Iran election pins conservatives against Ahmadinejad loyalists [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
In Iran, polling centers are expected to close in a few hours after Day One of voting. Local media networks reported a large turnout while reformists boycotted these legislative elections. The republic's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said what he referred to as "arrogant countries" are attempting to create an atmosphere of tension and chaos in Iran.

Reporter, Male #2
This is east of the Iranian capital Tehran at eight in the morning. Election monitors and policemen have arrived. However, voting in the parliamentary elections started nearly 40 minutes late. It was said the issue is insignificant. Then, the voting started. The tradition in Iran is for elections to begin with the Supreme Leader casting the first ballot, followed by his messages to foreign powers.

Guest, Male #3 (Ali Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader)
There is a lot of negative propaganda against Iranians, and arrogant countries want to create an atmosphere of tension and chaos by intensifying their verbal threats. So, the Iranians' mission has become more sensitive.

Reporter, Male #2
The first hours of the voting saw a notable turnout of constituents. As time passed, queues got longer, even though some reformists announced their boycott of the elections. Voters who came out say they cast their ballots for those they believe are capable of solving their problems.

Guest, Male #4
Participation in the elections is a national duty, and a legitimate assignment. Come say what you want, and vote for the people you want. Why boycott the elections?

Guest, Female #1
I voted for conservatives who are worthy of it, because they are more aware of our economic problems.

Reporter, Male #2
There are no foreign monitors in Iran since their presence is interpreted as undermining Iran's sovereignty. But, near the ballot boxes, observers from the Interior Ministry and the Guardian Council of Constitution stand watch. And nearby, the candidates' observers are also present, monitoring any harassment their supporters may be subject to.

Guest, Male #5 (Mohsen Bihamansh, Head of Iranian Elections' Special Observers Team)
Organizers, observers, and constituents are completing their work as usual. Our basic mission is to record any legal breaches targeting the voters' ballots.

Reporter, Male #2
Iran understands it is conducting elections while its Arab neighbors are going through a difficult time. Here, the Islamic Republic seems to be meticulously prepared, anticipating all emergencies, especially security. The official institutions here, including the media, are trying to offer citizens all incentives to boost the turnout. Those taking part in the elections say it is a message to the foreign powers; however, the majority is voting in favor of those who have been increasingly talking about the economy and the people's living conditions. Abdul Qadir Faiz, al-Jazeera, Tehran.

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47 killed in Syria as protestors mark the Friday of 'arming the Free Syrian Army' [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission said security and army forces killed 47 civilians while suppressing opposition protests in several regions. The commission also reported that army forces waged an artillery attack on areas in the center of the city of Homs this morning. This comes as medical convoys are near the neighborhood of Baba Amr waiting for the Syrian authorities to allow them to enter the city. Security forces also fired live bullets at protestors in al-Kabeer mosque in Deir az-Zour, as British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the Syrian regime would not escape retribution.

Reporter, Male #2
The battle in Baba Amr ended after the withdrawal of the Free Army and the entry of the regime's army. But the external and diplomatic battle not only continues, but is witnessing an escalation in statements and plans by the opposition. If the convoy of the Red Cross enters, hundreds will be evacuated and many truths may be exposed, some that were not captured by even the lens of the opposition, or the journalists who snuck into the city when it was besieged. Especially since the agreement between the Red Cross and Damascus includes relief missions in other areas.

Guest, Male #3 (Hisham Hassan, Red Cross International Committee Spokesman in Geneva)
There is a need to stop the killing, but not just in Homs, in all areas impacted by the violence. Our initiative will grant the people medical access at least two hours a day, so they know they will receive aid on a daily basis. We received some positive signs from the Syrian authorities yesterday, and we hope the initiative goes into effect as soon as possible.

Reporter, Male #2
The opposition titled today's mobilization, "The Friday of arming the Free Army." And like every other Friday, opposition protests were held and dispersed with tear gas, violence, arrests, and ammunition.

Reporter, Male #2
Not far from the Baba Amr neighborhood, other areas in Homs were shelled, as reported by activists who also confirmed that regime forces bombed the eastern cities of al- Qamishli and al-Hasaka, and al-Qaboun in the countryside of Damascus.

Reporter, Male #2
And while Damascus believes it has improved its situation on the internal front, the external scene remains the same. On the sidelines of a meeting by EU leaders in Brussels, British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the Syrian regime will not escape retribution.

Guest, Male # 4 (David Cameron, British Prime Minister)
To make sure it is held to account for its crimes against its people; and one day, there will be a day of reckoning for this dreadful regime.

