[Transcript]  Obama Inauguration and More - 1/20/09

[Summary]
Barak Obama the first African American president has been sworn in front of a strong crowed of 2 million people, it was a great moment. He promised to fix America.

Presenter, Female #1
The US capital was full of activity with preparations for the inauguration ceremony of president elect Barak Obama. Because of the inauguration, Washington was rejuvenated at all levels. The cost of this historic event was estimated at 75 million dollars. More details in the following report.

Reporter, Female #1
President elect Barak Obama will pass from here during the inauguration ceremony to become president of the US. This is an exceptional celebration for and exceptional president, who has come at an exceptional time. We will first talk about the exceptional situations that are awaiting the 44th president. These situations do not carry optimism, in terms of the economic and political situations. The roads to the white house are rocky, as the new president Obama will inherit from Bush an administration that is burdened by a financial crisis, and an economic recession. In addition the budget deficit is expected to reach 482 billion dollars, in Obama’s first fiscal year of his presidency. Despite this bleak picture, preparations for the inauguration of the black president to the white house continued in full swing. The official cost for the celebration in Washington is 75 million dollars. The capital that is hosting the event will carry most of the costs. They will spend 47 million dollars on security and transportation. Neighboring state Virginia will spend 16 million dollars, and neighboring state Maryland will spend 12 million dollars. This is a huge amount of money that will be spent on the festivities for the inauguration, with More than 2 million people attending. Meanwhile, a great darkness is facing most Americans who are living under the threats of losing their jobs, or not being able to meet their mortgage payments. However, Washington will try to set aside, even though temporarily its financial crisis in order to host the inauguration. The prices of the hotels went up because of this historic event. 95 thousand rooms are completely occupied. Owners of homes and college students have found a perfect opportunity to earn extra money, by renting out their apartments. The number of tickets sold over the internet was beyond imagination, as 5000 tickets were sold in less than 1 minute. Because this is a historic opportunity to watch the young president being sworn in, many people have been reselling their tickets for 10 times the original price. This is a situation that we have become familiar with in certain important and public events. What is very shocking and ironic is that the organizers of the event have asked for financial help from the US congress to cover the costs of the celebration. This comes at a time when congress is preoccupied with a stimulus bailout package that is expected to come from the pockets of the tax payers. Samah Al Sayid, Al Arabiya

Presenter, Woman # 1
At the end of the Arab economic summit in Kuwait Arab leaders released a special statement concerning Gaza, they demanded an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the implementation of the ceasefire, and the lifting of the siege.

Presenter, Man # 1
According to the final statement that was read by the Arab League Secretary General Amer Musa, the attendees held Israel responsible for war crimes and demanded taking necessary measures to pursue the perpetrators.

Presenter, Woman # 1
The attendees also demanded that the Secretary General and Arab foreign ministers continue their efforts for reconciliation between Palestinian factions and to end Arab divisions based on the initiative of the Saudi Kings initiative and what was agreed upon in the Kuwaiti summit.

Guest, Man # 2
We demand an immediate end to the aggression, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, solidifying the ceasefire, and the lifting of the unjust siege. We hold Israel the legal responsibility for the war crimes it has committed and call for taking necessary measures to pursue the perpetrators. Arab leaders have also confirmed that they will provide all forms of aid to support the Palestinian people to begin with the reconstruction of Gaza, and they welcomed the contributions that were already announced pertaining to this matter. They also demanded that foreign ministers and the Arab league Secretary General follow up on these discussions, and continue their efforts in order to reconcile Palestinian factions and work out Arab differences.

Presenter, Man # 1
Joining us from Kuwait Ali Thafiri. Ali what are the initial responses specifically pertaining to Gaza?

Reporter, Man # 3
Yes, Abdel Samad. We are now monitoring a press conference for the Arab League Secretary General and the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, Siekh Muhammad Sabah al Salam. They are answering journalists’ questions. The questions reflect disappointment towards the final declaration of the Kuwaiti summit pertaining to Gaza. The declaration did not include what many journalists expected. All day, there were talks about clear differences and divisions between Arab leaders especially when compared to the positive environment during yesterdays meetings. In general there is disappointment towards the final declaration pertaining to Gaza, but not towards other economic issues. Allow me to welcome my guest here, chief editor of the Lebanese Al Safir Newspaper, Talal Salamn. How do you view the Arab Economic summit’s final statement pertaining to the Gaza?

