[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 9/2/09: World News From The Middle East

Presenter, Female #1
In response to a new Houthi initiative for a cease-fire, the Yemeni army intensified its air and ground attacks on Houthi positions. Meanwhile, the Houthis warned of a long depleting war and what they have described as “hefty surprises.” Amidst the fierce fighting, UN humanitarian organization described the humanitarian situation in the province of Saada as “very tragic and deteriorating.” Our correspondent Abdul Rahman Shumari reports from Sanaa.

Reporter, Male #1
“They are merely media rhetoric.” In these words, the Yemeni authorities have rejected the Houthi’s initiative, which calls for an end to the display of weapons and the spread of influence, and to bring the situation back to normal. In response, the Yemeni army continues to carry out operation Scorched Earth, stepping up attacks from the air and ground on Houthi positions in the areas of Mahda, Shada, Malahith, and Kozan.

Guest, Male #2 (Yemeni Official)
What happened yesterday was only a test and it’s baseless. There appear to be certain groups on the ground, particularity in the city of Saada, who want to give a break for these groups, which are being hit right at the heart.

Reporter, Male #1
The government, which deployed more troops in the area of Saada, has dismissed reports from the Houthis who claim they have captured soldiers from the army 105th division and seized weapons.

Guest Male # 3
If the Houthi group have chosen the peaceful option, everyone will back them up.

Reporter Male # 1
Politically, Yemen has openly warned Iran to stop supporting the rebels in Saada, and criticized some Iranian media outlets over biased reports in favor of what he referred to as “terrorists.” Yemen also warned of taking diplomatic measures against Iran if Tehran continues to intervene in its internal affairs. The Yemeni authorities are insisting on their own conditions for ending the more than five-year mutiny. There are no indications that the Houthis are intending to surrender amidst fear that the war may continue to spread. Abdul Rahman Shumari, Dubai TV, Sanaa.

Presenter, Female # 1
In another unrelated development, the Saudi Ministry of Interior released a phone conversation between the deputy minster of interior, Prince Mohammed Ben Nayef, and the would-be suicide bomber, who tried to assassinate the prince in his office last Thursday in Jeddah. During the conversation, the would-be suicide bomber Abdullah Al-Essiri offered his wishes to the Prince for the arrival of the holly month of Ramadan.

Presenter, Male # 1
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior announced that Fouaz al Hamidi Al-Aatabi, a wanted suspect from the 85th List, has surrendered with the help of his family to the Saudi authorities. The 35-year-old Al-Aatabi joined Al-Qaeda in Iran a year ago. Joining us from Jeddah, is our Al-Arabiya correspondent, Khalid al-Matrafi. Khalid, what first comes to mind are the measures surrounding Al-Aatabi’s surrender, following the attempt on the life of the Prince.

Guest, Male # 2
Welcome, of course the measures were very strict and clear. However, what’s more important than the measures is the way the Saudi authorities have dealt with the issue. They greet and welcome these suspects like nothing happened, meaning the legal authorities failed to punish or negatively react against this group, whom the Saudi Ministry of Interior has referred to as “misguided.” They did not treat them in an inappropriate or unfair way. According to the Ministry’s statement, the suspect was escorted to the holy city of Mecca to perform the ritual of Al-Aamra. He was also allowed to meet his family and relatives. This is how the Ministry of Interior treated the four suspects from the 85th List who surrendered to the authorities, with the exception of Al-Halik who committed suicide last Friday.

Presenter, Male # 1
Khalid, it’s believed that there are 18 suspects present in Iran. Is there any news about them?

Guest, Male #2
Of course, there are behind-the-scene efforts, to bring back the remaining individuals in the 85th List, or other lists which are affiliated with Al-Qaeda. There are real and diligent efforts underway to bring them back to Saudi Arabia. In addition, there are mediation efforts being launched with the tribes along the border of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Presenter, Male # 1
Did Prince Mohammed announce whether or not he plans to meet Al-Aatabi?

Guest, Male #2
That information is not available right now, but it’s not impossible. In Saudi Arabia, where King Faisal was assassinated in his office, the issue is still open. The Saudi state and its rulers continue to adopt the open-door policy as they meet with citizens on a regular basis. Prince Mohammed has met with a large number of citizens in his palace in Jeddah, and also in the Office of the Ministry of Interior, and I am certain that he will meet with Al-Aatabi.

Presenter, Male #1
Khalid al-Matrafi, our correspondent in Jeddah, Thank you very much.

Presenter, Woman # 1
24 people were killed in Afghanistan including the deputy head of the intelligence Agency Abdalah Khan, and 2 other senior officials in an explosion in Laghman region, eastern Afghanistan. A spokesman for the regional governor, Sayed Ahmad Safi said that the attacks aslo injured 36 people. He said that a suicide attacker blew his belt outside one of the cities’ Mosques as Khan was visiting with tribal chiefs. The Taliban declared responsibility for the attack.

