[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 5/28/09: World News From The Middle East

Presenter, Male #1
An American court has issued a verdict of 20 years of imprisonment for Mufid Abdulqader. He is the step brother of Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas. Meanwhile, other courts have issued verdicts of 10 years of imprisonment for 4 other Palestinian Americans. These Palestinian Americans are members of the prohibited Holy Land Foundation, which was accused of supporting a foreign terrorist organization, Hamas.

Reporter, Male #2
These were the headquarters of the Holy Land Foundation, but American authorities have closed it, accusing them of supporting terrorism. In Dallas, a federal judge sentenced Mufid Abdulqader, the step brother of Khaled Meshaal, to 20 years in prison on the grounds of supporting terrorism.

Guest, Male #3
Honestly, this is a black day in American history because the verdict that was issued today was an unjust one. This is a completely politicized case.

Reporter, Male #2
Mufid’s family is sad as they appear here in these images, because a previous court had previously vindicated him. However, Mufid has again fallen into the hands of American justice, along with Ghassan Elashi, who is the founder of the Holy Land Foundation. His sister Nadia is Mousa Abu Marzouk’s wife.

Guest, Female #1
Today, my dad was sentenced to 65 years in prison, but I will not cry or be sad. I smile because I am proud of him. I will remember this day for the rest of my life.

Reporter, Male #2
The defendant’s attorneys tried to convince the judge to ease the provisions. However, the judge tightened the provisions in accordance with counter-terrorism laws. Elashi and Shukri Abubakir were sentenced to 65 years in prison while Mohamed El-Mezain and Abdelrahman Odeh were sentenced to 15 years. The judge considered the Holy Land Foundation to be the face of Hamas in America.

Guest, Male #4
The next step is to appeal this decision. We have requested to overturn the decision 7 times. We are waiting for the charges to be dropped. The appeal will be immediate.

Reporter, Male #2
Relatives of the convicted have expressed a strong anger today. They say that feeding children is not a crime. They raised this argument in court. However, the court held on to its decision and considered Hamas a terrorist organization. It saw those who were assisting them to be guilty as well, and thus sentenced them to jail. Pier Ghannem, Al Arabiya, Dallas.

Presenter, Male #1
In Washington today, the American and Palestinian Presidents met amidst differences between international and regional positions towards finding a gracious way out of a deadlocked Israeli Palestinian peace process. Upon his arrival to the White House, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took part in discussions with the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Abbas hopes that the internal Palestinian situation does not affect his discussions with the new American administration.

Reporter, Female #1
To the north west of Jerusalem, you will be met by the Givon Hadasha settlement. It is difficult not to notice the continuous construction of settlements taking place on Palestinian land, just like most other Israeli settlements. Netanyahu’s government has no intention of stopping settlement activity. He made his opposition loud and clear before Abbas had a chance to meet with Obama. Meanwhile, Palestinian-Israeli negotiations were suspended a long time ago and they were derailed by the arrival of the extreme right wing government. This Israeli government has been fixated on achieving Israeli objectives which were not previously proposed during the political process. Those objectives are the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, maintaining Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and an unrelenting opposition to granting the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Abbas also has to deal with other realities on the ground, which include the suffering of his people caused by more than 600 military checkpoints which Israel still refuses to remove, despite years of negotiations. Meanwhile, Abbas hopes that the Palestinian perspective is considered in Obama’s initiative which he will propose soon. However, there are ongoing concerns that the White house will instead exert pressure on the Palestinians.

Guest, Male #2
We notice that Obama wants Israel accept the two-state solution but he is pushing the Palestinians to negotiate without pre-conditions. Obama is also pushing for Arab normalization of relations with Israel, because Israel has met him with stubbornness.

Reporter, Female #2
The division between Gaza and the West Bank has always been used by Israel as an excuse for not reaching a final political settlement with the Palestinians. Palestinian factions believe that this division is an important factor of weakness for Abbas in his talks with the new American administration.