Guest, Man # 4
We did not know that it was a final declaration. The useless statements that were made are not only a catastrophe for Arab citizens; they are also an insult to Arab leaders, their summits and meetings. The dream only lived for a short time. We were optimistic during the night, but by the next day we were disappointed.

Reporter, Man # 3
Can you tell us what happened exactly and what are the points of differences are?

Guest, Man # 4
Of course the major points are over the Palestinian plight. Is there a united Palestinian entity or are there two different Palestinian political bodies. Is it possible to reconcile Palestinian factions?
Will the Arab leaders work on uniting these factions or do some benefit from these Palestinian divisions. Are there attempts to undermine the Palestinian resistance by using the Palestinian authority? Is the Arab peace initiative still on the table? Is it still relevant or has it become obsolete?

Presenter, Man # 1
Turkey has played an active role in stoping the war on Gaza. The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used strong language to criticize Israel, despite Turkey’s old diplomatic relations with Israel. A senior advisor for the Turkish government said that Turkey has played a big role in persuading Hamas to declare a ceasefire, thus putting an end to the war in Gaza.

Reporter, Man # 2
With one voice, they are yelling we are all Gazans; we are all Palestinians. Hundreds of thousands of Turks gathered at Sahiyah square in the Turkish capital of Ankra. They come from all over the country in solidarity with the people in Gaza, to condemn the unjust aggression. These demonstrations have spread through out turkey since the aggression started and continued even after Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire.

Guest, Woman # 1
What happened in Gaza can happen to us.
We are demonstrating for the rights of the oppressed.

Guest, Man # 3
We are waiting for our government to take tangible steps. Condemnation and criticism are not enough. We want the government to cancel all agreements signed with Israel. We want it to close the Israeli embassy.

Reporter, Man # 2
Amidst these massive demonstrations, the Turkish government continues to take strong positions against the Israeli aggression on Gaza and its people. These positions however, have raised questions at the local and international levels about the future of the old and strong Israeli Turkish relations. Turkish officials including, the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Foreign Minister Ali Babajan said that Turkish Israeli rotations must not be affected by the current events in Gaza. They explained that the diplomatic relations should remain separate from the Israeli war in Gaza. Erdughan however called on Israel to withdraw all of its forces from Gaza and confirmed Turkish support for the Palestinians. He said that any solution that excludes Hamas will be useless. Erdughan blames the West for taking a negative position towards Hamas by refusing to honor its victory in the democratic elections in Palestine.

Guest, Man # 4
Hamas, as you know, won the democratic and transparent elections in Palestine. Hamas entered the elections like other political; parties and it won 75% of the votes. I think that the West which did not respect democracy in Palestine is responsible for the current situation there.

Reporter, Man # 2
In any case, Turkey has managed to strengthen its regional role by playing an active role in the Gaza events which united the Turkish people, government and even the opposition. The Turkish President Abdullah Ghoul welcomed the ceasefire declaration from both sides and called for finding a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian plight. He also called for starting the reconstruction of Gaza and denied news reports about sending Turkish peace keeping forces to the area. For Al Madar Program, Abdel Naser Nandqi, Abu Dhabi Television, Istanbul.

Presenter, Female #1
The students of Israel went back to school, while the schools in the Gaza Strip remain crowded with refugees.

Male, Reporter #1
There are a lot of scenes that tell us that Gaza is still OK, like the sun that has risen above the rubble, and the streets have regained some of its pedestrians. This Falafel restaurant has opened on the first day of the ceasefire in Gaza. Gaza is partially calm; but Gazans are worried that this calm will be followed with another Israeli storm. This is possible as long as Israeli air planes keep hovering in the sky of Gaza. And as long as the occupation tanks have not yet departed from the Strip. And Israeli soldier have redeployed near the border of the Gaza strip.

Guest, Male #2
This calm will not be a measure for security, unless Israel withdraws form occupied Palestinian lands, and gives the Palestinian people their complete rights.

