[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 11/19/09: World News From The Middle East

Presenter, Female #1
The wave of suicide bombings continues to strike Peshawar, the largest city in northwest Pakistan. Today, 15 people were killed and more than 36 others were wounded in the latest bombing. The escalation in bomb attacks aims to counter the Pakistani army’s offensive, dubbed “the Path to salvation” in Waziristan, which is entering its second phase. According to Pakistani officials, the army was able to regain control of several cities and towns during the first phase of its offensive. Mahyub Khuder reports from Islamabad.

Reporter, Male #1
Peshawar is sinking in a deep sea of violence. The city was struck today by a suicide bomb attack, which is the eighth bombing since the beginning of the month. The bombing rocked the main street of Khayber, in the heart of the city of Peshawar. Dozens of people were killed and dozens of others were wounded in the bloody blast that targeted the main courthouse in the city. The growing violence is causing concern at the public and official levels.

Guest, Male #2
It appears that outside groups are behind these attacks. They are using local elements to achieve their objectives. The Taliban can’t face the Pakistani army in Waziristan without the help of foreign elements.

Reporter, Male #1
Amidst the deteriorating security situation, the federal government is complaining about its lack of resources. The Pakistani army has acknowledged that the country is facing serious security challenges. Meanwhile, the army is getting ready to launch the second phase of its offensive, dubbed “The Path to Salvation.” The army is facing pressure from the US to move into northern Waziristan.

Guest, Male #3
The US is demanding that Pakistan do more in the war on terror. The Americans have their own demands and agendas. However, we must exercise caution and uphold our unequivocal security principles before the situation spirals out of control.

Reporter, Male #1
Islamic opposition groups have held the US responsible for the deteriorating security situation, and have called for the cessation of all military operations, which they say have sparked the guerilla warfare in the country. However, the government believes that the only way to bring the situation under control is for the army to strike with an iron fist. The violence is altering life in Pakistan, especially in Peshawar. Amidst this harsh reality, the Pakistani government is continuing to rally international support in order to achieve a definite victory in Waziristan. However, the war has entered its 32nd day, with no signs on the horizon indicating that it is coming to an end any time soon.

Presenter, Male #1
According to our al-Arabiya correspondent in Sana’a, the Yemeni army has launched a counter-attack on Houthi rebels in Saada. Dozens of Houthi rebels were killed and dozens of others were wounded in the attack. Several Yemeni soldiers were also killed in the latest fighting in Saada. In an attempt to seize control of the city and the presidential palace, the rebels have launched a fierce attack on Saada from the north and the south. Eyewitness accounts have confirmed that the Yemeni army is engaging in fierce battles against the Houthis. The rebels have launched an attack in the suburbs of Saada in an attempt to seize control of the presidential palace there. Meanwhile, the Saudi army continues to carry out air raids and artillery bombardments on the border strip with Yemen. The Saudi Marine and Special Naval Forces have regained full control of several hotspot areas, including the regions of Mt. Dokhan and Mt. Rumaih and other adjacent areas.

Reporter, Male #2
The Saudi Marine and Special Naval Forces have regained full control of several hotspot areas, including the regions of Mt. Dokhan and Mt. Rumaih and other adjacent areas. Furthermore, the Saudi army continues to carry out air raids and artillery bombardments on the border strip with Yemen. The Saudi warplanes have shelled Houthi positions in areas to the north of Mt. Dokhan. The area is being described as “a strategic hub for the gathering of Houthi infiltrators.”Saudi launchers have destroyed an observation tower used by the Houthis to monitor military activities along the border. On the other hand, Saudi ground forces are facing challenges because of the region’s difficult topographic features. In another development, Saudi authorities ordered the evacuation of several villages and towns along the border with Yemen, and opened more refugee camps. On the Yemeni side of the border, the army regained control of several areas in the provinces of Saada and Harf Sufian. In addition, the Yemeni army continues to carry out wide-scale moping operations in the area of Ba’rt in the province of Jawf. The area is considered to be a major hub for Houthi reinforcement insurgents. In Sana’a, the Yemeni government took measures to receive Houthi rebels who wish to surrender and desert the insurgency. Yemeni authorities said that they would open the local police stations and the local municipal buildings to accommodate the large number of Houthis wishing to surrender.