Guest, Male #3
The Palestinian situation has become difficult, weak and complicated. The Palestinians need to regroup themselves and come up with a new arrangement that will help them achieve their rights and fundamental principles. This would help the Palestinians promote their just cause and their democracy. We will not gain world respect unless we are strong, and strength only comes with unity. Unity comes from successful dialogue.

Reporter, Female #2
The Palestinians are faced with another major obstacle: the internal divisions within the Fatah movement itself. These divisions emerged after the announcement of the new Palestinian government, which failed to gain the support of the Fatah party in parliament. This obstacle may weaken the entire Palestinian position during Washington’s talks.

Guest, Male #4
Yes, there are problems, but these problems have solutions. Fatah will hold a conference so the revolutionary council can meet. This way, the Fatah party can manage its affairs and play its role in a normal manner.

Reporter, Female #2
Perhaps the American administration’s big expectations can be achieved if the Palestinians were able to play their cards right. This would mean the achievement of three things. First, the success of the internal dialogue. Second, gaining the support of all Palestinian factions. Third, securing absolute Arab support. Shireen Abu Aqla. Al Jazeera. Occupied Ramallah.

Presenter, Man # 1
As studies revealed that the number of those who refuse military services in the Israeli army is decreasing, the general committee for the opposition against military service held a meeting in Galilee, confirming its support to the Druses who refuse military service.

Presenter, Woman # 1
Our correspondent Ilyas Karam sheds light on this issue from inside Israel.

Reporter, Man # 2
His name is Arabic, but he is from Beit Jan in the Galilee in northern Israel. He is not only an Arab by name; he is also an Arab in his nobility, magnanimity and bravery. His is an Arab Druze who refuses to carry weapons against his own Palestinian and Arab people. Instead, he prefers to go to prison for violating the mandatory military service law that Israel imposed on this religious sect in the 1950s.

Guest, Man # 3
I based my decision on the experiences of people who served before me. Second, I felt that we are not getting our rights. Also, there other logical reasons

Presenter, Female #1
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, ended its “extraordinary” ministerial session in Vienna. According to Saudi Oil Minister, Ali Niami, OPEC has decided to keep its production targets unchanged. OPEC appears to be counting on a recovering global economy to raise crude prices without having to cut back outputs. Since last September, the organization has reduced oil production levels by nearly 4.2 million barrels a day due to falling oil prices, which dropped below 33 dollars a barrel. This news has echoed at the oil market, with oil prices registering 63 dollars a barrel. It seems that the drop in the US petroleum reserve didn’t have large impact on oil prices, as the OPEC decision to maintain production levels without change has dominated the global market. We are joined via phone from London by Mohammad Ali Yassin, the Executive Director of Shuaa Financial Corporation. Mr. Mohammad, welcome. OPEC has decided to keep oil production levels unchanged. How will this influence oil prices in the upcoming days?

Guest, Male #1
I think OPEC ministers are considered to be lucky, as they get to keep production levels constant, and at the same time oil prices continue to rise, which has been the case over the past three months. The ministers decided to keep output at present levels. They felt it was better not to change their production policy at this time. I think that oil prices are no longer influenced solely by the principle of supply and demand or the growing demands of industrial nations. However, I think oil prices are influenced by the rising demands of some East Asian countries, such as China and India. I think this is why OPEC ministers decided to keep oil output at the present level. There has been a gradual increase in the price of crude oil, especially over the past few months. OPEC hopes the price will reach its target of 75 dollars a barrel.

Presenter, Female #1
The global economies are still witnessing a slow economic growth. What prompted OPEC to keep the oil production levels unchanged?

Guest, Male #1
As I mentioned earlier, the price of oil is influenced by two factors, other than the principle of supply and demand: One factor has to do with certain countries, which are trying to boast their petroleum reserve levels, which is the case with some East Asian countries, including China and India. Having said that, the economic indexes of industrialized nations, such as the US, are no longer the only factor behind the fluctuation of oil prices. Oil traders are convinced that the global economy will recover by the end of the year. This is why some traders are trying to boast their oil reserve ahead of time. This is the reason for the gradual increase of oil prices.

