British report points to Africa as the new frontier for the 'war on terror' [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
A British think tank published a report on al-Qaeda indicating that Western experts, especially in the UK, are showing great interest in the organization's activities in Africa. The report points to the possibility that Africa could become the new front for the war on terror in Britain.

Reporter, Male #2
Another geographic location is attracting the forces fighting so-called terrorism, specifically forces that proclaim they are attempting to eliminate al-Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden was removed from al-Qaeda's leadership; weakness and exhaustion were expected to manifest in the organization's operational mechanisms, and frustration was believed to dominate the new generation of al-Qaeda members.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite all of this, the most recent report released by a British institute indicates that Africa represents a potential new front for the campaign to fight terrorism in the UK. It says some incidents point to the possibility that certain disturbing phenomena are growing across the continent. According to the report, the jihadist front that poses a challenge for certain parties may spread across Africa's deserts, migrating from areas with a decreased number of forces to new regions in Africa to regroup their members and train their forces. The report adds that the expansion of these forces to Africa may have an impact on African youth in the UK, especially Britons of Somali and Nigerian descent. However, the report makes reference to Western experts who believe there are conflicts between al-Qaeda and local groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria. According to the same sources, the danger of terror in Africa has moved to Somalia specifically. However, this does not imply that the danger is localized, especially as it is evolving in a setting where no government control exists in a number of its regions.

Presenter, Male #1
Joining us in the studio is Murad Batal al-Shishani, a BBC journalist and a researcher of Islamist groups. Welcome, Murad. Why does al-Qaeda resort to recruiting activists in Africa, and is this considered some sort of change of the organization's strategy?

Guest, Male #3 (Murad Batal al-Shishani, Journalist and Researcher)
Well Mohamed, I'll provide some background to this specific question. The existence of al-Qaeda and Salafi-jihadist movements in Africa, or the idea of these movements finding a foothold in Africa, can be traced back to the beginning of the 1990s. We look back at the US's Operation Restore Hope in 1993, when a large group of jihadists at the time took part in confronting US forces. A great number of documents disclosed by multiple American research centers show that al-Qaeda was seriously considering finding a foothold in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Somalia.

Guest, Male #3
Another factor is that al-Qaeda and Salafi-jihadist movements have always depended on Africans and other foreign nationals. Their strategy is to constantly change their appearance in order to elude security surveillance. Apart from that, if we now look at the matter from the whole panoramic view of Africa, we find Boko Haram in Nigeria. But the Shabab al-Mujahideen movement has existed in the African continent for a long time, and only some weeks ago, it announced its subordination to al-Qaeda and Ayman al-Zawahiri. We are also noticing the events in Mali after the coup, especially with the existence of the Tuareg armed movement. Now there are speculations, I emphasize that they're only speculations, that there is some kind of connection and communication between the Salafi-jihadist groups and the Tuareg movement, although the Tuareg deny it, since it is a secular armed movement. So the relationship between the Salafi-jihadists and the Tuareg may be the latest occurrence happening on the African scene.

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Al-Shabab claims responsibility for deadly blast at Somali theater [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Our Al Jazeera correspondent in the Somali capital Mogadishu reported that at least 10 people were killed and others were injured, including government officials and journalists, in a blast that targeted the national theater in the capital Mogadishu.

Presenter, Male #1
The Somali prime minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, who was in the theater, survived the attack. The Shabab al-Mujahideen movement claimed responsibility for the operation, denying it was a suicide attack. The movement said it was able to plant a time bomb inside the building.

Presenter, Male #1
In another Somali development, disputes between politicians and elders emerged for the first time in the southwestern Somali city of Baidoa over replacing the currently-deployed Ethiopian forces with Burundi or Ugandan troops. The replacement plan comes within the framework of an agreement reached by Somalia's Joint Security Committee.

Presenter, Female #1
Opponents of the deployment of African peacekeeping troops to Somalia say these forces lack knowledge of the region's landscape, which makes imposing security extremely difficult.

Reporter, Male #2
Baidoa became the center of attention and nearly took the spotlight away from Mogadishu, as political and military bickering started after Ethiopian forces took control of the city. A delegation from the African peacekeeping forces is arriving to the city. The goal of the visit is to discuss strategies and draw plans to transfer control of the city from the Ethiopian forces before the end of April. The Ethiopian forces submitted a detailed explanation of the withdrawal plan and outlined the presence of al-Shabab fighters in the provinces of Bai and Bakool in southern Somalia. They also briefed the delegation on the security dangers surrounding the city. However, there are significant disputes among the region's politicians and elders, as some reject the plan to replace Ethiopian forces with Burundi and Ugandan troops. They claim the latter lack the experience and the capability to take control of the area, in contrast to Ethiopian forces that have been repeatedly deployed to the region.

Guest, Male #3 (Adam Inu, Elder in Southern Somalia)
We asked the Ethiopian forces to stay in the city since they are more capable of maintaining security. I say to the international community, "We unanimously agree on this decision."

Reporter, Male #2
It seems obvious that Ethiopian military leaders support this opposition, and view their forces as entitled to remain because of the sacrifices they believe these forces have made.