Male, Reporter #1
The Palestinian police have been managing light traffic. And life has began to appear from the shadow of death. Many homes have turned into rubble. However bulldozers have been cleaning the way for new ones to rise. Meanwhile, rescue units continue to look between the rubble for bodies of martyrs. It is also said that Ban Kimon will see some of this tomorrow. The ambulances remain on alert, because nothing can be taken for granted in Gaza. People have been trying to repair what was destroyed. They are fighting in order to survive and continue on.
Aid has finally arrived into the Gaza strip. And the loud speakers of the mosques are back to their routine.

Guest, Male #3
The resistance has agreed to a ceasefire and to give the Zionist enemy a few days to withdraw from the Gaza strip. This comes from a position of strength and ability, and a moment of victory that the resistance has achieved over the failure of the Zionist enemy.

Male, Reporter #1
On the other side the Israeli president has been checking up on the soldiers who were injured while trying to occupy Gaza. The Israeli Settlers have gone out to buy fruits, to Exercise and to walk their dogs. Their children have gone back to school, even though they remain afraid of Kassam rockets.

Guest, Male #4
For the meantime I think they will do what they promised. They will not allow Iran to smuggle weapons to Hamas through Egypt. This way they will not be able to get any weapons.

Guest, Male # 5
It is our right to bring in weapons in any methods we find suitable. Putting pressure on us is not something new, whether the pressure is from regional or international countries. The pressure to stop bringing in weapons is historic, and we will not obey this pressure. No conferences or agreements will stop us from resisting the occupation.

Male, Reporter #1
This was the response of the Kassam brigades who have challenged the Israeli military to declare real losses in this war. Saying that they have killed no less than 80 Israeli soldiers while resisting the Israeli violence on Gaza. They have admitted that 48 of their resisting members were martyrs. They have also emphasized that they have lost very little of their military capabilities. And have managed to regroup. This is at a time while the children of Gaza remain refugees in the UNRWA schools, because of tranquility and security are lacking.

Guest, Female #2
Our little children are living in fear. My oldest son who is 12 years old is now wetting his pants.
He has not wet his pants since he was 2 years old. The children are suffering from bed wetting problems, fear and fever. Yesterday my 14 year old daughter was picked by the UN ambulance. We were trying to walk and we did not recognize the streets. We will not leave here until they provide us with safety, water and electricity. Because if went home, we will die from thirst, hunger and lack of electricity.

Male, Reporter #1
They are refugees in their own land; their destiny is to be displaced in their country and in other countries. However, one day they will return to their neighborhoods and homes.

Presenter, Female #1
Israel said that it wants to completely withdraw its forces from Gaza before the inauguration of, Barack Obama. According to various sources for the occupation army, the Israeli forces will be redeployed outside the Gaza border. The sources further said that the Israeli army will be put on high alert to face any urgent situation along the border. Today, Israel started to withdraw some of its military units and dozens of its war machinery behind the Green Line. This talk about a complete withdrawal is, however, contradicting Israel’s action on the ground. This news comes after Israeli war machinery today carried out a limited incursion in the area of Abu Hamam near the Katsvim Military Base east of Deir al-Balah, targeting a large area of farm land. In addition, Israeli naval gunboats fired at open areas northwest of Gaza, with no causality to report. After the nightmare of the war has ended, Gaza is facing a life that is anything but normal. Amidst the ruins and after the silence of Israeli artilleries, Gazans started the in day, searching for a missing son or relative amidst the rubbles of what used to be a home, a school, or a mosque. However, all they could find under the rubbles were more and more bodies. And those who made it alive are lacking the minimum requirements of a decent life. Fahima Mazni reports.

Reporter, Female #2
The sun rose this morning in Gaza, kicking off another quiet day. This comes after another calm night that was not interrupted by the sound of Israeli warplanes or the noise of explosions. Each day and since the ceasefire agreement went into effect, steadfast Gazans have started to gradually return to what appeared to be a normal life. They are trying to shake off the dust of a war that has left behind destruction and tales of horrors. Here, calm is mixed with the smell of death that has been buried under tons of rocks and stones, which just a few days ago were called homes. Today, these homes are mass graves, with more bodies still to be discovered. New martyrs are being added to the tragic list of Gaza, deepening its wounds amidst sadness likely to stay with it for many years to come. And those who made it alive, are calling for help:

Guest, Female #2
All of our homes have been destroyed. This baby is very sick. What did he do to deserve this? They refused to give him a shot until his father comes.

