[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 06/10/08: World News From The Middle East

Presenter, Man # 1
Hundreds of Pakistani lawyers gathered outside the home of the ousted Supreme Court Judge Iftekhar Shudri. On his way to Lahoe, he led a huge demonstration that was organized by the Pakistani Lawyers guild to pressure the government into returning the ousted Judges to their positions. The protestors also demanded the resignation of President Perves Musharaf. Opposing political parties, writers, retired army officers, students and human rights activist participated in the demonstration.

Reporter, Man # 2
“Musharaf the lion has come, you have to go.” This was one of the main slogans chanted by the demonstrating lawyers as the ousted Supreme Court judge was leaving his home to participate in a huge march that will end at the parliament on Thursday. Demonstrators including lawyers and political activists came from all over Sing and Waleshistan. They have the same demand which is to reinstate the ousted judges including Iftekhar Chaudri without pre conditions; a demand that has a great deal of political implications. The demonstrators expressed their optimism about the success of their efforts and demanded that the government do not stop them.

Guest, Man # 3
We are very confidant that the government will be forced to cooperate with us when our demonstration reaches the capital Islam Abbad.

Reporter, Man # 2
Perpetrations are ongoing in Mulkan in the Punjab region to receive thousands of demonstrators, though both the government and the demonstrators confirm that the march is peaceful. The demonstrators believe that what they are doing is not aimed at serving any particular individual; rather it is a service and an attempt to save the country.

Guest, Man # 4
We are going for the long march in order to pressure the government into returning the ousted judges. We are trying to save Pakistan from an imminent danger.

Reporter, Man # 2
Courts were empty from lawyers who decided to boycott the courts until the end of this week. The streets of Pakistan were decorated with flags and signs welcoming the ousted judge and calling for the resignation of Musharf. After a long time of waiting and a great deal of threats and vows, President Perves Mushaf’s rivals started massing in a demonstration that will reach the capital Islama Abbad. It is premature however to tell whether the demonstrators will succeed or fail at this point. Ahamd Barakat, Al Jazeera.

PRESENTER, FEMALE #1
The simultaneous and the daily raids on the Gaza Strip indicate that a wide scale aggression on Gaza has become imminent. In a meeting today, the Israeli ministerial cabinet made a unanimous decision that calls for a new escalation on the Gaza Strip, and also not to give time for Hamas to catch its breath. While the leaders of the Hebrew State claim that the decision is in the interest of national security, some knowledgeable sources said: running away from the cooling off period means running away from political obligations. Sherouk Asaad reports from occupied Jerusalem.

REPORTER, FEMALE #2
The launching of a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip has topped the agenda of the Israeli government and its ministerial council. The vast majority of Israeli cabinet members called for a new escalation in the Gaza Strip.

GUEST, MALE #1
Any cooling off period signed with Hamas will give the movement an opportunity and time to strengthen and protect itself and will enable it to develop and smuggle arms; and in the future, we will be forced to confront it; therefore, I stand firmly against the cooling off period.

GUEST, MALE #2
We must carry out a new and different offensive in the Gaza Strip. The offensive must have a specific mission and objective.

GUEST, MALE #3
Currently, there appears to be a contradiction in the position of the ministers. The ministerial council will meet tomorrow to decide whether to engage in a cooling off period or carry out a limited military operation and the objective is to stop temporarily the launching of the Qassam rockets.

REPORTER, FEMALE #2
While the Israeli defense Minister, Ehud Barak, wants to wait and gradually launch the offensive, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, wants the offensive to be powerful from the start, which may seem necessary from a security standpoint; however, many believe that Olmert’s decision was politically and personally motivated.

GUEST, MALE #4
Olmert wants to keep the eyes off his criminal files and the ongoing investigation against him. He wants to ride on the waves of animosity against the Palestinian people, and also portrays himself as a strong military leader.

REPORTER, FEMALE #2
This is the scene in Israel. Meanwhile, the vast majority of the Palestinian internal front believe that it has become imperative to quickly bring harmony and unity back to the Palestinian internal home. Sherouk Assad, Dubai TV, occupied Jerusalem.

The captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit’s family has received another letter from Gilad. The letter was delivered from the office of former US President Jimmy Carter in Ramallah. His family confirmed that the letter was written by Shalit, and was written recently, as it reffered to a number of recent events. Gilad’s father says that the letter is not evidence of any progress to free his son.

Presenter, MALE #1:
Palestinians are suffering from the isolation and the boycott, and children are the most harmed.

