[Transcript]  Mosaic News - 08/17/12: World News From The Middle East [VIDEO]

Presenter, Female #1
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission reported clashes between the Free Army and regime forces near the military airport in the Tarrab neighborhood in the city of Aleppo. The BBC correspondent in Damascus said the neighborhoods of Salaheddine, the Atma Souk, and Saif al-Dawla in Aleppo are witnessing clashes between regime forces and armed opposition fighters.

Presenter, Female #1
Videos posted by activists online showed several neighborhoods being shelled with military planes, including Tal Rifaat and Jarjanaz. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today's death toll caused by the gunfire of the government forces rose to 110.

Reporter, Male #1
First, there's shelling and clashes between the Free Syrian Army and government forces. Then, the scale of destruction is revealed and the death toll announced. This is the scene Syrians are living daily. Opposition sources say most of the victims are civilians, while the government says they are members of the armed groups. Damascus, where hit-and-run battles are ongoing, witnessed clashes near the Mezze military district, and dozens of bodies were retrieved in the town of Katma in the countryside of Damascus. Opposition sources say that most mosques in the city of Idlib are now surrounded by government forces attempting to prevent demonstrations.

Reporter, Male #1
The town of Izaz in the countryside of Aleppo was subjected to air strikes by military planes, and rescue operations are ongoing there as chances to find survivors are dwindling. And as opposition sources are indicating, clashes are taking place near Aleppo's airport. The official Syrian TV announced that government forces are in control of the main road leading to the airport, and have expelled the armed groups present there.

Reporter, Male #1
Videos posted by activists online showed the government forces using military planes to shell sites controlled by the Free Syrian Army. The armed opposition said that regime forces have recently intensified the use of military planes and helicopters in an attempt to avoid direct confrontations with members of the Free Syrian Army, and to limit losses among regime soldiers.

Reporter, Male #1
Protests broke out in several Syrian cities in opposition to the Assad regime and in support of the Free Syrian Army, including Kfar Zita, al-Latamna in Hama, and Ammouda, as regime forces continue to raid a number of cities and neighborhoods, especially those witnessing a tense security situation.

Presenter, Female #1
On the political front, the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti, reported that a Russia-sponsored meeting for the Action Group on Syria that was scheduled for today at the United Nations headquarters in New York was postponed indefinitely. The Russian delegation at the international organization issued a statement stressing the meeting was postponed due to requests by a number of the action group's member states. Members include ambassadors of the Security Council's permanent members, and some of Syria's neighboring states.

At least one person is dead and at least 20 others wounded after a bomb exploded near a demonstration in Pakistan. Protestors were marking International al-Quds Day in the city of Karachi. Reports say that gunmen opened fire on protestors before the bomb struck. The explosion also destroyed several vehicles near protestors.

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah has said that the movement will turn the lives of millions of Israelis into a "living hell" if Tel Aviv attacks Lebanon. Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah gave the warning in a speech on the occasion of International al-Quds Day. He said that any military action against Lebanon will cost Israel dearly.

Presenter, Female #1
The Israeli police intensified their security procedures inside and around al-Aqsa Mosque, as thousands of Palestinians arrived to perform the last Friday prayers of the month of Ramadan.

Presenter, Male #1
At crossings and checkpoints, Israeli security turned back many Palestinians coming from the West Bank. Israeli occupation authorities prevent males over the age of 12 and under the age of 40 from entering al-Aqsa Mosque to pray.

Reporter, Male #2
Palestinians had mixed feelings as they headed to the holy al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the Friday prayers that precede the Eid al-Fitr feast. Palestinians felt joy and sadness at once, especially the residents of the occupied West Bank. They come today to bid farewell to the holy al-Aqsa Mosque that they will be deprived from seeing until next year.

Guest, Female #1
For us, in the West Bank, it's very sad, because we have to wait an entire year to come here once.

Guest, Male #3
It is a must for every human to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque. Every person, so we can support al-Aqsa Mosque facing these conditions.

Reporter, Male #2
For many residents of the occupied West Bank, the facilities offered by the occupation during the holy month of Ramadan are viewed as a once in a lifetime chance to visit Jerusalem and to perform prayers at the holy al-Aqsa Mosque. For many years, the occupation's procedures prevented them from reaching Jerusalem. And for the youth, it was the first time they were able to see al-Aqsa. However, many others, who did not meet the age requirement were heartbroken.

