmani, as unconfirmed news circulated concerning the death of the interior minister due to the injuries he sustained. At that time, the Syrian State TV confirmed that the interior minister had survived.

Guest, Male #5 (Omran al-Zughbi, Information Minister)
All of the countries that have sent even one bullet-- one bullet, not a shipment of weapons, one bullet-- are responsible for what happened today. And everyone who has sent even one dollar to Syria is responsible for every drop of blood spilled on Syrian land. They are responsible, and they will be held accountable, even if they live in their palaces, in their capitals, and even if they are hiding behind their army, or behind other armies.

Reporter, Male #1
An opposition group called "Liwa al-Islam Brigades" also announced on its Facebook page its responsibility in targeting the National Security office, which includes the office of crisis management, in the capital Damascus.

Presenter, Male #1
Hours after the withdrawal of the Kadima party from the Israeli government, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman vowed to stay in the coalition, despite differences with the prime minster over proposals to change the draft law to include ultra-Orthodox Jews in the army. The disagreement over the draft law is what prompted the Kadima party to withdraw from the coalition, in a move that may lead to early parliamentary elections in Israel. Our correspondent, Sheruk Asa'ad, reports from occupied Jerusalem.

Reporter, Female #1
This was the quickest collapse of the largest coalition in the history of Israel. This comes after the Kadima party withdrew from the Netanyahu-led government without achieving its specific goals, notably the revival of the peace process with the Palestinians, and the expansion of the draft law mandating that ultra-Orthodox Jews serve in the Israeli military.

Guest, Male #2 (Khalil Shahin, Center for Political Studies)
This government has failed to launch a political process with the Palestinians. It also failed to enact a new draft law for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Reporter, Female #1
Netanyahu is keeping one eye on the current government, and the other on early elections, by reaching out to ultra-Orthodox Jews who receive money under the pretext of enrolling in religious schools, in a bid to avoid being drafted in the army.

Reporter, Female #1
The religious groups represent a majority in Israel that Netanyahu depends on, similar to his dependence on the settlers who continue to build settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank, which was the main reason for the collapse of negotiations.

Guest, Male #3 (Ahmad Rafiq Awad, Professor of Israeli Studies)
It's clear that the Likud party is bowing more and more to pressure from the Israeli right and far-right parties. Likud's main supporters come from the far-right, and the religious extremists.

Reporter, Female #1
These are the reasons that appear on the surface. But down below, there are a number of personal reasons behind the collapse of the coalition. Shaul Mofaz is eyeing the upcoming elections, and is seeking to secure a position by proposing secular ideology. Amid all this, Israeli officials seem to have no time to explore ways to resume the peace process with the Palestinians.

Reporter, Female #1
Israel is heading towards early elections, most likely in February. Netanyahu has a better chance to win, especially after pleasing and securing the support of right-wing and religious extremists, which comprise the majority of Israeli society. Sheruk Asa'ad, Dubai TV, occupied Jerusalem.

The Israeli government coalition has crumbled over the issue of universal draft. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party remains in the coalition but has expressed great dissatisfaction with both Kadima head Shaul Mofaz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

IBA interviews Mitchell Barak of the KEEVOON Research Group, discussing whether the coalition can reach a compromise on their current issues. They also discuss the political influence of prominent Ashkenazi rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 102. Rabbi Elyashiv was considered to be a chief halakha authority.

Presenter, Male #1
Several Eritrean human rights organizations have welcomed a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council, the HRC, to appoint a special commissioner for Eritrea. The Council issued the resolution during its twentieth session. In a statement that the BBC obtained a copy of, the organizations said that the resolution shows the growing concern over the state of human rights violations in Eritrea. The organizations urged the HRC to make braver decisions in order to deal with such dangerous violations.

Reporter, Male #2
This is how life appears in the Eritrean capital, Asmara: completely calm and normal. Eritrea, which has an area of 118 square kilometers and a population of four million, sits on a great wealth of natural resources, and owns many islands overlooking the Red Sea, with a costal line reaching nearly 1,000 kilometers.

Reporter, Male #2
Since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has been ruled by Isaias Afewerki. The country seldom makes international headlines, except with regard to its political and border conflicts with neighboring countries, or its alleged intervention in Somalia, and support for the armed al-Shabaab militant group. This makes Eritrea a semi-isolated country that keeps to itself, according to some. The opposition accuses the regime of being one of the last radical and totalitarian systems in the world.

Reporter, Male #2
The UN Human Rights Council has recently unveiled what's being described as a "miserable state of human rights" in the country. In a rare resolution, the HRC condemned the wide-scale and systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Eritrean authorities. The violations include executions outside the judicial system, random acts of execution, enforced disappearances, systematic torture, indiscriminate detention, solitary confinement, as well as inhumane and insulting imprisonment conditions.

Reporter, Male #2
The HRC also criticized the severe restrictions on the freedoms of expression and opinion, and well as the freedoms of the press, religion, association, gathering, and assembly. The violations also include the detention of journalists and human rights activists, as well as political reformists, clergymen, and experts. The Council also condemned the mandatory recruitment of citizens for unspecified periods of time in the National Service. The policy led to forcing minors to join the army, as well as threatening and detaining families of those suspected of deserting the National Service.