Reporter, Male #2
These statements were not limited to the opposition rising up against Damascus' repressive policy. Similar comments were made by its greatest ally, Moscow. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the most influential person in Russia, also made a controversial statement. He declared that there are no relations between Moscow and al-Assad, and only the Syrian people have the right to choose their leaders. Putin's statement came as the Gulf Cooperation Council announced a meeting will be held between Russia and Gulf countries to discuss the Syrian issue, and to back Gulf support to arm the Syrian opposition. This comes after the opposition National Council announced the formation of the Military Advisory Council. Hayan Yaqoob, BBC.

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US on Syria: 'The demise of the Assad regime is inevitable' [IBA, Israel]

Presenter, Female #1
Staying with Syria, where the United States remains convinced that the Assad regime is doomed to failure. Washington's ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, and Deputy Undersecretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Assad is under tremendous pressure, and that the Syrian people have demonstrated great courage in the face of brutal oppression.

Guest, Male #1 (Jeffrey Feltman, Deputy Undersecretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs)
I'm humble enough to say that we don't know for sure when the tipping point, the breaking point, will come in Syria. But it will come. The demise of the Assad regime is inevitable. It's important that the tipping point for the regime be reached quickly, because the longer the Syrian regime assaults the Syrian people, the greater the chances of all-out war and a failed state.

Guest, Male #2 (Robert Ford, US Ambassador to Syria)
The Assad regime is under greater stress now, I think, than it was even two or three months ago. This is in part because the military is more challenged. There has been a steady stream of desertions. The military has so far retained its cohesion; the security services have retained their cohesion, but they are under significantly more stress now, the first quarter of 2012, than they were, say, even as recently as three or four months ago.

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Netanyahu seeks unequivocal US support in Washington visit [IBA, Israel]

Presenter, Female #1
Joining us now from our Tel Aviv studio to discuss regional development is Middle East expert Dr. Ra'anan Gissin. Good evening, Dr. Gissin.

Guest, Male #3 (Dr. Ra'anan Gissin, Middle East Analyst)
Good evening, Erin. It's good to be back.

Presenter, Female #1
Nice to have you with us. Now, Ra'anan, as you know, the Prime Minister Netanyahu set off on his North American diplomatic mission this morning. What needs to be accomplished for this trip to be considered a success?

Guest, Male #3
I think the most important thing right now, it seems, on the face of it, would be a joint, very clear and unequivocal statement that if and when sanctions fail, the other options which are on the table will be exercised. Better, I would say, and hopefully that will be reflected in the statement, not by Israel alone, but with Israel, the United States leading, and perhaps the whole coalition of countries which are facing the Iranian threat. Because, mind you, you know, the real problem originally, when the Iranian issue arose, that Israel is not alone here, and I think one of the things that we have to come out of this meeting, or that would be the desired outcome of the meeting for the Netanyahu delegation, is to come out with a clear understanding, where the president unequivocally says to the world, and says to the Iranians, you have to see, if you don't comply with the sanctions, then we will exercise the other options, and the United States will be with Israel. Israel is not alone in this game. This game is Iran versus the world, not just Iran versus Israel.

Presenter, Female #1
We know that the leaders are going to try to repair a united front for the TV cameras. But if there is trouble developing behind the scenes, how would we know that?

Guest, Male #3
Well, there's not doubt that, I would say, first of all, there is more understandings than there are problems. Because over the years, I would say maybe the past five years, the United States teams and Israeli teams have been working together on all, I would say, covering the whole gamut of contingency plans if and when there will be a need for some sort of joint action. And I'm saying there is much more cooperation than there is misunderstanding or divisions. The divisions and the differences lie when two main sound bites, the deadline and the Red Line, beyond which you know it is clear that this is the point of no return, that Iran is going to go nuclear, and there is the need to exercise other options. And what is the deadline? When should that be exercised? I think these are the two issues that the teams are trying to work out, and I think it will be reflected in the statement that will be issued whether there is an understanding of that. One thing is clear: the message to Iran coming out of this joint meeting and the joint statement should be unequivocally clear, that there are sanctions, but behind those sanctions, there's also a loaded gun. If the sanctions don't work, the gun will be operated.

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Israeli army, settlers carried out 145 attacks on Palestinians in February [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society reported that a large police force affiliated with the occupation's prison administration raided Ashkelon prison cells and harassed the prisoners. The Prisoners' Society indicated in a statement it issued today that over 300 policemen and soldiers, heavily armed with weapons, including pistols, batons, and tear gas launchers, suddenly stormed the prison from the emergency exits, causing fear and chaos among the prisoners. They specifically targeted cells 18 and 19. The society said the search campaign started at five o'clock in the afternoon and lasted until five in the morning. A monthly report issued by the Wall and Settlements Information Center at the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Wall and Settlements recorded 145 attacks by the Israeli occupation authorities and settlers during February. The attacks include demolitions, demolition orders, assaults on farmland, trees and citizens, in addition to Judaizing occupied Jerusalem.