Reporter, Female #2
More than 100,000 Palestinians, who survived the random Israeli bombardments during 22 days, are facing today displacement. Entire neighborhoods have been wiped out in Jabalia, Zaytun, Beit Lahiya, with the color of cement covering the gardens of flower and the groves of lemon. It seems as if a powerful earthquake has swept through these neighborhoods. The war may have ended but the shadow of death remains at large in the streets of Gaza, where a slow death has become imminent. This slow death started to invade the frail bodies of Gaza children amidst a shortage of clean drinking water, medicine, and other requirements of life.

Presenter, Female #1
A small part of the big picture in Gaza will be evaluated by the UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, who arrived a short while ago at the Gaza Strip via the Erez border crossing. During his visit, the UN official will take a first hand tour at the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency in Gaza. A spokesman for Ban-Ki Moon said that the visit comes in solidarity with Gaza but added that the UN Secretary General will not meet with any of Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip.

Presenter, Male #1
The Iranians continue to hold events to express solidarity with the people of Gaza. Today, several workshops by visual artists were held today in Tehran. Through their paintings, Iranian artists expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza and condemned the Israeli aggression on the Strip. Meanwhile, Iran continues to hold public protests against the latest Israeli war on Gaza.

Reporter, Male #2
It’s an artistic story that deserves a moment of glimpse….a story that was drawn on a poster and colored by a paintbrush. The story tells the affairs of a nation, who went through an unimaginable ordeal of torment. The pictures here intertwined, posing a challenge to the brain.
Through these paintings, Iranian visual artists helped paint a historical crisis that was overlooked by elements of the so called “the international community.” Amidst this, the victim has fallen, bringing out the best of butchers thereto.

Guest, Female #1
As you can see, we have gathered here to express solidarity with the people of Gaza through these visual art exhibitions. My message is to show Gaza’s ordeal of oppression and aggression.

Reporter, Male #2
These images are telling the historical details of the story: with everyone falling a sleep, and their voices being silenced and their hands being tied up….and with the last dove of peace committing suicide. Meanwhile, the children of Gaza are asking why their innocence would be slain and their land be invaded. The bleak images of Gaza have moved the feelings of many people around the world. The Iranian public as well as the public in every corner in the world has come out to protest the crimes committed by the occupation entity in Gaza. These crimes were perpetrated under the nose and amidst the silence of the international community. The voice of the Iranian public has penetrated through the voice of the international community, which was politically suppressed. The message here is that the Israeli aggression, even when intensifying, will not change the situation on the ground, as the decision remains in the hands of the resistance.

Guest, Male #3
The entire Muslim nations are facing today the Zionist aggression. The resistance in Palestine is a proof that we are on our way toward victory. We must continue to support the resistance until God’s promise is achieved.

Guest, Female #2
We have gathered here to support the oppressed people of Palestine. If we don’t defend them, the Israeli aggression will go beyond Palestinian borders and extend to other countries.

Reporter, Male #2
It’s the voice of the Iranian public of all forms and shapes…They all came here to adopt one position: Which is to condemn the Israeli aggression and support the Palestinian plight, which is now topping the agendas of the political institution in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Noordeen Tair, Alalm, Tehran.

Presenter, Male #1
Meanwhile, Iran’s Defense Minister, Mustafa Mohammad Najar said that the resistance and the perseverance of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip helped repeat the Israeli defeat in the July 2006 War on Lebanon. During a meeting in Tehran with his Tanzanian Counterpart, Hussein Ali Mowini, Najar described the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the use of internationally-banned weapons against civilians as “a war crime against humanity.”The Iranian Defense Minister also called on the Muslim countries to counter these Israeli criminal acts, through their unity and solidarity. Najar also called on the Muslim nations to help lay the groundwork toward bringing the leaders of the Israeli Entity before an international court.