Reporter, Male #2
The HRC called on the Eritrean government to immediately end all forms of indiscriminate detention, including torture and inhumane punishment. The Council also called for the release of all political prisoners, and for the formation of an independent judicial system.

Reporter, Male #2
In order the monitor these issues, the Council decided to appoint a special commissioner in Eritrea. His name is yet to be announced. The decision was largely welcomed by the Eritrean opposition. The government of Asmara will likely welcome the resolution. However, observers expressed doubt over the ability of President Afewerki's regime to meet the requirements necessary for the implementation of such a resolution. Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

A helicopter of the US-led forces has crashed in western Afghanistan; NATO says two of their soldiers are injured. Meanwhile, NATO says three soldiers are dead following separate attacks. Two died in the eastern part of Afghanistan; the other was killed in an attack in the south. Troop casualties are mounting as the Taliban is trying to regain lost ground; so far this year, over 240 US-led troops have been killed, most of them American.

Almost two dozen fuel tankers have been destroyed in northern Afghanistan. The fuel trucks were traveling from neighboring Uzbekistan. They were parked at a rest stop in Samangan Province when a magnetic bomb attached to a truck exploded. As many as 22 tankers are said to have been destroyed.

A bomb explosion in Pakistan targeting a bus full of Shiite families has killed over a dozen people in the northern Orakzai tribal district on the Afghan border. Fourteen people have been reported dead so far, including women and children.

Greece's capital Athens is the only European capital without a mosque. The Greek government has forbidden the construction of a mosque in Athens. Athens has a population of over 200,000 Muslims. Muslims there complain of repeated attacks while trying to practice their religion.

Presenter, Male #1
The Supreme Commissioner in Libya announced that the National Forces Alliance headed the election results of the National General Conference after receiving 39 seats of the 80 seats dedicated to the lists. However, no party was able to obtain a majority in the National Assembly, which consists of 200 seats.

Reporter, Male #2
To the rhythm of the national anthem, the curtain was raised on the celebration announcing Libya's election results, which revealed a partial victory for the National Forces Alliance, which won 39 seats, versus 17 seats for the Islamic Freedom and Development party. The remainder of the seats, which were dedicated to the lists, were distributed between 19 political entities.

Guest Male #3
The National Forces Alliance has obtained 39 seats. The Freedom and Development party obtained 17 seats. The National Front party obtained three seats.

Reporter, Male #2
The announcement of these results are not final, and 14 days were allotted as a time period to present appeals for review by specialized commissions.

Guest, Male #3
If an appeal is presented in the form of a minor complaint, it will be handled by the legal committee that is available at every electoral district. If it was a major complaint and not within the jurisdiction of the legal committees, it will be taken to the district attorney's office. If it was a significant complaint, then it will be taken to the district court, and a judge will decide positively or negatively.

Reporter, Male #2
Political parties praised the accomplishment of just holding elections, which represent the first step on the path to a democratic transition.

Guest, Male #4
Our ability to hold these elections is considered an accomplishment. And with help from God and the efforts of our youths, our government, our transitional council, and our real rebels, the elections were successful; this is a great accomplishment.

Reporter, Male #2
Amidst the feelings of pride, alongside the memories of the revolution, and looking into the dawn of change that has begun to take form, Libyans stand at a historic turn on the path to rebuild a modern country and construct a democratic system.

Reporter, Male #2
By announcing the preliminary results of the first election, Libyans have overcome an important phase, the transition from the revolutionary period to the path of statehood. They are waiting to hold the first session of the National General Conference, with a transfer of power to the first elected legislative assembly in the history of modern Libya. Wagdy Bin Massoud, Al-Alam, Tripoli.

Presenter, Male #1
The Arab League decided to form an international investigation committee to reveal the circumstances surrounding the martyrdom of President Yasser Arafat, aiming to collect information and form an Arab stance regarding this matter.

Reporter, Female #1
The Arab League called for that formation of an international committee to investigate the circumstances of the death of President Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, to try to confirm that he was killed by poisoning with a radioactive substance.

Guest, Male #2
It is important to form an international investigation committee to prepare a complete dossier regarding this matter. The case will be presented to the ministerial committee in the next meeting. Then the committee will issue a recommendation to the UN to form an international investigation committee over the case.

Reporter, Female #1
The Arab League held an urgent meeting for its members, and called on Arab countries to contribute by providing the support and facilities to conduct the investigation. The league also condemned and criminalized the group behind the killing of late leader Yasser Arafat.

Guest, Male #3
All accusatory fingers point to Israel. The committees that were formed by the Palestinian Authority did their work, it is not complete, and all of it point fingers to Israel. Additionally, the National Palestinian Authority will provide the required information, statements, and conclusions of its investigations.

Reporter, Female #1
Although opening the case brings this sad scene of the mysterious death of leader Yasser Arafat back to mind, it assures that the truth must be unveiled no matter how much time passes. And there must be a day for all injustices to be revisited upon their perpetrators.

Reporter, Female #1
The Arab League opened the file of the killing of the late leader Yasser Arafat in an urgent meeting for its members. It said it will take legal action in international courts. And the question is, if the case is really opened, would the Arabs be able to prevent the many hands trying to close it immediately?

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