Presenter, Female #1
Let’s take a look at today’s performance of the Dubai Stock Exchange. The Dubai Stock Exchange index has risen by 1.62%. The increase was sparked by the rising stocks of the leading Ima’ar Real Estate Corporation. The shares of Ima’ar closed today’s session at 3.15 Dirham which is its highest level this year. The increase was sparked by the positive economic news at both the local and international levels.

Presenter, Female #1
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has summoned the Head of the Political Office of the UN African Union Peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID), Ahmad Amzi, to demand him to refrain from issuing false statements about the movements of the army in Darfur. Meanwhile, our television camera crew has travelled to Um Baru, where the Sudanese armed forces have achieved a victory against rebel fighters of the Justice and Equality Movement.

Reporter, Male #1
The great victory that was achieved by the Sudanese armed forces has refuted all false statements that were issued by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement and the UNAMID. This news comes after the UNAMID claimed that the rebels attacked and seized control of government headquarters in the town of Um Baru. However, the UNAMID then issued a contradictory statement, confirming that the rebels actually failed to seize control of government headquarters in Um Baru. This news was confirmed by the UNAMID Press Secretary, who said that the situation on the ground is stable and calm. The town of Um Baru, with its residents and busy markets, has exposed the lies of the Justice and Equality Movement, which made these false claims. Meanwhile, the residents of UM Baru strongly condemned the cowardly attack that was launched by the rebels and praised the heroic action that was taken by the Sudanese armed forces.

Guest, Male #2
The rebels launched an attack but they were unable to enter the town. Thank God, the armed forces were able to counter the rebels’ attack.

Reporter, Male #1
With regional and international dignitaries gathering in Doha, the Darfur summit commenced. The objective of the Doha meeting is to end the war and achieve peace in Darfur. Meanwhile, the Sudanese national unity government reiterated its commitment to peace and dialogue. Khartoum said that the success of the negotiations depends on the participation and good intention of the rebel movements of Darfur which will help bring peace and stability to the entire region.

Presenter, Female #1
In another development, speakers in the political forum on Chadian-Sudanese relations confirmed that the relationship between the two countries has turned to the worse. The participants accused Chad of supporting rebel movements of Darfur and inciting them to carry out attacks in the region. The peace forum was organized by the Rasid Center for Political and Strategic Studies. The speakers also criticized the military growth of some countries along the Chadian-Sudanese borders. Which they say further fueled the conflict between Chad and Sudan. They said there’s no way that Chad can supply the types of weapons that were caught in the hands of rebels, especially the arms used in the latest attacks on Omdurman and other Darfur territories. Meanwhile, Yusif Seyyed Ali, a Researcher in the Chadian-Sudanese Relations, has accused Chad and other Western countries of fueling the conflict between Chad and Sudan, as well as the armed movements of Darfur.

Guest, Male #3
The conflict between Chad and Sudan is bad but even worse is that the military growth of foreign troops along the borders is increasing. The region has become a military hub for western nations, who are seeking to protect their interests at the expense of Chad and Sudan. France, which is the main conflict manager in the region, is stirring problems.

Presenter, Man # 1
One of Al Sahwah council members was injured when a magnetic explosive device that was attached to his car exploded. The explosion took place in Al Sharyat district, in the province of Salah Al Dean in northern Baghdad. According to a security source, the device exploded in a gas station injuring Al Sahwah council member and five other civilians. Police patrolling international borders in Al Ishaki in eastern Tekret found the bodies of two Iraqi soldiers. According to the police, the two bodies were in their street in Al Ishaki area. The bodies have many bullet wounds in the heads and chests. The Ministerial cabinet has decided to designate the hospitable of Ben Sina in Baghdad after it was handed over to the Iraqi government, to senior Iraqi officials such as ministers, their employees, officials in the prime ministry and presidential offices, parliament members and those who are sent to this hospital based on orders by Iraqi officials. According to the prime ministry office, the proposal of the health ministry was approved to make the hospital in the green zoon be financially managed and administrated by the prime ministry office, while the health ministry will be in charge of the technical aspects. This hospital has 50 beds and it has technologically advanced medical equipment. It has been administrated by the multi national forces since 2003. Doctors and health organizations in the province of Al Qadesiya warned that the health situation may deteriorate in the province due to the spread of administrative corruption in the health agencies. About 48 civic organizations signed a statement demanding to put an end to the deterioration of the health situation in Al Qadesiya province, and called for a change to the health administration there. They warned that they will organize a demonstration to demand the replacement of the president of the heath administration.