Presenter, Man # 1
Meanwhile a poll in the U.S. showed that more than 60% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan. 62% percent of the pollsters said that Washington is not going to achieve victory there and it will not win this war. As the Obama administration face increasing internal pressure to end the war in Afghanistan, NATO members demand an increase of US forces there.

Reporter, Man # 2
Is it a winnable war, or is it a reckless war in an uncharted territory? Despite the lack of coverage, reports from the ground about fierce battles in Afghanistan and heavy human and material losses confirm that the war will be lost just like other past wars in Afghanistan. This reality explains the resentment of the Americans and Europeans towards this war. Some consider it an adventure into the unknown. According to the latest poll in the US, 62% of the pollsters believe that the US is losing the war by all standards while 59% believe that the US will NOT win it. 57% of the pollsters oppose the war to begin with. According to this poll survey, the hit and run gorilla warfare in these difficult terrains, and the inability of NATO to end this 8 year war have contributed to the increase in the number of Americans who oppose it by 11%. Other reports show similar results in Europe. The decrease of public support for the war strategies in Afghanistan has made the American Administration reluctant to increase the number of US forces there despite demands by NATO. The Obama Administration has been trying to stop the falling public support for its war strategies in Afghanistan but at the same time it wants to win it because it views it as a top priority. This dilemma explains the contradictory statements made by different members of the American administration. The Obama administration has been trying to avoid the creation of a strong political debate by responding to the demands of the military generals who want additional troops sent to Afghanistan.

Guest, Man # 3
There is no question that we are facing fierce battles and many challenges in Afghanistan. We will evaluate the situation there before making recommendations to the president.

Reporter, Man # 2
However, NATO insists on examining the anticipated report by NATO Commander, Stanly Macalister which means that the European governments may also find themselves in an awkward position, just like the US.

Guest, Man # 4
One can’t ignore the security threat. Mr Macalister will present an updated report about the situation there and we have to study it carefully before making recommendations.

Reporter, Man
NATO’s combined forces total 104 soldiers, including 63 Americans. The costs of war are mounting and the performance of western forces is weakening. What will the confrontations with the Taliban lead to? Will the next phase be marked with more confrontations or internal political reconciliation? These scenarios are possible in this terrain.

Presenter, Man # 1
The Shura council of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council concluded its special meeting by electing Ammar Al-Hakim as its new president. Al-Hakim reiterated during a press conference that he will work to develop the Supreme Council and called on different political parties to join the United Iraqi Alliance in order to establish a front able to revive the political process and overcome challenges.

Reporter, Man # 2
Ammar Al-Hakim will be the new president of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council after he was elected by the Shura Council to succeed his late father Abdel Al-Aziz Al-Hakim, who led one of the most prominent Iraqi political parties.

Guest, Man # 3
Due to the qualities, and high qualifications that Ammar Al-Hakim has, the Shura Council unanimously decided to elect him as the new president of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council.

Reporter, Man # 2
Al Hakim said that he’d develop the Supreme Council while maintaining the objectives that it was established for. He called on Iraqi political parties to join the United Iraqi Alliance and to form an inclusive front ahead of the next parliamentary elections on January 2010.

Guest, Man # 4
I call for establishing a comprehensive national front that includes all parties and national coalitions in our country through unity and tolerance to other parties that share with us specific principles. This will enable us to revive the political process and overcome the big challenges facing Iraq domestically, regionally and internationally.

Reporter, Man # 2
Leaders from the Supreme Council stressed the importance of openness towards all political parties and the Iraqi people during the upcoming period.

Guest, Man # 5
The supreme council is considering all parties even those that do not agree with us and oppose us. We care about all Iraqi people; we are interested in all of them. The level of our interests depends on the position of other parties, but we are still interested in other parties even those that have different views and oppose us.

Guest, Man # 6
I want to stress the importance to be open towards all segments of the Iraqi population; Women, students, labors and intellectuals. We do not ignore any population segment especially the poor.

Reporter, Man # 2
Leaders of the supreme council announced their intention to have openness towards the Arab world and the international community. It is worth mentioning that the supreme council was established in 1982 as an opposition movement for the former regime. Ammar Al-Hakim was elected as the new president of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi council, to succeed his father, Al-Hakim. The new phase will start by learning from past mistakes. Usama Tamimi, Al Alam, Baghdad.

Summary]

It has been reported that a Russian Cargo ship has been intercepted by Israel. It was also reported that the cargo ship was carrying a secret supply of weapons to the Middle East.