Reporter, MALE #2:
The treatment of the Palestinians is tragic and is not line with the real understanding of the Jewish religion. This description of the true colors of the occupation was made by the top British Rabbi, Jonathan Sachs; and it can be applied to all the Palestinians. So how is the situation for the children? 56 percent of the residents of Gaza are children and under the poverty line. More than 35 percent of the victims of the boycott are children. 30 of the martyrs of Gaza are children. The Israeli occupation forces have arrested more than 345 children and placed them in jails. The boycott and isolation has increased the suffering and has affected the young. Nearly 65 children have died as result of the lack of treatment, food and medical supplies. The rest are just waiting. 35 percent of children of Gaza suffer from bed-wetting as a result of diseases and their state of fear due to the Israeli massacres, arrests and torture of them, their family and friends. The children’s catastrophe does not end there. More than 12 percent of children in Gaza suffer from stunted development as a result of the chronic malnutrition, which affects more than half of the children. Studies confirm that in the past seven years, more than 1,000 Palestinian children were martyred and more than 19,000 others were wounded, including more than 750 disabled children, who dream of being treated humanely. The children of Palestine will remain as witnesses to the racism of the occupation; scenes, which will increase and be engrained in their minds as they grow older. How will the Israeli entity be safe with such memories, which increases and becomes harder every day?

Presenter, MALE #1:
This is what the occupation forces are doing in Palestine. However, in Iraq, the United States, since its invasion of Iraq, has followed a policy that is based on destroying the infrastructure and striking at economic, social, health and educational institutions.

Presenter, FEMALE #1:
The policies of the US Occupation forces have affected all sectors of Iraqi society, and even the children, who are subjected to poverty, killing and malnutrition. Notably, the United States was one of the most prominent countries that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Reporter, FEMALE #2:
After more than 5 years have passed since the occupation of Iraq, the Iraqi people are suffering catastrophic conditions at the humanitarian level with the rise in the rate of poverty and lack of food and water as well as increased unemployment. International reports and surveys indicate that 4 out of 10 Iraqis live below the poverty line and do not earn more than one dollar a day, according to the UN poverty standards. Meanwhile, there is a large increase in cases of malnutrition children. More than 30 percent of these cases are in danger of dying as a result of this. This reality seriously affects the future of these children at the social, health and educational levels after their country’s institutions and homes have been destroyed by the actions of the occupation. Surveys confirmed that more than 5 million Iraqis have become orphaned as a result of US combat. This number increases every day by an average of 400 children. The surveys, which announced that thousands of children were killed by the US war apparatus, including the use of internationally banned weapons, like depleted uranium and white phosphorous, reported that military experts confirmed that the bombing of Baghdad was equal in destructive power to half of a nuclear bomb. This has led to birth defects among children, which will affect the Iraqi people for many years. At this time, studies by the United Nations confirmed that the US forces in Iraq have violated the convention on children’s rights by arresting hundreds of children and using the most brutal forms of torture against them. Uncle Bush’s democracy did not spare even the children. The international community must dare to speak out its true opinion, without fear, in order to protect humanity.

Presenter, Man # 1
The Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas left the Saudi city of Jeddah and headed towards the Egyptian Capital of Cairo. First, he held discussions with the Saudi King Abdal Bin Abdel Aziz about the situation in the Palestinian territories and the peace process then he met with the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Abbas reiterated that the only way to deal with the situation in Gaza is through dialogue and stressed the importance of the Egyptian efforts that have been exerted in order to reach a cooling off period between Israel and the Palestinians.

Reporter, man # 2
The discussions between the Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo covered several topics including: the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, the contacts with Israel to reach a cooling off period and the mediation efforts to start a dialogue between Fateh and Hamas. The meeting between the two presidents took place a few days after the meeting between Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The meeting also coincided with the Egyptian efforts led by Minister Omar Suleiman to achieve a comprehensive cooling off period between all Palestinian factions and Israel and put an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Guest, Man # 3
If the Israelis want to do something they would not have notified us first and we will not accept such a thing. We have called on and insisted that the only way to deal with the situation in Gaza is through dialogue which Egypt has been promoting for a long time.

Reporter, man # 2
The meeting between Olmert and Abbas came a few days after the first anniversary of Hamas’ take over of Gaza which led to an internal Palestinian crisis. Many attempts were made to end the differences between the “enemy brothers” but all of these attempts have failed because each side is unwilling to give their positions up. Fateh insisted on its position not to start any dialogue with Hamas unless the situation in Gaza is returned to the way it was before the take over in July 14 2007, and Hamas wanted to resume negotiations without any preconditions. Recently, hope was renewed after the PLO proposed an initiative to end the differences between the two sides.

Guest, Man # 3
We have proposed an initiative for dialogue in the name of the PLO and its executive committee. By the way, all the members of the executive committee of the PLO who represent different factions are in charge of all the steps that will be taken to resume dialogue with everyone.

Reporter, man # 2
If an agreement is reached, there will be a large welcome by the Arabs and the Arab league which has sponsored the dialogue process between the Palestinian factions. The meeting between Abbas and Mubarak was very important, because it comes at a time when there is a possibility for a true dialogue between Hamas and Fateh. It is expected that in the next period, an additional efforts will be exerted to achieve peace by the Americans before Bush leaves the White House. For Al Madar program, Muhammad Abu Rehab, ABU Dhabi Television, Cairo.

