Timing questioned in release of Marines video urinating on dead insurgents [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
The Taliban condemned a video showing four soldiers in US Marine uniforms urinating on three corpses believed to be Taliban fighters. However, the Taliban said this incident will not affect its ongoing talks with the United States.

Presenter, Male #1
Meanwhile, the incident has roused wide-scale controversy in the United States and Afghanistan. The US Marine Corps said it began an investigation into the incident.

Reporter, Male #2
The dead deserve respect and should be buried, not urinated on. A video uploaded online shows four US Marines urinating on three corpses believed to be those of Taliban fighters. It has roused a wide-scale controversy in the United States and Afghanistan. The authenticity of the video has not yet been verified, nor has its date or location. But the US Marine Corps announced that it was going open an investigation into the incident, which was described by the Taliban as barbaric. The Taliban pointed to similar incidents that have occurred in the past ten years but were never revealed. Among the people, the incident evoked a wave of denunciation in the chaotic Kandahar and the capital Kabul.
Guest, Male #3
We are all Muslims; we condemn this action committed by foreign soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Taliban fighters.

Guest, Male #4
We denounce the behavior of the American soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Taliban fighters. This will harm the peace talks.

Guest, Male #5
The American soldiers who urinated on the corpses of Muslims have committed a crime. We don't want them on our soil after that.

Reporter, Male #2
The incident coincided with efforts that have been exerted to reach a political settlement for the Afghan crisis. The Taliban is exerting efforts alongside the international community to put an end to the conflicts in the country that have been ongoing for over a decade. Recently, Taliban fighters expressed their conditional readiness to open a political office outside Afghanistan to run peace talks with the government in Kabul and its allies in NATO led by the United States. However, they warned that this move does not mean the end of battles. In the US's initial response, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the American special envoy to Afghanistan, Marc Grossmanm, will visit Kabul and a number of major capitals in the region next week to discuss the peace process. This implies that the option of a political solution in Afghanistan is gaining support from various international and regional powers.

Presenter, Male #1
Joining us from Kabul is Abdul Salam Zaeef former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. Mr. Salam, can you explain the timing of the release of this video, and who do you think benefits from disrupting talks between the Taliban and the United States?

Guest, Male # 6 (Abdul Salam Zaeef, former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan)
I think this kind of action or this kind of thing that was exposed in the video could be harmful to the peace process. It could also break the trust between the two sides. I don't think this is the first time the Americans carry out such acts but the release of the video is very important. I think the people who released the video did so deliberately.

Presenter, Male #1
Who do you think benefits from the release or broadcast of these images at this particular time?

Guest, Male # 6
I believe the timing was not suitable. There was progress in the relationship between the two sides and I think that progress will continue in the future. The only way to solve the crisis is to proceed with the talks in Afghanistan. The release of this video aimed to halt this development. I know this is the result of the occupation, and if this occupation continues in Afghanistan, it is best to end the occupation. The way that was chosen to this end is a good one, the negotiations option. And I hope these talks will not stop because continuing war has severe consequences.

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Pakistan's Zardari heads to Dubai wedding amid fears of military coup [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari headed to Dubai for a one-day visit to attend a wedding, as announced by his entourage. This comes at a time when Zardari's government is facing growing hostility from the army. Many are concerned about a more dangerous confrontation between the two. A close advisor to Zardari, who requested to remain anonymous, told Agence France-Presse that Zardari will return to Pakistan on Friday. He added that the Pakistani president may also undergo routine medical exams.

Reporter, Male #2
An atmosphere of concern and anticipation clouds Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. The tension in this city and other areas was caused by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's accusations that the military leadership manipulated an investigation conducted by the Supreme Court. The investigation was in regards to the allegations that President Asif Ali Zardari requested that the US army help him control the Pakistani army. Fears of potential confrontations between the civil government and the highly influential army are mounting after the army warned the prime minister of the "grievous consequences" of his statements.

Guest, Male #3 (Nasser Ahmed, Employee)
The people will suffer if the army and the government are in conflict with each other. Such a situation will be a catastrophe for the nation and its burden will be difficult to carry.

Reporter, Male #2
Some people here are predicting a military coup, which would have dire consequence.

