[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 04/30/08: World News From The Middle East

[Summary]

Sirens will sound to mark the beginning of Holocaust and Martyrs Remembrance Day. President Shimon Peres and PM, Ehud Olmert will attend the state ceremony in Jerusalem. The sirens will sound again tomorrow, when the country will pause in honor of the holocaust victims.

PRESENTER, MALE #1
In a ministerial meeting for the Israeli government, the vast majority of cabinet members have opposed the cooling off period with the Palestinians. They said that the proposed cooling off period was an attempt by Hamas to buy more time in order to further arm itself. However, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, declined to voice his position before hearing first his defense minister’s, Ehud Barak, opinion.

PRESENTER, FEMALE #1
Amidst this, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said that there’s a great possibility for the creation of a Palestinian state before President Bush leaves Office.

PRESENTER, MALE #1
Meanwhile, the US President, George W. Bush, expressed optimism for reaching an agreement before the end of his term. In addition, Bush said that the release of the details regarding the Israeli raid on what he referred to as the Syrian nuclear reactor was to send a message to Iran, Syria, and North Korea.

REPORTER, FEMALE #2
A strange optimism comes from the US administration over what can be achieved in 8 months that the past 18 years of negotiations have failed to accomplish.

GUEST, FEMALE #2, Rice
I believe that we have a chance to reach an agreement during this year for the creation of a peaceful Palestinian state, based on the road map for peace. My confidence is not based on blind or ridiculous optimism but it comes from a firm belief that we have the right resolution to end the conflict. The extremists can no longer destroy peace opportunities. The choice is clear: you either become a political party or a terrorist group.

REPORTER, FEMALE #2
Rice didn’t clarify the details of her revelation. The US applause for the agreement was limited to a specific issue, which has to do with the creation of a Palestinian state. The US revelation failed to mention the Israeli violations of the road map for peace, including the growing settlements, which witnessed an unprecedented increase since the Annapolis conference. Instead, the US Secretary of State accused Hamas of hampering the peace efforts; Rice added that Hamas is fighting on behalf of Iran and those evolving in its sphere, including the Palestinian resistance factions, which met in Cairo to study an Egyptian sponsored initiative aimed at reaching a cooling off period with Israel. In Brief, Rice said that there is a radical belt extending from Hamas to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and from Iraq to Afghanistan, supported primarily by Iran and to a lesser degree by Syria; this belt is shaking the security and the stability of the region. Rice didn’t oppose a peace deal between Israel and Syria if they agreed to it. It seems that Rice’s position has intersected with earlier announcements that were made by the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Shaoul Mufaz, who met Rice in Washington. Mufaz talked about a radical alliance led by Iran, and such alliance is gaining momentum and must be weakened; he also rejected the return of the Golan to Syria to stop Iran from moving in there, enabling Tehran to overlook the entire area of Galilee. It is a US wish to achieve a political agreement, bypassing what it referred to as extremists and those supporting them. However, those, whom Rice referred to as extremists, are on the ground and they must be included if a consensus is to be reached. The US administration doesn’t know how to deal with them, as it continues to refuse negotiating with them. One US idea to deal with them is by sending them messages of shelling, which President George Bush said that the raid on Syria was a model for.

Presenter, MALE #1
The Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, warned about the danger of the Israeli nuclear arsenal and called for making the region free from nuclear weapons.

Presenter, FEMALE #1
The non-Alignment movement countries at the Geneva Meeting are calling on the International community to pressure Israel to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, especially since Israel possesses more than 200 nuclear missile war heads.

Reporter, FEMALE #2
Nearly forty decades ago the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was approved to protect the world from the danger of these weapons, which threaten the human destiny. Most of the countries signed on to this treaty, including Arab countries, except for Israel, the only country, which refuses to sign or even consider debating it. It is backed by American and European collaboration under justifications that no one believes. In the meeting being held in Geneva to discuss the issue of nuclear proliferation, the non-alignment movement called for taking practical and active measures to push countries, which have not signed this treaty, like Israel, to become a party to it. They criticized the double standard policy and the refusal by large nuclear countries to commit to a standard policy for nuclear disarmament as well as the lack of demands on Israel to place all its nuclear facilities under the monitors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
If the United States and some of its allies were really concerned about the security and the peace of the world, then it would not take them too much time or effort to reach the massive Israeli nuclear weapons arsenal, which is not internationally monitored. Under the watch and support of the international community, Israel possesses more than 200 nuclear war heads and many other unconventional weapons. We do not see the United States and their European allies deal with this file in the same way they have dealt with Iraq, Iran and Korea. If they do not know what is going on Dimona and what is being produced there, then the IAEA can tell them because it knows the Dimona catastrophe very well.