Guest, Male #3
A large number of Houthi rebels will be handed over to the local authorities and the police in Saada. This news comes after the army issued a warning to the rebels urging them to surrender.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, Yemeni military sources have confirmed that the Houthis in Saada are waiting for nighttime to carry out attacks and infiltrate behind army lines. This news comes after the army tightened the noose on the rebels, and imposed a military siege on them from all directions.

Presenter, Man # 1
Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas said that Hamas is secretly negotiating with Israel. In an exclusive report by the BBC, Abbas said that these negotiations are taking place in Geneva for the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders.

Guest, Man # 2
Now Hamas is negotiating.

Host, Woman # 1
Is Hamas negotiating with Israel?

Guest, Man # 2
Yes. It is negotiating in Geneva with former American Ambassador to the UN, Thomas Pickering, and other American officials about a state with temporary borders. Hamas presented a plan, and Mofaz, a prominent member of the Israel Kadima Party, said one week ago that he is willing to negotiate with Hamas about a state with temporary borders. If you do not know what this means, I can explain it to you. Mushir Al Masry responded to Mofaz by saying that this is important: we need actions not words. But when Al Masry was pressured about the matter, he retracted his position. This means that Hamas does not negotiate with Israel.

Host, Woman # 1
Has this information been confirmed?

Guest, Man # 2
Yes, you can find it the press. By the way, no secret can be kept in Israel.

According to Channel 4’s Dispatches series, Jewish businessmen have paid 10 million pounds to the British Conservative Party, which is expected to win the upcoming general elections, in order to influence British foreign policy in the Middle East. The series points out that at least half of the Conservative shadow cabinet are members of the Conservative Friends of Israel. Many believe that these facts make reforming the British political system a necessity.

The Israeli Air Force struck deep into Gaza in response to a rocket attack on the western Negev. An IDF spokesman said that 2 tunnels were targeted and that the operation was successful, while Hamas said that three people were wounded in the air strikes. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has added its voice to the international chorus of condemnation against the Gilo settlement expansion plan.

Ahmadinejad said that his nation is ready for constructive cooperation with other countries if they approach Iran sincerely. He made the comments during a speech to a large crowd, and underlined that the Iranian people only want their legitimate rights. Lebanese intelligence forces have detained another suspected Israeli spy who has been accused of transferring sensitive intelligence to Israeli agents.

Presenter, Female # 1
Former Congressman James Traficant has accused the Zionist lobby of controlling the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress.

Reporter, Male # 1
Controversial former Congressman, James Traficant, has returned to the political arena by making inflammatory comments. He accused the Zionist lobby of setting the United States’ foreign policy, by controlling the members of the two houses of Congress, and by dragging the Americans into wars that are not in their national interest. Traficant, who was imprisoned for bribery, asserted in an interview with Fox News that the Zionist Lobby was behind the accusations against him.

Guest, Male # 2
“Maybe you don’t want to hear it, I don’t know. I certainly don’t want to hurt you on your show, you’re fair. But I believe that Israel has a powerful stranglehold on the American government; it controls members of Congress. Our children are coming back in body bags for them, and if you open your mouth you get targeted”.

Reporter, Male # 1
Traficant stated that the United States is conducting an expansionist policy and waging Israel’s wars.

Presenter, Female # 1
A book signing for a book entitled “George Habash: the Conscience of Palestine” took place in the Syrian capital. In attendance were the former Minister Wiam Wahhab, and the Chairman of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Mashal.

Reporter, Male # 1
Only George Habash was present by his absence for the book signing of “George Habash: the Conscience of Palestine” by author Mazen Sabbagh. The Tawhid Movement Leader and former Minister, Wiam Wahhab, enumerated the qualities of the late Habash by recalling the meaning of his resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Guest, Male # 3
George Habash left and Palestine still awaits his return. George Habash left and the banners of Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa mosque wave at him from a distance, but he is returning to her. Returning to her, with the blood of the revolutionaries and the warriors.

Reporter, Male # 1
The chairman of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Mashal, asked the attendees to stand together with the resistance movement. And he stated that the current Palestinian impasse needs the likes of George Habash and Ahmed Yassine.

Guest, Male # 4
Our way out is to admit honestly that the “peace settlement” chapter has been closed.
And to hold the United States, Israel and the International community responsible for the failure of the negotiations and the peaceful settlement. And then to look at our options, which are still open despite the differences in the balance of power. Our hand, within the Palestinian resistance movement, is held out to all the Palestinian factions and to our brothers in Fatah.