Guest, Male #4
Everywhere in the world, people don't want to get old. Here, we hope to be 40 or 50 years old. God willing, it will be easier in the future, and we'll get rid of the occupation.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite the facilities, the occupation forces' presence was visible at the entrances of Jerusalem and the gate of al-Aqsa, where thousands of security members were deployed, implementing tight security measures. The facilities presented by the Israeli occupation to the Palestinians this year are a mere mask covering its ugly face, which is represented by a policy of harassment and Judaization, and the relentless attempts to uproot Arab and Muslim history from this holy city.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Aqsa that is besieged by Judaization projects is witnessing a fierce attack by the occupation and its extensions, embodied in calls to consider its squares public areas where everyone would be allowed to enter. And a schedule would be imposed on other squares, allowing Jews to perform prayers there; Palestinians strongly reject the plan.

Guest, Male #5 (Sheikh Ekrima Sabry, Chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem)
We reject this issue of division; we reject turning al-Aqsa's squares into public squares, and we confirm that we will not relinquish an atom of dust from al-Aqsa.

Reporter, Male #2
Palestinians feel that the Israeli occupation is taking advantage of the Arab and Muslim worlds' preoccupation with the so-called Arab Spring to impose a different reality on the ground, and to tighten its grip on Jerusalem. Elias Karram, Al Jazeera, occupied Jerusalem.

Presenter, Female #1
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad considered Israel a cancerous tumor that will soon be removed. Ahmadinejad said in front of protestors who gathered at Tehran University for the Jerusalem Day speech that the countries of the region will soon end the presence of the Zionist occupiers on Palestine's lands, as well as American hegemony over the world.

Presenter, Male #1
Ahmadinejad added that westerners say they want a new Middle East, and we also want that, but that in our Middle East there will be no trace of Zionists.

Presenter, Female #1
Egyptian authorities decided to close the Rafah crossing to traffic for five days starting today, Friday, for the weekend and the Eid al-Fitr vacation.

Presenter, Male #1
An Egyptian security source announced that work will resume at the crossing on Wednesday morning, according to the new procedures. It will open for humanitarian cases, or for pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia.

Aides to Prime Minister Netanyahu have issued a scathing rebuke to President Shimon Peres after he said that Israel should not unilaterally strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Peres said that Israel cannot strike out on its own because such an action would only delay and not destroy Iran's atomic development program, adding that only a coordinated mission with the US could be effective.

Speaking with IBA on recent political and security developments in Israel is senior correspondent for Bloomberg News in Israel, Calev Ben-David.

In other news, an unknown Muslim group calling itself Ansar al-Quds claimed responsibility for the firing of two Grad rockets at Eilat on Wednesday night. A different group known as the Salafi group in Sinai already assumed credit for the rocket launching yesterday, also boasting that it was responsible for the numerous firebombings of the main natural gas pipeline between Egypt and Israel.

Palestinians in Gaza fired one Qassam rocket into Israel earlier in the day. The missile hit an open field in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council south of Ashkelon, causing no reported injuries or damage.

Presenter, Female #1
International human rights organizations condemned the verdict against rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who was sentenced to three years in prison for organizing peaceful demonstrations calling for change and democracy. The organizations viewed the verdict as an exploitation of the judicial authorities with the goal of getting rid of activists demanding democracy, and called for his immediate release.

Reporter, Male #1
As soon as the Bahraini authorities sentenced activist Nabeel Rajab to three years in jail over his participation in organizing peaceful protests demanding change and democracy, the reaction of rights organizations and a number of countries started rolling in. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights, and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange condemned the verdict against Rajab, and called on the Bahraini authorities to immediately release him.

Reporter, Male #1
Front Line Defenders, the Palestinian Association for Human Rights, and the Arab Network for Human Rights Information also denounced the imprisonment of rights activist Nabeel Rajab. They viewed the sentence as abuse of the judicial authorities with the aim of getting rid of activists calling for democracy by throwing them in prison. They also demanded his immediate release.

Reporter, Male #1
The United States, France, Britain, and the European Union expressed concern over the verdict against Rajab. On the internal front, the Bahraini al-Wefaq National Islamic Society confirmed in a statement that tyranny and dictatorship in Bahrain is escalating and reaching all the state's institutions and impacting its political decisions.

Guest, Male #2 (Abdul Jalil Khalil, Bahraini al-Wefaq Society Leader)
The opposition's stance on political prisoners is clear. We consider the political prisoners in Bahrain to be prisoners of conscience, and they must be immediately released without any preconditions. And today, another verdict was issued against rights activist Nabeel Rajab. We view it as an escalation, and a message that they refuse to listen to the voice of the international community to release political prisoners.

Reporter, Male #1
The society stressed that the authorities in Bahrain continue to solely hold all legislative, executive, and judicial powers. In addition, they are also breaking up civil society institutions and establishing regime-affiliated institutions that hold the traits of civil society institutions, but control everything in the state.

Reporter, Male #1
This comes amid a family and tribal rule that does not allow any popular participation. The statement added that the regime is lying and deceiving the international community as it conducts wide-scale campaigns to circumvent and bypass all popular demands. The regime, it said, is marketing fake projects to the world without making any tangible changes on the ground.