Presenter, Man # 1
Welcome to “eye on Israel” program. It is trickery and betrayal, nothing else. This is how one can describe the Israeli spying operation inside the US, which was uncovered recently. It is true that this is not surprising considering that Israel is tricky even with its close alleys, but how can one explain the fact that Israel will do such a thing to the country that supports it financially and protects its existence. As the saying goes, “if you have no shame, do what ever you want”. The following report was originally aired on Israeli channel 1.

Reporter, Man # 2
This is not the first time the media brings up the issue of Jonathan Pollard. When Pollard tried to enter the Israeli Embassy in Washington, he was expelled and arrested. On that day, other Israelis left the US including Avi Emsala, Yosi Yagor the scientific attache and Pollard’s handler, and Ben-Ami Kadish. The details of the operation are as such: Pollard brought the documents to a secret apartment where it was copied and sent to Israel. Yosi Yagor focused on technological information and Kadish focused on nuclear information, F16 planes and Patriot missile systems. The spies were Jewish Americans who loved Israel. Contrary to the rules of spying the two were handled by the same agent.

Guest, Woman # 1 pollard’s wife
My husband did not know anything about this man Kadish or about this subject. He has no links to this matter. This can only cause harm.

Reporter, Man # 2
The years in which Pollard and Kadish were operating overlapped. In the first 8 years the Spy network was headed by Rafi Eatan. The minister of defense was Sharon, Arens and Rabin. The prime ministers were Begin, Shamir and Perez.

Guest, Man # 3 Israeli official
Why was this case raised at this time? I do not know. It happened about 20 years ago.

Reporter, Man # 2
At the time, Israel which was embarrassed swore that he was operating alone.

Guest, Woman # 1 pollard’s wife
The Israeli government gave away Jonathan Pollard, and handed him over as if it sentenced him.

Reporter, Man # 2
It became clear that both Pollard and Kadish wee working at the same time. It is true that his spying activities were stopped when Pollard was arrested. However he stayed with his handler who ordered him to lie in the investigation. The Americans do not like that and most importantly, Israel swore that Pollard was operating alone, and then a second spy was uncovered. So can one expect a third spy or even more? The question is when will the FBI knock on other doors?

Presenter, Woman # 1
The Al Arabia reporter in Yemen said that two missiles had struck a residential complex where the Italian Embassy is located in the Yemeni capital of Sana’. There were no reported injuries.
The security forces said that unknown attackers launched two missiles on the parking lot of the custom building near the Italian Embassy. They added that an investigation is ongoing. This is the second attack of its kind. Previously missiles hit a building that was inhabited by Americans, but there were also no injuries at the time.

Reporter, Man # 1
The missile attack against the government building near the Italian Embassy in Sana’, raised questions about the increase of attacks on foreign embassies and interests since the beginning of 2008. There were different explanations of what happened. Yemeni officials reiterate that two missiles landed on the customs building. News Agencies however reported different versions of the story; some said that explosive devices were used in the incident, but others said that it was a missile attack. The increase of violence and attacks on foreign interests raised questions about the possible identities of the perpetrators, who carry such acts despite the high state of security alert in Sana’ and other Yemeni cities. The consecutive acts of violence mainly targeted tourists, embassies, and western interests. On the 18th of January a tourist convoy was attacked in Hadramout, in which two Belgium tourists were killed. On the 18TH of March, the American Embassy was attacked by missiles which missed their aim, hitting a nearby school. On the 7TH of April, three explosions targeted a residential complex inhabited by American diplomats in Sana’, but there were no injuries. There are speculations that Alqaeda is responsible for the acts of violence in Yemen. Several months ago Alqaeda threatened to avenge the imprisonment of its members in Yemeni jails. Alqaeda also declared its responsibility for the attacks that targeted the Americans in Sana’. Political observers attribute the acts of violence to the fact that Alqaeda has managed to capitalize on the spread of weapons in the country, and to the fact that the government is preoccupied with the crisis of the Alhuti and his followers as well as the state of resentment in the southern states. These factors have weakened the government’s ability to deal with security problems especially when considering that the relations between the US and Yemen have become tense over the war on terror.