Guest, Male #4 (Ghazi Khan, Worker)
Everyone will suffer, but the rich will flee with their money to London.

Reporter, Male #2
Political observers believe that the current crisis between the army and the government adds new challenges to Pakistan's present and future.

Guest, Male #5 (Athar Mahmoud, Lawyer)
This confrontation with the army and conflicts between institutions are extremely dangerous. The uncertainty about the methods that can be used to solve the people's problems will concern everyone if the conflicts between the institutions continue. This will harm the nation's interests and should end immediately.

Reporter, Male #2
The Pakistani government is facing pressure from multiple parties. The Supreme Court demands that it open the corruption cases, and the army and political opposition support this demand.

Guest, Male #5 (Imran Khan, Opposition Politician and Former Cricket Champion)
We're prepared in case any conspiracy was plotted against the court. We call on the sensible citizens to take to the streets and protest.

Reporter, Male #2
Reports emerging from the Pakistani capital indicate that President Asif Ali Zardari left for Dubai on Thursday morning for a one-day personal visit. However, analysts speculated that Zardari left the country to avoid the crisis after he offered to resign and received guarantees that he and senior leaders of his party would not be prosecuted.Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

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Syrians mark Thursday of French Journalist Gilles Jacquier [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male # 1
In Syria, Local Coordination Committees reported the deaths of 16 civilians at the hands of security forces as anti-regime protests continued in a number of areas. In addition, more observers from the Arab League's delegation withdrew.

Reporter, Male # 2
Two days after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's speech about the lies of the media and the implementation of his policy of distorting facts, a dangerous escalation of the armed and bloody violence in Syria led to the foreign media being targeted for the first time since the revolution erupted. French journalist Gilles Jacquier and a number of Syrian citizens were killed. In response, the Syrian opposition held large demonstrations in most Syrian cities and towns on the "Thursday of Gilles Jacquier." In an act of loyalty to the French journalist who was killed by al-Assad's shabeha in a pro-regime area of Homs, the Syrian opposition took to the streets of Harasta in the countryside of Damascus, chanting for the downfall of the regime and Assad's exit.

Guest, Male # 3
The martyr: Tasnim al-Abraj, 2-years-old; town of Maarshourin; 1/12/2012, killed by the gunfire of the shabeha and security forces.

Reporter, Male # 2
In Hama, thousands of people held massive funeral processions for those killed yesterday, as they demanded the downfall of the regime and international protection from the killing machine adopted by the Assad regime. In Deir az-Zour, activists reported that one person was killed by security forces and that an arrest campaign was carried out in the town of al-Qouriyah. In Daraa, activists reported the arrests of dozens of people in the towns of Ankhel and Jassem by Assad's brigades. In the neighborhood of Bab Dreb in Homs, one person was killed by a flechette shell launched by Assad's brigades during their indiscriminate shelling of the city, as residents appealed to Arab monitors.

Guest, Male # 4 (angry and fast)
God is greater than you Bashar! He's lying on the ground and we can't even get him. Where are human rights? Where is the delegation? Where are the Arabs?

Reporter, Male # 2
It seems the Assad regime resorts only to violence in dealing with protestors. A number of them were injured when civilian homes were targeted in Idlib Province's Safarid, which is besieged by the Syrian army. According to Local Coordination Committees, the regime threatened to storm the town if the protestors insist on continuing their demonstrations. This comes as two observers, Algerian Anwar Malek and a Sudanese observer, withdrew from the Arab League's mission in Syria for personal reasons, according to the head of the Arab League monitors' operations room, Adnan al-Khudeir. Al-Khudeir indicated the delegation of monitors will continue its work until January 19 in accordance with the protocol signed between the Arab League and the Syrian government. The protocol set the length of the observers' mission to one month, with the possibility of renewal.

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Bahrainis mark day of loyalty to the symbols of the revolution [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Demonstrations broke out across various regions of Bahrain on a special day dubbed "loyalty for the symbols of the revolution's leaders and prisoners." Meanwhile, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for achieving justice and accountability in Bahrain, citing human rights violations in the country.

Reporter, Male #1
The Bahraini villages of Diraz, Bani Jamrah, and Sar continue to witness demonstrations day and night. Bahraini sources reported that security forces attacked the demonstrators, inflicting causalities among them.