Guest, Male #4 (Yohannes Woldegiorgi, Ethiopian Commander in Baidoa)
There are misconceptions among some citizens that a severe security vacuum happened. Citizens often submit requests and petitions calling for our presence until security is guaranteed and the danger is eliminated.

Reporter, Male #1
It is clear the ongoing controversy over receiving the African forces in the city of Baidoa extended beyond a local dispute, and turned into a conflict of interest between the region's countries, especially between Uganda and Ethiopia in light of their rivalry for influence in Somalia.

Guest, Male #5 (Mohamed Haroun Othman, Somali Political Analyst)
First, Ethiopia's military and political influence in Somalia has recently decreased. Then, Uganda's role has clearly appeared in Somali affairs. It appears that Baidoa has become a platform for maneuvers between the two sides.

Reporter, Male #2
Regardless of the final outcome of such disputes, one thing is certain: these disagreements will put both sides in a risky security situation and strengthen the Shabab al-Mujahideen movement, which is lurking and waiting for an opportunity to intensify its attacks. Meanwhile, the city is torn between fear over the deterioration of the situation and hopes for its improvement.

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Thousands of Arab fighters enter Yemen to counter Houthis [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
An intelligence report revealed that thousands of fighters from the Persian Gulf countries have been smuggled by land into Yemen in the past three weeks to fight the Houthis. According to the Yemeni-based al-Watan Newspaper, most of the 6,000 fighters are Saudi nationals who entered Yemen with tourist visas.

Reporter, Male #1
In a move similar to their intervention in Syria and their blatant support of armed groups there, countries of the Persian Gulf are smuggling thousands of armed fighters, mostly Saudis, to Yemen, as part of an operation that lasted three weeks. Once in Yemen, the fighters are quickly integrated into the ranks of armed al-Qaeda groups. Yemen has recently witnessed a wave of security breaches, riots, killings, and kidnappings. Smuggling this large number of armed fighters was not intended to help rescue al-Aqsa or counter the Israeli occupation. However, it was intended to counter the Houthis in Sa'ada province along the Saudi border.

Reporter, Male #1
Intelligence reports confirmed that a number of organized and widespread groups have been set up across various Persian Gulf countries. The groups, which are operating under the auspices of their governments, are seeking to incite and recruit misled youths to join their mission in Yemen by becoming professional fighters. Once recruited, the fighters will be instructed to carry out attacks inside and outside the country.

Reporter, Male #1
In Yemen, local contact groups will meet with the fighters and assign them to al-Qaeda military bases. The intelligence reports said that recruitment is usually carried out in cooperation with influential political, military, and tribal groups in Yemen with close ties to the Saudi government, in reference to the sons of Sheikh Abdullah al-Ahmar and defected General Ali Muhsen al-Ahmar, the head of the northwestern region. According to the intelligence reports, Yemeni security agencies confirmed that more than 6,000 fighters have arrived to Yemen from Persian Gulf countries in the past three weeks. Most of the fighters came from Saudi Arabia through the two border crossings in the provinces of Hajah and al-Mahr, prompting the Yemeni authorities to launch an investigation. Yemeni authorities confirmed that an organized recruitment campaign is taking place in Yemen in what appeared to be a ticking time bomb that is not only posing a threat to Yemen and its national security, but to the region as a whole.

Presenter, Female #1
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Yemeni residents demonstrated in the city of Taiz, south of the capital Sana'a, marking the anniversary of the "bloody Monday massacre," committed by Saleh's regime forces last year. Dozens of people were martyred and dozens of others were wounded in the massacre. The demonstrators marched on the streets of the city, and chanted slogans calling for escalating the revolutionary mobilization until all the remnants of the regime are toppled, and all the killers are prosecuted. They also rejected the amnesty law granted to Saleh and his aides, and vowed to attain their demands.

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Russia warns arming Syrian opposition would lead to more bloodshed [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
A peacekeeping delegation has arrived to Damascus as military operations and clashes have spread to Deir Ba'alba and other neighborhoods in Homs. Moscow announced that the opposition will not defeat the Syrian army, even if it's fully armed by the West.

Reporter, Male #2
The opposition's Local Coordination Committees announced that 74 people have been killed in clashes between anti-riot regime forces and the Free Syrian Army. The committees posted videos online allegedly showing Syrian forces deploying helicopters to shell certain areas, notably the city of Taftnaz near Idlib. Meanwhile, the campaign of shelling, clashes, raids, and arrests continued across various regions, including Hama. The military clashes between the regime's army and the so-called Free Syrian Army have spread from the Baba Amr neighborhood to Deir Ba'alba in Homs Province, which tops the list of Syria's most battered regions.

Reporter, Male #2
The Local Committees also announced the death of a man and his son by indiscriminate gunfire in al-Qisour neighborhood in the city of Homs. In addition, a civilian and four defectors were killed in clashes with Syrian regime forces that attempted to storm the Deir Ba'alba neighborhood in Homs. Furthermore, three civilians, including a woman, were killed by a shell that fell in the city of Talbisa. The village of al-Za'afran in the countryside of Homs is witnessing heavy artillery shelling. Also in al-Za'afran, several people were injured in clashes between the regime's forces and defected groups. Clashes were less tense in the city al-Qusayr and its fields. On the other side, the official SANA news agency announced that an armed terrorist group has set ablaze a Red Crescent food and medical aid center in the Qarbis neighborhood of Homs.