[Summary]

Iraq’s PM has threatened an all out military operation against Al Sadr’s Mahdi army. The militia is being ordered to lay down its arms and stop interfering in state affairs.

Presenter, Woman # 1
The invasion of Afghanistan did not ease the suffering of women there. “Ordinary Afghan women are forced to do unordinary things.” This statement was used by UNICEF to describe the women’s situation in Afghanistan. The UN Children Fund (UNCF) used this sentence to sum up the situation of women in Afghanistan. Without a doubt women face difficult living conditions due to the difficult geographic, climate and political conditions in this unstable country. The following report by Fiza Alaq provides a closer look at the lives of Afghan women.

Reporter, Woman # 2
A father and his six children mourn the death of the mother who died while giving birth to the seventh child. It is not surprising to see this man praying alone for his wife; in this village which is called Dar Al Jeneh in the remote region of Fizabad in northern Afghanistan, one out of nine women die while giving birth or soon after it.

Guest, Woman # 3
My sister died while giving birth. There is no one to care for her orphaned children. She died because there is no medical facility near by. The roads here are very difficult.

Reporter, Woman # 2
Without a doubt the difficult roads and living conditions can have tragic consequences to pregnant women. This explains why UNICEF considers Afghanistan the most dangerous place on earth for women. Here, 40% of women marry before they become 18 years old. One third of them give birth before they become adults. Many of the pregnant women do not get medical care. Only 11% of child birth takes place in hospitals.

Guest, Woman # 4
Women’s mortality rate in our region is very high especially in remote and mountainous areas.
My mother also died while giving birth. This made me decide to study medicine because I wanted to save women’s lives.

Reporter, Woman # 2
The catastrophe of this woman and others like her as well as the decision of the Afghan government to open medical care facilities for women in remote areas; have created health awareness among Afghan women. It has also given women the determination to fight the battle for saving lives during childbirth.

PRESENTER, FEMALE #1
The water supply project in the city of Niala is among the developmental projects being launched by the Sudanese National Unity Government and the Government of Southern Darfur. The project has reached a considerable phase of implementation, and is expected to be completed by next year.

REPORTER, MALE #1
The project which entails the supplying of water from the Bikala reservoir to the Sudanese city of Niala is caught between a dream and reality. It’s a long tale of suffering that goes back to 1968, when the project was in its planning stage. On March 4, 2004, the Sudanese government signed a deal with the Republic of China to fund the project. The actual implementation of the project started on February 18, 2008, after work preparations were completed and after all equipment, machineries, and building materials arrived in Sudan.

GUEST, MALE #2
We were able to convince the Chinese to make changes to the original design. We’ve extended 6 water supply networks to the countryside, between the areas of Qerada and Niala. These networks will help supply sufficient water for the residents, the farmers, and the local herders.
I think that this project is what the residents need; you can’t have water underground and leave the people here thirsty. This area in particular is known for farming; many farmers grow grains, crops and other agricultural products.

REPORTER, MALE #1
The project includes the excavation of 20 artisan wells, the building of a plant to collect water, a control room, and a water pipeline. In addition, the project includes three distribution stations between the areas of Qerada and Niala. The main water reservoir at the top of the Niala Mountain will feed into ground plants that distribute to the network. The project will supply nearly 40,000 Cubic Meters of fresh water each day. The total cost of the project is estimated at 50 million dollars, and is being administered by a special Chinese company.

GUEST, MALE #3
This project, which supplies water from the Bikala reservoir to the area of Niala is among the largest developmental projects benefiting the people of Darfur. The project will cost more than 50 million dollars. We are anxiously waiting for the completion of this project, which will help meet the need of the city.

REPORTER, MALE #1
The Niala water project is one of the most important national strategic projects aimed at resolving water problems in the city and surrounding countryside areas.