Reporter, Male # 1
This statement was reflected by the presence of various officials from Palestinian organizations, writers, intellectuals and scholars at the book signing in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Presenter, Man # 1
The British Guardian Newspaper quoted Iraqi doctors saying that the birth defects and early cancer cases among children in Fallujah has risen by 15 times when compared to before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Reporter, Woman # 2
Medical sources in Fallujah said, that birth defects and early cancer cases among children has risen by 15 times when compared to before the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. This information was revealed by Guardian newspaper. The British newspaper cited Iraqi doctors especially in Fallujah who started collecting available medical information about all new born infants. The doctors said that the number of children born with two heads or with cancerous tumors and other problems related to the nervous system has risen in a way that can’t be explained. The Guardian asked a pediatrician to keep precise records over a three-week period. The records revealed that 37 babies were born with abnormities, many of them suffered from neural tube defects. All were born at the Falluja general hospital in the same period. Iraqi officials also discussed similar cases in Basra and Najaf; areas which witnessed fierce battles. Other health officials were cited saying that other reasons can cause birth defects such as pollution, chemical substances, malnutrition medical drugs, as well as the psychological condition of pregnant women. The Gardian article concluded by arguing that the Iraqi government does not have the ability to conduct an investigation in this problem, which compelled Iraqi doctors to ask for help from the international community, though they were reluctant to do so. Iraqis are dying from all kinds of reasons including these diseases; will the international community take a responsible position to save Iraqis from these dangerous diseases. Perhaps they can make up for failing to take action to stop the invasion and the occupation of Iraq.

Presenter, Female #1
The Head of the Iraqi High Criminal Court, Judge Mahmud Salih, read the list of charges facing the defendants in the case of draining Iraq’s southern marshes which led to the displacement of the local residents. Among the defendants standing trial are Iyad Filayeh al-Rawi and Abed Hemud, both officials in the former Iraqi regime. During today’s court session, the judge read a list of felony charges, including murder and crimes against humanity. The draining of marshes took place in the 1980s, and led to the forceful migration of most residents in the area. In addition, the incidents have led to the disappearance of large bodies of water in and around the marshland.

Presenter, Male #1
In another development, the Iraqi government has launched a series of measures aimed at increasing of rate of return for the internally displaced and refugee families in Iraq. The objective is to give an opportunity for this important segment of the Iraqi society to take part in the upcoming election.

Presenter, Female #1
Meanwhile, US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, visited one of the Returnee Assistance Centers in Baghdad.

Reporter, Male #2
The rate of return for the internally displaced and refugee families in Iraq has been rising steadily throughout 2009. The number of Iraqi refugees, who returned to Baghdad and other cities in 2009, stands at 48,225. The Iraqi government has launched a national program to help Iraqi refugees return to Iraq. The program also provides assistance to the internally displaced families, who fled their homes because of the deteriorating security situation.

Guest, Male #3
During 2009, Iraq has witnessed a massive wave of returnees. The return is being attributed to the improved security situation. The infrequent security breaches witnessed in the country every now and then are not a factor, as they will not alter the rate of return for the refugees.

Reporter, Male #2
According to the US ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, holding the elections on time will give the upcoming Iraqi government an incentive to move forward with its initiative, aimed at increasing the rate of return for the refugees and the internally displaced families. During a visit to the Returnee Assistance Center, Ambassador Hill said that his country is committed to supporting Iraq. Hill further said that there are no political or security indications suggesting that Iraq is facing setbacks.

Guest, Male #4
Holding the elections on time will help create a safe, democratic, and free Iraq. It will also help boost the economic and living conditions of the returning families. All the necessary steps will be taken upon the return of the displaced families.

Reporter, Male #2
The Returnee Assistance Center in the area of Karkh, which is one of several centers to provide vital registration, legal and protection assistance for families returning to Baghdad, has recently witnessed an influx of returning refugees and displaced families. A trend that will likely continue in the upcoming days.

Guest, Male #5
We have friends here. However, we are bound to return to Iraq. The security situation has improved. It’s now safe to live in Iraq. We will likely return to Iraq. There’s a 90% chance that we will return soon.

Reporter, Male #2
A large number of Iraqi refugees are seriously considering returning to Iraq, and the same can be said for the internally displaced families. Having said that, observers believe that it’s premature to permanently close the refugee file. Qais al-Murshed, Iraqiya, Baghdad.