Reporter, Male #2
Politically, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syria opposition will not be able to defeat President Bashar al-Assad's forces, even if it is fully armed. During a visit to Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, Lavrov said it's as clear as the sun that even if the Syrian opposition is "armed to the teeth", it will not be able to defeat the government's army. Instead, there will be slaughter that will last many, many years, and mutual destruction. Lavrov renewed his criticism of the Friends of Syria conference, saying the pro-opposition Western and Arab allies are seeking to prevent any talks with the Assad regime. He added that the Friends of Syria want the opposition to reject talks, and that through their resolutions, they are seeking to finance the opposition and impose new sanctions on Damascus.

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Jewish settlers evacuated from disputed Beit Hamachpela home [IBA, Israel]

In a surprise move today, security forces evacuated the disputed Beit Hamachpela home in Hebron. The order, given by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, was executed without major disturbance, but drew fury from right-wing politicians. Fifteen Jews, four adults and 11 children, who were preparing for Passover, were removed in about 40 minutes without resistance or disturbance. Some 150 members of a special police unit surrounded the building and then proceeded with the eviction.

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Netanyahu threatens Israel's enemies, renews commitment to peace talks [IBA, Israel]

In a special press conference marking three years of his administration, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that Israel's enemies would face pre-emptive attacks if they threatened the Jewish state. He urged the international committee to continue exerting maximum pressure on Iran to forfeit its disputed nuclear program, and also reiterated his commitment to restarting the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in the new year.

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Shalabi to Press TV: Israel must end administrative detention [Press TV, Iran]

Hana Shalabi, a 30-year-old Palestinian woman who went on a 44-day hunger strike in protest of her administrative detention by Israeli forces, was held for more than a month and a half without charge, and was later released and sent to the Gaza Strip. In an exclusive interview with Press TV, Shalabi is demanding support from other Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails.

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Fresh fighting erupts between rival militias near town of Zuwarah [Press TV, Iran]

Fresh fighting has erupted between rival militias near the western town of Zuwarah. At least 18 people have been killed in those clashes since Monday. The fighting has continued despite efforts by the authorities to mediate a ceasefire. Tensions have been on the rise in the coastal town of Zuwarah; the town's residents are members of the Berber ethnic group and opposed Muammar Gaddafi during the revolution. Zuwarah's milita men accused fighters in the nearby towns of being loyal to the former regime.

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Young Iraqi girl displays great talent at art exhibit [Al-Forat TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Female #1
Inas is a deaf girl who talks with her eyes and pure soul through the captivating strokes of her expressive art. With her brushes, she produces paintings that reflect the life of people in her city.

Presenter, Male #1
Great artists praised the paintings of Inas, attesting she has a talent that needs to be nurtured. Our correspondent Wahab al-Ghazi takes us on a short journey with Inas in the following report.

Reporter, Male #2
Inas Abdul Nasser is a 14-year-old girl who was born deaf and mute, but God bestowed her with a talent that many healthy people envy. God granted her the talent to draw, leading Inas to create the most beautiful artworks, painting figures and drawings that express her inner emotions. She revealed her talent at a very young age.

Guest, Female #2
I started drawing when I was a little girl, and when I got older I started loving painting. God willing, in the future, I will produce more and greater paintings, and hold large exhibitions, God willing.

Guest, Female #3
Of course, I would like to mention that Inas is a child with special needs. She lost her hearing and also suffers from many heath issues. But she is blessed with an innate talent to draw. This talent will allow her to become a well-known artist, and to live with and learn from great artists. She began showing her talent at a very young age. I remember when she was almost three years old, she was drawing pictures at a level that no other children in elementary school could. She started drawing as soon as she was given her first pen.

Reporter, Male #2
Inas has attracted admirers to every art exhibition she has held; they come to appreciate her mature artwork. This achievement was attained through the support she received from her family, and some artists, teachers and educators. She has been admired by international artists, and some have offered large sums of money to purchase her paintings, but she has declined due to the pride she feels about her work.

Guest, Male #3 (Mohamed al-Suwadi, School Activity Supervisor)
In fact, this student has expressed herself through a series of visual artworks that we can see in this exhibition. This student creates a genuine addition to aesthetic beauty with these lines, colors and strong contours. We do not see this quality of work, even by students in the fine arts institute.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdul Nasser Ghaeb, Father of Inas)
We consider it to be a special talent since she can't hear. So we think her talent is really special. And, of course, we provided her with everything she needs to produce this great work.

Reporter, Male #2
This is Inas after working on paintings that shine with real creativity. She observes, then expresses with her hands the colors of nature. Perhaps she wants to tell the world through her brushes, colors, and drawings that she exists, and that she can hear, speak and experience life to its fullest. From the city of al-Nasiriyah, Wahab al-Ghizi, Al-Forat.