Reporter, Male #1
Al-Wefaq Society noted that Bahrain is no longer experiencing quiet days in light of the deaths and injuries caused by the crackdown, violence, arrests, abuse, intimidation, and threats.

Presenter, Female #1
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation's exceptional summit concluded yesterday in Mecca. The spokesman for Algeria's council of the nation, Abdelkader Ben Salah, participated in the summit. The meeting ended by confirming support for oppressed Muslim people, and with calls to combat strife between Islamic teachings, as well as countering terrorism and extremism. Our correspondent al-Jilali Ammari reports.

Reporter, Male #1
The Mecca Charter holds a unified vision on four issues, most notably the Palestinian cause, as all participants collectively endorsed the Palestinian people facing ongoing abuse. And here, the Algerian position confirmed that the Palestinian cause is among the priorities of the Islamic Cooperation, praising Palestinian gains at UNESCO, and calling for exerting all efforts to request Palestine's membership at the UN once again. In regards to the Syrian issues, the leaders agreed to continue pursuing the political solution and a peaceful solution to the crisis, which would guarantee the country's unity and sovereignty during the violence. They also said they would stand by the Syrian people. In addition, they decided to suspend Syria's membership at the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.

Reporter, Male #1
Regarding Muslim issues, they followed up on the situation in Somalia and Yemen, as well as the condition of the Muslims in Myanmar. Discussing the situation in Mali was proposed by Algeria, and the issue there was brought to the leaders' attention. Algeria had also warned of the situation in al-Sahel, where arms, crimes, and terrorism are widespread. The summit adopted the Saudi suggestion to establish a dialogue center for the different Islamic sects, which would lead to a cultural and religious dialogue that may strengthen economic and development ties.

Presenter, Male #1
In a statement issued by the Syrian military council of Damascus and its countryside, the Free Syrian Army denied responsibility for the kidnapping of Lebanese national Hassan al-Miqdad, saying the group that kidnapped him is not affiliated to the Free Army, but is a fictitious group whose members are not present in any of its units. The statement also confirmed that the kidnapping and the group involved in the abduction were fabricated by the regime in an attempt to fuel the conflict and cause strife between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples.

Presenter, Male #1
In order to avert more dangerous repercussions on Lebanon's security, the government there decided to form a special commission to follow up on the issue of the kidnapped Lebanese nationals in Syria. The Lebanese government also led a National Dialogue Committee meeting. And while the al-Miqdad family announced the suspension of the kidnappings of Syrians as it waits for the results of efforts aimed at releasing their family member from Syria, the Lebanese are living under a tense security situation in fear of its deterioration. But there is internal and foreign consensus that the Syrian events should not be exported to Lebanon. Eliane Shatiri reports from Beirut.

Reporter, Female #2
The security situation in Lebanon retreated in favor of a political solution, as security issues were discussed at length by the National Dialogue Committee and during the parliament's last session. This comes following the deterioration of the situation that resulted from the Miqdad family's kidnapping of a Turkish citizen, and a number of Syrians in response to the kidnapping of their relative in Syria. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman connected with others, and led a series of meetings to follow up on the fate of the 11 kidnapped individuals in Syria. At the same time, he is attempting to free the abducted Syrians and Turkish citizen.

Guest, Male #2 (Michel Suleiman, President of Lebanon)
God willing, those kidnapped in Syria, and those kidnapped in Azaz, will be freed.

Guest, Male #3
I want to reassure all the Lebanese, and all our nationals abroad, that if you'd like to come to Lebanon I am sure and can guarantee that the airport road won't be impacted.

Reporter, Female #2
On the ground, al-Miqdad family announced it halted its kidnappings, awaiting the result of steps taken with the International Red Cross to establish contact to free their son. Meanwhile, a group calling itself Saraya al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Syrians, saying they are members of the Free Syrian Army, and will be exchanged for the 11 Lebanese held in Syria. The fate of the 11 is still unknown. The Lebanese street is holding its breath, awaiting developments of the two issues that have once again put the security situation at the forefront.

Guest, Male #4 (Ibrahim Bayram, Political Writer at al-Nahar Newspaper)
There is internal and external motivation to maintain the tension at a level that would not lead to a wide-scale explosion in Lebanon. So we hope everyone will start playing by the rules of the game again, rules that were established as soon as the events were ignited on the Syrian scene.

Reporter, Female #2
Have the rules of the games been reinstated? Everyone is monitoring the developments before taking the next step. So it is a race between the security developments and the political maneuvers, all under the banner of avoiding the repercussions of the Syrian crisis in Lebanon. Will political efforts succeed at diffusing this explosive security situation? Eliane Shatiri, Dubai TV, Beirut.

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