Guest, Man # 2
There is a relative deterioration in the health situation in the Dewaniyah in particular, especially when compared with other Iraq provinces. The main reason is due to the bad management and the reckless policies of the administration. For example, there is a reckless policy in distributing medical expertise from doctors, nurses, and employees. These medical employees tend to be congregated in certain hospitals while leaving other hospitals in different provinces almost empty, such as the hospitals of Afach, Al Hamza and Al Sahmiya. Go to all these hospitals after hours and you will see what I’m talking about. We have pictures documenting that these hospitals have minimal resources. They are insufficient and unable to serve the people. We have sturdy budgets, what we need is to utilize these budgets wisely. They waste a lot of resources on aesthetics

Presenter, Man # 1
One of Al Sahwah council members was injured when a magnetic explosive device that was attached to his car exploded. The explosion took place in Al Sharyat district, in the province of Salah Al Dean in northern Baghdad. According to a security source, the device exploded in a gas station injuring Al Sahwah council member and five other civilians. Police patrolling international borders in Al Ishaki in eastern Tekret found the bodies of two Iraqi soldiers. According to the police, the two bodies were in their street in Al Ishaki area. The bodies have many bullet wounds in the heads and chests. The Ministerial cabinet has decided to designate the hospitable of Ben Sina in Baghdad after it was handed over to the Iraqi government, to senior Iraqi officials such as ministers, their employees, officials in the prime ministry and presidential offices, parliament members and those who are sent to this hospital based on orders by Iraqi officials. According to the prime ministry office, the proposal of the health ministry was approved to make the hospital in the green zoon be financially managed and administrated by the prime ministry office, while the health ministry will be in charge of the technical aspects. This hospital has 50 beds and it has technologically advanced medical equipment. It has been administrated by the multi national forces since 2003. Doctors and health organizations in the province of Al Qadesiya warned that the health situation may deteriorate in the province due to the spread of administrative corruption in the health agencies. About 48 civic organizations signed a statement demanding to put an end to the deterioration of the health situation in Al Qadesiya province, and called for a change to the health administration there. They warned that they will organize a demonstration to demand the replacement of the president of the heath administration.

Guest, Man # 2
There is a relative deterioration in the health situation in the Dewaniyah in particular, especially when compared with other Iraq provinces. The main reason is due to the bad management and the reckless policies of the administration. For example, there is a reckless policy in distributing medical expertise from doctors, nurses, and employees. These medical employees tend to be congregated in certain hospitals while leaving other hospitals in different provinces almost empty, such as the hospitals of Afach, Al Hamza and Al Sahmiya. Go to all these hospitals after hours and you will see what I’m talking about. We have pictures documenting that these hospitals have minimal resources. They are insufficient and unable to serve the people. We have sturdy budgets, what we need is to utilize these budgets wisely. They waste a lot of resources on aesthetics

[Summary]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed criticism against his foreign policy. He stated the former government complied too much with U.S. demands, and that the U.S. did nothing to help the state of Iran and instead labeled it an axis of evil.

Presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi has criticized the current government’s economic platform, blaming it for the high inflation and unemployment rate in the country. He says the current government has failed to respond to these criticisms. Many people have faced hardships as a result, and this is one of the main reasons he decided to enter the presidential race.

Karroubi, another presidential candidate, is running on the message of change. He states he defends the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.

Mohsen Rezaei, the fourth presidential candidate, has spoken of the issue of unemployment and has promised he will fix the problem if he is elected President. He has chosen “economic rescue” as his presidential model.