[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 8/26/10: World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Presenter, Female #1
Benjamin Netanyahu headed a ministerial meeting in which he presented alternatives to what he described as “a freeze on settlement activities”.

Presenter, Male #1
In the meantime, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman lowered expectations of the direct negotiations with the Palestinians. As for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he emphasized that the Palestinians are going to engage in the negotiations, even if the odds of reaching an agreement are one in a hundred.

Presenter, Female #1
The atmosphere and statements issued ahead of the launch of direct negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis in this report by Elias Karram, from Jerusalem.

Reporter, Male # 2
One month before the end of the deadline to freeze settlement activities in the West Bank, the Israeli prime minister is looking for solutions to avoid falling into a deadly political trap. On one hand, Netanyahu wants to avoid angering the Americans, and having them accuse him of causing the failure of direct negotiations with the Palestinians. On the other, he is being vigilant about maintaining his right-wing coalition. While Netanyahu upholds his unclear position, on the surface lies a proposal that would adopt a quiet settlement freeze policy. In it, settlement construction will resume in the major blocks, which Israel considers part of its territory in the permanent solution. But will refrain from construction in remote and isolated settlements; it will not officially announcing that policy.

Guest, Male # 3 (Shalom Yerushalmi, Political Analyst)
Netanyahu does not have any prejudice and does not take any drastic steps. The right is ready to help him rely on the Palestinian rejection. The 7 mini-cabinet ministers don’t think that anything will come out of these negotiations. For that reason, they’re getting dragged to the summit only to please Obama.

Reporter, Male # 2
So, there is someone to rely on to cause the Palestinian failure of the negotiations, as Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman excludes the feasibility of the Washington summit’s success. As for the Palestinian side, President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that he is going to attend the summit, to seek peace, even if the hope in reaching it does not exceed 1 percent.

Guest, Male # 4 (Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president)
We are committed to peace. As long as we are committed to peace, we will attain it. Even if we only have a one percent chance, we will seek this peace and that is why we are going based on a conviction that we want to reach peace with our neighbors.

Reporter, Male # 2
However, settlements alone are not what could disrupt the direct negotiations. Netanyahu will head to Washington, carrying preconditions, which demand that the Palestinians recognize that Israel is a state for the Jewish people, and that the Jordan Valley is under Israeli security control, in addition to Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the occupied eastern part of Jerusalem. The summit will remain without any clear reference points, or a timetable. As a result, Netanyahu is trying to have it both ways. He does not want to be perceived as the cause for the failure of the negotiations with the Palestinians. However, at the same time, he seems eager to maintain the safety and stability of his governing right-wing coalition. Elias Karram, al-Jazeera, West Jerusalem.

Presenter, Male #1
Joining us from Jerusalem is our Aljazeera Bureau Chief Waleed al-Umari

Presenter, Female #1
Waleed, first we would like to know what transpired from the Israeli side regarding Netanyahu’s so called alternatives to settlement freeze.







Guest, Male #2, Aljazeera bureau chief Walid al-Umari
The most notable alternative is what was proposed by Minister Dan Maridur, who calls for unannounced resumption of what they refer to as limited settlement activities in and around major settlement blocs. The plan takes effect after the settlement freeze deadline expires. So the idea is to keep the construction of settlement quiet. The past 10 months witnessed an official freeze of settlement activities. Netanyahu, who met with a 7-misiters cabinet during vacationing in North Israel, wanted to formulate a certain position on the settlement issue but he was still unclear. The ministers emerged out of the meeting not knowing what exactly Netanyahu wants: Does he want to extend the settlement freeze, which he announced 9 months ago, as it expires next month. Or does he want to resume the settlement activities, which will likely blow-up the entire negotiation process.

Presenter, Male #1
Early this morning, confrontations erupted between Palestinian youth and Israeli occupation forces in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

Presenter, Female #1
Eyewitnesses said that the confrontations erupted after armed settlers forcibly entered the yard of a mosque, which stirred the residents. The Israeli forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the youth who hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at them. The neighborhood has been tense since the Israeli authorities’ decision to demolish 22 houses, under the pretext that they did not have a permit.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel is under no allusions about having to make serious concessions when direct peace talks begin next week but Barak told Tony Blare, the Palestinians must also be willing to compromise. Blare stress that final status issues must be included in the negotiations.

Presenter, Female #1
In Ramallah, a number of Palestinian factions, operating under the umbrella of the Liberation Organization, and independent factions, held a national conference in which they declared their rejection of the Palestinian Authority’s participation in direct negotiations with the Israeli occupation. The conference was held even though Palestinian security authorities tried to forcefully prevent it from convening, and assaulted its participants.

Reporter, Male # 1
The Palestinian factions were not successful in holding their conference here. After getting assaulted by Palestinian security forces, it had to move to this safe location.
The national conference, which convened to reject the direct talks, became a press conference to condemn that aggression.