Reporter, Male #1
145 attacks were carried out by the occupation and its settlers in February. This was revealed in a monthly report by the Wall and Settlements Information Center at the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Wall and Settlements.

Guest, Male #2 (Mohamed Nazzal, Head of Wall and Settlement Information Center)
The Israeli measures didn't spare anything; they targeted everything in the Palestinian territories. The schools, mosques, residential houses, the properties of the Palestinians, the land, trees, everything was attacked by the settlers. Especially since Israeli executive institutions are now able to act without waiting for the approval of legislative and judicial institutions.

Reporter, Male #1
The report indicated the assaults included demolitions, demolition orders, aggression on farmland, trees, civilians and their properties, an ongoing Judaization campaign of Jerusalem, and an expansion of settlements, in addition to targeting citizens with live bullets. Citizen Tala'at Ramia was martyred and dozens were injured in al-Ram.

Guest, Male #2
I believe we are waiting for a new wave of attacks. The evidence is that, for example in July, the Supreme Court of Israel and an official in charge of civic administration agreed to make a final decision in all demolition cases filed at the Supreme Court. We believe that in July we will witness a wave of demolitions.

Reporter, Male #1
The occupation's violations even reached religious sites and media networks. In the latest such violation, TV stations al-Watan and al-Quds Educational TV were stormed, and their broadcast equipment confiscated. Days and months have passed, and nearly every day that goes by, a new chapter of Israeli aggression against our people is written. These assaults take place under the watch of the international community that rarely takes any action, other than the occasional condemnation. Akram Tarouq, Palestine TV, Ramallah.

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Departure of indicted NGO employees angers Egyptians [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
16 foreigners released in the foreign funding case left Cairo after Egypt's public prosecutor issued the decision. The decision to lift the travel ban against the defendants was condemned and met with anger by broad segments of the Egyptian people.

Reporter, Female #2
A relaxed and welcoming atmosphere prevailed in some Egyptian communities after the Egyptian authorities decided to proceed with the prosecution of the Americans accused in the case of foreign funding to human rights organizations. This, despite the anger and protests that dominated other Egyptian groups following the raids of human rights organizations. The Egyptian authorities decided to lift the travel ban against the American suspects, evoking much criticism and doubts over the credibility of the case.

Guest, Male #1 (Asad Haikal, Egyptian Lawyers' Guild Member)
What happened was wrong by all measures. I believe all hands affecting the Egyptian judiciary's independence and integrity should be removed, and this case should be dealt with by a fully independent and neutral judiciary. An immediate and urgent investigation should also be conducted into all those who interfered and undermined the judiciary's work, and find the reasons that led to issuing this decision. This is a historic failure that should not be overlooked in this manner.

Reporter, Female #2
Prior to the decision to lift the ban on the American suspects, the embarrassed court ended the review after reports started circulating that political pressure was being exerted by the United States to settle the case, as well as threats to cut off American aid to Egypt if it insisted on trying the Americans. It seems the pressure and threats had an impact on the judiciary.

Guest, Female #3 (Karima al-Hafanawi, Kefaya Movement Leader)
There was finally a position against the conditional US aid that has subjugated Egypt for years, so we were happy. But of course, cowardice quickly came into the picture, and we saw them down on their knees, obediently bowing down, and maybe even kissing hands. This obviously led to the release of the accused Americans.

Reporter, Female #2
The new development in the case comes after the Egyptian authorities raided human rights organizations in late December of last year, and accused 43 people, including 19 Americans, of illegal funding and unlawful activities, as well as interference in Egyptian affairs. It seems the development will further complicate the crisis, especially after Egyptians felt the independence of the Egyptian will and decision remains difficult to attain, even after the revolution. Did Egypt really witness a revolution to establish democratic principles? And are the current authorities really working to defend the country's sovereignty and laws? And is the Egyptian judiciary operating independently, with integrity and transparency? Many questions are being asked by the Egyptians right now. And the answers are either difficult or shocking. Mirmin Khalil, al-Alam, Cairo.

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Saudis take to the streets on the Friday of 'challenging the oppressors' [Press TV, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Protestors in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province have held fresh rallies against the regime. The rallies were held in the towns of Rabi'iyah and Qatif on Friday, dubbed "the day of challenging the oppressors." The protestors expressed solidarity with victims of the regime's crackdown. Anti-regime rallies continue in the Eastern Province despite a tough security response. Saudi troops have arrested at least 25 demonstrators over the past week. The protests have escalated, demanding justice and the release of political prisoners. The campaign began nearly a year ago and intensified in November after regime troops killed several protestors.