Guest, Male #2 (Nabil Rajab, Head of Bahrain Center for Human Rights)
We, along with all youths in the street, are fighting for the people's rights and for a better future. This is everyone's responsibility. We must continue the protests. Our people are enduring repression, oppression, and injustice. Continuing the struggle is the only way to end the injustice.

Reporter, Male #1
Various Bahraini regions, including Deir, Maamir, Sitra Island, Karzakan, Bani Jamrah, Karama, and Dumistan witnessed nighttime demonstrations. The demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the downfall of the regime, and vowed to continue their mobilization until all of their popular demands are achieved. The demand for the release of prisoners, most notably detained leaders, has become a daily slogan of the demonstrators. News emerging from Bahraini prisons confirms that the detainees' health conditions continue to deteriorate, after being denied medical treatment, just like the case of Sheikh Hasan Mushaima. Rights and political activists criticized the authority's media attack on Bahraini Member of Parliament Osama al-Tamimi, who accused the ruling family of stealing half of the country's land. Al-Tamimi said that the al-Kahlifa family has stolen fifty percent of Bahrain's land and they treat people like slaves.

Guest, Male #3 (Osama Al Tamimi, Bahraini MP)
Fifty percent of Bahrain has been stolen by the ruling family. We are being treated like salves.

Reporter, Male #1
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for achieving justice and accountability in Bahrain. The head of the Arab division at the high commissioner's office, Faraj Fneish, said the situation in Bahrain has not changed since the launch of the uprising, and stressed the importance of achieving accountability in the country. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and EU parliamentarians in Brussels called on the Bahraini government to immediately release opposition and rights activist Abed Hadi Khawaja, who was sentenced to life along with six others by a military court. They say the verdict was "staged" and the charges were "fabricated."

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Egypt's military council plans January 25 celebration as activists organize anti-SCAF protests [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male # 1
On the eve of arranging celebrations for the one-year anniversary of the January 25 Revolution that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, there are plans to declare the day a national holiday.

Reporter, Female # 2
Days before the first anniversary of the Egyptian revolution, the military council announced its decision to declare January 25 a national day, similar to the one for the glorious July 23 Revolution. Views differed on whether Egypt's police and Interior Ministry day should continue to be celebrated on the same day. A day on which there were mass killings and the repression of protestors by police and security forces; events Egyptians will not forget. When security forces vanished from the Egyptian street, the status of police officers disappeared with it and has not been restored.

Guest, Male # 2
The media portrayed January 25 to the Egyptian people as a day filled with theft and shoplifting, they showed that the country was burning. Revolutionaries don't burn things; revolutionaries don't steal.

Reporter, Female # 2
National forces gathered under the auspices of Sheikh al-Azhar?s Ahmed al-Tayeb, Pope Shenouda, Pope of Alexandria, and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark. In attendance were a large number of heads of political parties and ideological movements, and candidates for the upcoming presidential elections.

Guest, Male # 3 (Muhammad Salim Awa, Potential Presidential Candidate)
The meeting centered on the freedoms document issued yesterday at al-Azhar al-Sharif and a draft statement about continuing the revolution, accomplishing its goals and regaining its spirit, which was approved by all attendees.

Guest, Male # 4 (Hazem Abu Ismail, Nour Party Head)
We already know, and it was confirmed by almost all the speakers, that one group will not be able to solely hold power. Egypt needs to be built by all its citizens.

Guest, Male # 5 (Ahmed Maher, April 6 Movement Spokesman)
Most revolutionary forces and the revolutionaries will continue to push for the revolution's demands, not celebrate. Because nothing has changed one full year after the January 25 Revolution.

Reporter, Female # 2
At Tahrir Square, protestors are trying to take over a few meters of the square to set up in anticipation of what could be described, at the very least, as a big day. So far, revolutionaries insist on accomplishing all the demands of the revolution. Under the Azhar al-Shareef dome, different national forces have been gathering since the revolution. Perhaps an agreement could be reached during the meeting that could spare the country the worst possible scenario in the upcoming celebrations on January 25. Mouna Ashmawi, New TV, from in front of the Mashyakhat al-Azhar, Cairo.