Guest, Male # 2 (Abdel Rahim Malluh, Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine)
The goal was to prevent us from persevering, to prevent the Popular Movement from persevering, and to prevent the Popular Movement from upholding the opposition to the ongoing negotiations. Because these negotiations are based on Israeli-American conditions.

Reporter, Male # 1
The security authorities refuted the accusation, and claimed that the matter was merely an internal dispute between the organizers of the conference. They added that they interfered when the dispute became public.

Guest, Male # 3 (Adnan al-Dameeri, Spokesman for the security authorities)
We did not know that a conference was being held. We had no information, and we weren’t even present. We were there because we were notified of a problem at the front door of the hall, and on the public street. So we came on the basis that there was a developing problem.

Reporter, Male # 1
As for the direct negotiations, the frequency of the popular response against these negotiations keeps on steadily increasing. Especially since they are not based on the clear conditions that were demanded by the Palestinian Authority, which could mean that these talks could be transformed into negotiations to serve the Israeli vision and American interests. In addition to targeting the Palestinian people to accomplish these visions and interests, without even granting them their basic rights.

Guest, Male # 4 (Haidar Awadallah, Member of the political bureau of the People’s Party)
We will continue our call, and our efforts, to stop the direct negotiations. These negotiations don’t have any points of reference, and place Palestinian rights and the Palestinian cause in a dark tunnel.

Reporter, Male # 1
Among the attendants here, there is a conviction that what is yet to come is far more dangerous than what has already passed. In this phase, prior to engaging in direct negotiations, it might seem that the Palestinian Authority needs to represent its internal front. As for the opposition that was assaulted in the heart of the city of Ramallah, it was supposed to form the main support for the authority in the face of Netanyahu’s blackmail.

Presenter, Female #1
A series of bombings rocked various parts of Iraq, placing the spotlight, once again, on the security situation in the country. More than 60 people were killed in a string of coordinated attacks, targeting Iraqi security forces. The bombings come nearly one week before the end of US combat operations in Iraq.

Reporter, Male #1
This scene may be familiar in Iraq but it carries with it tragic news for dozens of Iraqi families. One of the unchanged questions is, “Who could be behind the bombings?”Knowledgeable sources familiar with Iraqi security affairs said that there has been a growing trend of attacks claimed by al-Qaeda in Iraq. Between 2003 and 2007, al-Qaeda has increasingly intensified its campaign, notably in the Anbar Province in western Iraq and Diyala Province, east of Baghdad. However, by 2007, the situation changed due to the emergence of the so called “Sahwa” or awakening councils. At the time, Sahwa forces were formed to fill in the political vacuum caused by the shortcomings of foreign and government-backed forces. Fierce confrontations erupted between Sahwa forces and armed al-Qaeda fighters in Diyala Province. On the ground, al-Qaeda was surrounded from three directions: by Sahwa fighters, the Iraqi army, and US forces. In 2007, al-Qaeda started to lose momentum, with its attacks declining, especially in the years that followed. Nearly 2 months ago, top US military Commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, said that his forces killed 34 al-Qaeda leaders, severing the group from its senior leadership and throwing it off balance. However, al-Qaeda’s recent activities show that the group is still trying to prove its presence on the Iraqi political front. Meanwhile, many Sahwa fighters voiced their frustration with the government. Members of the Sahwa forces, such as 22-year-old Yusif, have not received their salaries for nearly two months. In addition, many members of the Sahwa forces were not allowed to join the Iraqi army. This is raising concern among key players at the political scene.

Guest, Male #2 (US top military Commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno)
What we don’t want them to do is rejoin al- Qaeda and return to armed operations. This is very dangerous. Many are becoming vulnerable. They must receive the support of the Iraqi government. The Iraqi leadership must understand our concern.

Reporter, Male #1
Iraq must evaluate the security situation, as the US moves closer to end its combat operations in the country. In addition to resolving the government formation crisis. All these factors, if not evaluated, will help bring al-Qaeda back to the frontline, after notably losing momentum over the past two years. Adel Mahjub, BBC

Presenter, Female #1
The atmosphere during the holy month of Ramadan is often full of love, mercy, and kinship.

Presenter, Male #1
In the Iraqi province of Dhi Qar, the tribal gatherings during Iftar, known as Madaif, bring back some of the most profound and cherished traditions and practices of Iraqi society.

Reporter, Male #2
Iraq’s southern region has a distinctive feature that separates it from other parts of the country. The south is home to many tribal communal houses, known as Madaif. Each tribe has its own communal house, whether it’s made of Bait as Shar tent or bamboo. The Madaif is used for meetings and gatherings by members of the community. During the holy month of Ramadan, tribe members and their guests sit side-by-side to eat Iftar. Following Iftar, they converse and tell stories, lasting until very late at night, while sipping tea and coffee, which are part of southern hospitality.