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Two dozen injured in Yemen as bombing targets anti-US rally [Press TV, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Moving on to Yemen, where at least 22 people have been injured after a powerful explosion hit a protest rally demanding the expulsion of the US ambassador. The explosion rocked the northern province of Sa'ada. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. Anti-American protests have escalated in Yemen since the US and Saudi Arabia pushed for a deal that ignored the protestors' demands. The deal transferred power from deposed ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy in a single-candidate vote. It also granted Saleh and his closest allies immunity from prosecution over a deadly crackdown on anti-regime protestors in the past year. Under the deal, powerful military units remain under the control of Saleh's relatives. Yemenis are now holding rallies demanding that the army be restructured.

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Two more US troops killed in Afghanistan over Quran burning [Press TV, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
A bomb blast has ripped through a convoy of US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan. The explosion left four US servicemembers injured in the southern province of Kandahar. Anger has been growing against the US-led foreign troops since word emerged in February that American forces had burned copies of the holy Quran at Bagram Air Base. At least six American forces have been killed since nationwide protests erupted over the desecration of the holy Quran.

Presenter, Male #1
Staying with Afghanistan, senior Afghan clerics demanded a public trial for those involved in the burning of the copies of the Muslim holy book at Bagram Military Air Base. Members of the Senior Council of Afghan Clerics made the demand following a meeting with President Hamid Karzai. They said the council "strongly condemns the inhumane and savage act by American forces," adding that an apology by the US over the desecration of the Quran will never be accepted. US President Barack Obama apologized to the Afghans whose feelings were hurt by the sacrilegious act. However, the sacrilege ignited a wave of anti-Western fury across the country, which left over 30 people dead.

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Fresh violence kills over 70 across northwest Pakistan [Press TV, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
New violence has claimed over 70 lives in Pakistan's northwest tribal areas. In the latest incident, at least 22 people were killed when a blast occurred near a mosque in Khyber agency. There were no more details available on the attack. Earlier, militants attacked a hilltop military position in the same region. At least 10 Pakistani soldiers and 23 militants were killed in the clash in the remote Tirah Valley near the Afghan border. Also in the Orakzai tribal regions south of Khyber, Pakistani fighter jets bombed two militant hideouts, killing 15 militants and wounding 12 others.

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A look back at the 1991 Shaaban uprising in Iraq [Al-Iraqiya TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Male #1
The Shaaban Intifada, which was the people's uprising against tyrants, is still alive in the memory of those who lived it in Misan province.

Presenter, Female #1
Today, eyewitnesses reflect on the bravery of the Iraqi people who challenged the dictatorship, which responded with an iron fist, and resorted to gunfire, executions, and a siege.

Reporter, Male #2
On a day like this one in 1991, the Iraqi people rebelled against Saddam's now-dead regime because of its injustice, and oppressive and suppressive practices. The regime launched reckless wars that brought destruction to Iraq and took it backward, not to mention the regime's weak foreign policy and the near collapse of the economy. So the people had no choice but to rise up against the regime. An uprising called "the Shaaban Intifada" swept most Iraqi regions.

Guest, Male#3 (Mushtaq Abed-Wahab, Eyewitness)
It was almost expected because the status quo at that time indicated that some type of action would be taken against the former government. Then, the army had just returned from Kuwait after it was defeated. There was also pressure by Saddam on the people and the consecutive wars; all these factors led to this great event, now known as the Shaaban Intifada. We believe this event was one of the reasons for the current change, if not the main reason.

Reporter, Male #2
In Misan, the revolutionaries launched the uprising from the Hussein neighborhood's mosque and the area of al-Majidia and headed to other areas. This is what Hajj Abed-Wahab had to say.

Guest, Male #4 (Hajj Abed-Wahab, Participant in Intifada)
We helped start the intifada. My children, nephews, other family members, relatives and loved ones, and our tribe, all of us helped launch the intifada. We expelled the Baathists, then we headed to Kut. They deployed war planes and ordered us to surrender, saying they would unleash chemical weapons on us. Two hours later, they hit us with the chemicals.

Reporter, Male #2
In 14 days, thousands of south Iraq's residents died as a result of Saddam's crackdown at the time. He used the most violent means of oppression and different types of heavy weapons to suppress that intifada. In 1991, not only did history stop, but time also stopped to witness and document the spread of a revolution that shook the thrones of all tyrants. It is the most memorable "no" even uttered by the Iraqi people to the dictatorship of the time. From Misan, Haidar al-Jizani, al-Iraqiya.