Presenter, FEMALE #1:
The Libyan leader, Moammar Al Qaddafi, renewed his rejection of the EuroMediteranean Union, warning that it harms Arab and African unity. This came at the opening ceremony of the mini- Arab Summit being held in Tripoli with the participation of the presidents of Arab countries in order to discuss the Euro Mediterranean Union, which was proposed by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Reporter, FEMALE #2:
The idea was made in Barcelona in 1995 and since then it has been called the Barcelona Process. France, Italy and Spain adopted the idea last year. The issue deals with returning to the framework of relations between the European Union countries, especially those on the Mediterranean Sea and those countries south of the Mediterranean, mainly the Arab ones. The objective is to develop the countries on the Mediterranean in order to reduce the possibility of its residents immigrating to Europe. These are the Medi-European countries that are participating in the project on the European side. These are the partners from the southern side. Europe is proposing political reforms that will guarantee the spread of democracy; the protection of human rights; security cooperation; continued economic development in addition to cooperation in the environmental, energy and cultural affairs. If this is achieved the residents of the southern Mediterranean countries will have no need to immigrate to Europe. This said, many Arab countries still want clarifications about Israel’s participation in the project.
Ola Mutara. Al Arabiya.

PRESENTER, MALE #1
The political front in Sudan is witnessing a crucial debate between the Governments of the North and the South over the future of the border region of Abyei. This news comes after thousands of residents fled the region, following fearless confrontations that erupted over the past few days between Sudanese rivals. The region is currently hosting political talks, which may require the help of international mediators if deadlocked. The two sides in the Abyei conflict are the North and South, which held on Sunday talks in Khartoum. The two sides have signed a declaration of understanding, which was described as “necessary.” However, to understand the Sudanese scenario, we must draw a parallel between the Khartoum talks and other related developments at the international level. This comes after several international maneuvers were launched in Sudan, in an attempt to resolve the stalled issues in the country. What is the current political situation in Sudan and what is the nature of the struggle in the disputed region of Abyei? Will the Sudanese be able to meet at the intersection of national interests and help achieve stability in the country? What is the nature of international diplomatic maneuvers launched in Sudan? Where is the country heading to on the political scale of success and failure? These questions are being raised in today’s episode of the African Issues Program. Let’s watch the following report.

REPORTER, MALE #2
The political scene in Sudan is being overshadowed by the recent developments in Abyei; not to forget the incidents of Omdurman, which their effects are still lingering along. The region of Abyei used to be a model of harmony and coexistence between the North and the South; a model that could have been developed and applied to the rest of the country. However, a troubling issue has emerged in the region of Abyei, where some accused the National Conference Party, which formed a coalition government with the People’s Libration Movement, of trying to stir troubles in the region.

GUEST, MALE #3
The fact of the matter is that the People’s Liberation Movement was behind all the previous problems that helped fuel tensions in the region. The Liberation Movement was the one appointing a governor for Abyei in violation of the peace agreement. In addition, the Liberation Movement was the one launching attacks on the Sudanese army and pursuing the children of the Arab Misseriya tribe. This action by the Liberation movement did not help the fragile situation in Abyei. The movement has turned its back on the peace agreement.

REPORTER, MALE #2
The call for the division and the redrawing of the borders in Abyei contradicts the principles of national unity, which the Liberation movement is claiming to be part of. According to observers, this call by the Liberation Movement for the redrawing of the borders in Abyei is stirring a political cloud in the future of Sudan. It’s a timed bomb in the history of struggle over the land, a struggle that may continue to grow unless a serious and lasting settlement is reached.

GUEST, MALE #4
The protocol of Abyei, which was put together in Nifasha, was not drafted by accident; this was indeed part of a US policy, which usually originates in regions with abundant natural resources and ends up in international intervention.

REPORTER, MALE #2
The latest protocol signed between the Sudanese rivals was drafted in conformity with the border agreement of 1956, and calls for the creation of a joint administration that includes twenty representatives from both parties. The protocol also calls for the withdrawal of the Liberation Movement army to the southern parts of the Arab Sea. Its also calls for the withdrawal of the armed forces and replacing them with the joint forces of Sudan. In addition, the protocol calls for an international mediation in the event the parties run into problems. Furthermore, the two sides must ease the return of the displaced refugees to their villages. This protocol, if implemented, will help bring life back to normal in Abyei, which is the connecting point between the North and the South. The controversy over the future of Abyei has recently intensified; while some believe that a final decision must be made on the issue of Abyei in order to bring life back to normal, others believe the issue of Abyei has indeed become the Kashmir Plight of Sudan; and the days ahead may provide answers to the many questions raised over the issue of Abyei. From the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Sami Al-Shinawi, for African Issues Program, Alalam.

[Summary]

A deal aimed at ending years of war and anarchy in Somalia is looking shaky just hours after the truce was signed. The opposition leader has rejected the Djibouti deal.