Guest, Male #3 (Sheikh Hazam al-Kebaih, a Tribal leader)
We usually get together at night during Ramadan. We sit and converse together. Our conversation usually revolves around various current affairs, including tribal, social, political, cultural, and educational issues. The Madaif opens every day until midnight. It’s open for the entire community. We invite all of our brothers to attend these gatherings, which are open until the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Guest, Male #4 (Majid al-Safah, Author)
Some of the tribes plan their happy occasions to coincide with Ramadan, especially weddings and festivities. People reach out and reconcile their differences during Ramadan. During the holy month, people visit one another. Some compete in poetry contests during the holy month. A poet once said,”A modest person is a person with good moral character, whose mind outweighs his body.”

Reporter, Male #2
The traditions and customs here in the south are genuine, with each tribe seeking to uphold the values and holiness of this month in its own way. They all gather here at the table of brotherhood, overcoming their differences and setting aside their tribal problems. The Madaif will close their doors at the end of Ramadan, which marks the beginning of the blessed Eid al-Fitr holiday. On the eve of Eid al-Fitr, people in the south spend their time reciting poetry and performing prayers.

Guest, Male#5
Problems that arise during the month of Ramadan are usually peacefully resolved in a brotherly manner. People are more forgiving and tolerant during the holy month of Ramadan.

Reporter, Male #1
Madaif are the gates to knowledge, science, and literature, and their teachings are not far from the traditions and customs observed during Ramadan. They have become a social center valid at any time or place. From Naseriya, Hussein Jurani, Iraqiya.

It could be one of the most serious war crime cases to emerge from the Afghan war. Five US soldiers have been charged with deliberately targeting Afghan civilians. The troops allegedly killed three Afghans in Kandahar province this year; they were charged with murder in June.

Presenter, Female #1
Today, the Pakistani authorities evacuated nearly half a million people in the Sindh Valley. One month after these destructive floods began, three cities in the southern part of Pakistan are threatened with additional flooding. An American government official said that the Pakistani Taliban movement is planning on carrying out attacks on aid workers.

Reporter, Female # 2
There are growing concerns of a humanitarian catastrophe in southern Pakistan’s Sindh Valley, as a result of the floods and the continuing monsoon rainfall. For this reason, Pakistani authorities are asking nearly 400,000 people to evacuate 3 additional cities that are threatened by the floods.

Guest, Female # 3
I have six children. We have been here for three days. My children and I ran away from the floods; we are hungry and no one is helping us. My children are going to die of hunger.

Reporter, Female # 2
As the Pakistani government attempts alternate solutions to rescue the flood-afflicted people, Washington has warned of Pakistani Taliban attacks on relief workers. According to Washington, these attacks could also target Pakistani officials. This information is based on American intelligence. Pakistan is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in its history, after the floods submerged one-fifth of the country and caused the death of thousands. The United Nations estimated the number of flood-victims at more than 17 million people. Eight million victims need urgent aid. Hadi el-Roubaye, al-Arabiya.

Presenter, Female #1
A coalition of Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and civil groups held a rally today to show support for the construction of an Islamic center, including the Cordoba Mosque, near the World Trade Center in New York City. The new support comes amidst the strong debate and opposition voiced by various right-wing groups in the US. Some families of the September 11th victims took part in the rally. Saghir Salam reports.

Reporter, Male #1
Several US right-wing groups voiced fierce opposition against the construction of an Islamic cultural center and mosque in New York City. Opponents of the mosque argue that it's insensitive to the nearly 3,000 victims killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, not all Americans share the same position on the issue. Groups backing the mosque have formed a new coalition dubbed “New York Neighbors for American Values.” The coalition includes more than 40 religious and civil associations, including some Muslim, Christian, and Jewish groups. The coalition said it will fight to preserve civil rights guaranteed by the US constitution.

Guest, Female #2 (Donna O’Conner, Member of Sept. 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows)
My own family came here to escape religious persecution. That is what America is all about. We must open our arms and borders and we should never tell Americans, regardless of their origin, that they can’t practice their religious freedom here.

Guest, Female #3 (New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman)
We unequivocally reject the political-posturing, fear-mongering and the crude stereotyping that seek to demonize the project, whose goal is to build bridges between the faiths and provide a cultural and recreational center for people of all faiths.

Reporter, Male #1
The project, whose promoters wanted it to serve as a bridge to civilized and religious dialogue for people of all faiths, shows the deep division inflicted on the US entity by the September 11th attacks and the decline of religious tolerance.


** Mosaic News is produced by Jamal Dajani. Contact: mosaicnews{at}linktv{dot}org