[Summary]

Iran’s parliament has debated President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s new cabinet for the fourth day.

Presenter, Female #1
Six Palestinian students managed to challenge the siege that is imposed on the Gaza strip and built a new car, using parts from old and broken cars. The cost to build this car is estimated around 4,000 dollars. Our correspondent Sadis Suwarki has the details.

Reporter, Male #1
6 Electronic Engineering students in an institute run by the UN Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), managed to challenge the siege that closed the doors to the outside world from the people of Gaza. They built a new car for the first time in the Gaza strip, using parts from old and broken cars. The students worked for months on this car, which is estimated to have cost 4,000 dollars.

Guest, Male #1
Before they started building this car, they dismantled a Pinto vehicle and re-assembled it within five days. The objective was to familiarize themselves with every little detail of a car. So when they needed to build the car, they knew exactly how to put each part of it together.

Reporter, Male #1
The idea of building a car was brought up in November 2008, when the UNRWA failed to provide necessary means and tools for the students to practice, due to the siege that Israel imposed on the Gaza strip. Therefore, the students had a consensus to make a car of their own as their graduation project.

Guest, Male #2
We decided on the idea of building a car in the institute to challenge the siege imposed on Gaza, and to show the world that we work diligently even under the siege. The idea was brought up by Dr. Hassan, the principal of the institute. We were surprised when we first heard about the idea, because we thought it would be too difficult for us, since we’re first year students.

Reporter, Male #1
This new, red and small-sized car can only carry two people, and its design is similar to the race cars in world championships. The students are pursuing to participate in the Canadian world competition for college students in 2011, and display their latest work of design for new cars.

Guest, Male #3
We’ve finished building this car as our graduation project. It took us 6 months to design the car in a special shape, and we managed to build an electronic circuit connecting the car to the ignition and fuel injection system.

Reporter, Male #1
The message behind building this Formula 1 vehicle is to show the world that the youth in Gaza have the ability to work, innovate and invent diligently despite the siege. This important product will carry a slogan: “Made in Gaza.” Gaza is fighting the siege and the closed checkpoints as if it wants to send a message to the world: we’re able to produce things and build Formula 1 and Formula 2 vehicles. It’s also trying to say that we have innovative minds. Sadis Suwarki, Russia Today, from Khan Yunis city in Gaza.

Presenter, Woman # 1
Malay intellectuals in the Muslim dominated states in southern Thailand, say that the education system there is undergoing changes as a result of a clash over what languages should be taught in schools. Bangkok’s government insists on teaching children a Thai colloquium, but Muslim scholars and community leaders want the children to be taught the Malay language in order to maintain their culture as well as Arabic in order to maintain their Islamic identity.

Presenter, Man # 1
Our correspondent Soaib Jasem reports from Patani in southern Thailand.

Reporter, Man # 2
The Thai government opened a new headquarter for issuing passports in one of its five Muslim dominated states. This might be interpreted as a sign of religious freedom. However Muslims here have a problem with what their leaders consider Bangkok’s attempt to get rid of their language and culture. When one visits Islamic colleges, he will notice that Malay and Arabic languages are secondary to the Thai colloquium. This is the result of government funding for the official Thai colloquium. Muslim students are given a choice between learning this colloquium for free, and paying for a religious education.

Guest, Man # 3
A new phenomenon is that after students complete their Thai colloquium, they seldom go back to their Islamic studies. This explains why the number of students learning religion is decreasing every year. Now only 10% of the total number of students attend Islamic schooling.

Reporter, Man # 2
The people in charge of this college say that the number of students learning Arabic is also decreasing. Therefore, the number of students seeking Islamic studies in both modern schools and traditional colleges has been influenced by the government’s financial plan geared towards changing the colloquium and enforcing the Thai language. In the process, many Islamic educational institutions have lost their independence. This has also created polarization between those who want religious education and those who do not want it.

Guest, Man # 4
We are trying to establish an educational system that gives students from kindergarten-university the freedom to choose whether theyw will study using the Malay language. We do not want our children to forget their language, especially after the Thai government has already acknowledged that Malay is the mother tongue for citizens in southern Thailand.

Reporter, Man
Considering the situation, Thai graduates from Arab universities are the most important grantees to maintain Islamic education here. Maintaining Malay and Arabic languages will keep citizens here connected to their land and history. The community received official funding from Arab countries to establish The Gala University, one of the first Muslim Universities in Thailand. Muslims in Thailand are an example of how Muslim minorities face challenges in maintaining their identities. Since the 1930’s, intellectuals here have inherited the burden of fighting a government policy designed to dissolve and force assimilation of the Malay culture. Soaib Jasem, Al Jazeera, Patani.