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Anti-regime protests rage in Saudi Arabia [Press TV, Iran]

In Saudi Arabia, people have taken to the streets shouting slogans against the government in the oil rich Eastern Province. The protestors came out in several towns and villages including Qatif calling for the ouster of the provincial governor. They also called on Riyadh to bring back its troops from neighboring Bahrain. The protestors also called fro freedom and equality. Anti-regime protests have been held since last year in the Arab kingdom and escalated in November when regime forces killed several protestors.

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Yemenis reject immunity for Saleh [Press TV, Iran]

In Yemen, protestors have rejected immunity for embattled ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tens of thousands demanded Saleh to be prosecuted for ordering his forces to kill hundreds of anti-regime protestors. The demonstrators took to the streets in several cities, including the capital Sanaa. Back in November, embattled leader Saleh signed a Persian-backed deal aimed at ending the crisis. That deal granted Saleh total immunity from prosecution. Yemeni and rights groups abroad have slammed the immunity law saying that anyone who committed abuses against protestors must be held accountable.

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Israeli siege causes rise in child labor in Gaza [Press TV, Iran]

Child labor is on the rise in the Gaza Strip as children leave school in order to support their families. One of the main reasons is the ongoing Israeli siege that has deepened the poverty in the Strip. In light of the harsh current situation in besieged Gaza, some children are seen on some intersections peddling foodstuff to make ends meet. About 60 percent of the closed territory's population are children are below the age of 18. Many of these children have dropped out of school to look for any job that can help them earn a living.

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Could Syria be the next Libya? [IBA, Israel]

Could Syria be the next Libya? Bloomberg news agency is reporting today that NATO and some Persian Gulf countries are preparing for military intervention in Syria. Their source is the head of the Russian Security Council. The United States and Turkey are said to be considering imposing a no-fly zone to protect Syrian rebels. Kremlin believes that the West will try to initiate a Libyan scenario in order to move from indirect to direct military intervention. Russia said the UN-sanctioned bombing of Libya by NATO was done to bring about regime change and Western governments will try to repeat that in Syria.

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Jewish residents evicted, homes demolished [IBA, Israel]

Over night the civil administration of Judea and Sumaria demolished nine family homes owned by Jews in a settler outpost near Kiryat Arba. Residents said that the structures were inhabited and that the families were left without shelter in the middle of the night. Security forces were deployed in order to prevent the disruption of the operation at the illegal outpost of Mitzpe Avichai. The same outpost has been demolished on a number of occasions and the residents return to rebuild each time.

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Israeli economist fired for racial slurs [IBA, Israel]

In other news, a senior Israeli economist in the private sector has been fired from his job for a series of racial slurs he made yesterday. Shlomo Maoz, chief economist for the Excellence Nessuah investment company accused what he called the Ashkenazi elite of controlling the country's economy including the Finance Ministry, the Supreme Court, and the major educational institutions. He said that from his own experience, only whites are appointed to posts in Bank Leumi and that the Ashkenazi-dominated Kibbutzim and Moshavim robbed the country of prime real estate.

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Livni caves and announces early Kadima primaries [IBA, Israel]

Election fever is in the air and the opposition Kadima Party is finally getting in on the action. Kadima leader Tzipi Livni has given in to pressure and instructed party officials to prepare for a leadership race and primaries as early as March. Livni is hoping that by limiting the campaign time to two months she will catch party rivals off guard. But her political foes did not complain about the developments and welcomed the opportunity. Knesset members and potential challengers Shaul Mofaz, Avi Dichter, and Meir Sheetrit all said that March is their preferred date.

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Peres: Israel should thank Ethiopian immigrants, not vice versa [IBA, Israel]

Everyone should be ashamed about example of racism that Israel has experienced lately. That is the view of President Shimon Peres, who today visited the integrated, largely Ethiopian Reishit School in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menachem. Peres said the country should be grateful to the Ethiopian-Jewish community and ashamed of discrimination directed against them in Kiryat Malachi. Peres described racism as "arrogant and terrible." He also indirectly criticized Minister of Absorption Sophia Landver who yesterday told the Knesset committee that immigrants should be thanking rather than criticizing Israel.