Syria holds parliamentary elections amid continuing violence [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Syrians are casting their ballots to elect members of the People's Assembly amid boycott calls by the opposition. Meanwhile, UN observer chief Robert Mood said that Syria is facilitating the work of their mission.

Reporter, Female #2
Despite the opposition's boycott of the legislative elections in Syria, polling stations opened their doors to welcome Syrian voters, who cast their ballots today for the People's Assembly. A total of 7,159 candidates are competing for the 250-seat People's Assembly, as called for by the new constitution approved last February. The number of eligible voters stands at 14 million.

Guest, Male #1 (Dr. Mahmud al-Abrash, Syrian People's Assembly Speaker)
These elections were to be held within 90 days after they were approved by the constitution. This is a national duty meant to achieve a real political change in Syria. This change will be guaranteed by the upcoming People's Assembly and the newly-elected Syrian political leadership. Therefore, we must hold effective legislative elections in order to preserve the integrity of the constitution approved by the Syrian Arab people.

Guest, Male #2 (Dr. Adel Safar, President of the Council of Ministers)
The new council will play a major role in monitoring the government's performance. This will allow the council to draft a government program capable of meeting our people's aspirations.

Guest, Male #3 (Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, President of Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in Syria)
Everyone is invited today to affirm their historical Syrian identity by taking part in the election process and selecting their representatives at the People's Assembly.

Reporter, Female #2
While the Syrian authorities said the elections mark the first step toward political reforms, the opposition inside and outside Syria called for boycotting the elections, describing them as a "mockery" and an attempt by the regime to cling to power under the threat of using weapons.

Reporter, Female #2
Meanwhile, Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar said the elections are moving smoothly with a "remarkable" turnout. Internationally, the French Foreign Ministry described the Syrian legislative elections as a "sinister farce," and called for the immediate deployment of UN observers. The ministry added that the Syrian political transitional process, as outlined in the Annan-Arab League imitative, will help the Syrian people freely achieve self-determination. On the other hand, strikes and demonstrations broke out across various Syrian regions, demanding the downfall of the regime.

Reporter, Female #2
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 11 people, including a child and five defected soldiers, were killed today across Syria. Most of the victims were killed in military operations in Deir az-Zour, al-Hasaka, the countryside of Damascus, Idlib, and Homs. Meanwhile, the head of the UN observer mission in Syria, Robert Mood, briefed Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem on the mission's work and its progress. Mood praised the Syrian side for facilitating the mission's work and guaranteeing its freedom of movement. He also offered his condolences to the victims killed in recent incidents. For his part, al-Moallem welcomed the work of the UN observers, vowing that his country will continue to facilitate their mission in Syria. Al-Moallem stressed the need for the mission's work to be objective and professional to convey the real situation in Syria to the international community, and to be free of politicization at the UN Security Council.

Reporter, Female #2
Meanwhile, the UN observer team continued its tours of Syrian provinces. The spokesman of the UN observer mission, Neeraj Singh, said they have deployed three patrols in the countryside of Damascus. Singh added that several new observers will join the UN mission, whose number stands at 70, including nine military observers.

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Solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers grows as they enter day 21 [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
As Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons continue their hunger strike for the 21st consecutive day, the Palestinian street is witnessing growing popular and official mobilization in solidarity with the prisoners. For their part, the prisoners have threatened to escalate the pace of their strike after the Israeli Prison Service failed to respond to the list of their demands. Our correspondent Iman Ereikat reports from Ramallah.

Reporter, Female #1
Hajj Hassan Arman could not hold back his tears during his act of solidarity with his detained son, Palestinian Mohammad Arman, who was sentenced to 37 life terms in Israeli prisons. His son and other Palestinian prisoners have been on a hunger strike for 21 days. The Israeli authorities deny Hajj Arman visits to his son, who has been in prison for 12 years, under the pretext the two men are not related. Hajj Arman says this reason requires the immediate intervention of Arabs and the international community.

Guest, Male #2 (Hajj Hassan Arman, Father of Detained Palestinian Mohammad Arman)
Where are we going? What are we enduring? I haven't seen him for 12 years. They say we're not relatives! The Israelis tell me, he's not your family member. How the hell am I not related to him? I am his father!

Reporter, Female #1
The Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike are threatening to escalate the scale of the strike inside the Israeli prisons. Palestinian sources say the escalation is possible in the coming days, as a result of what was described as the Israeli Prison Service's disregard of the Palestinian prisoners' demands. Their demands include ending solitary confinement, allowing residents of the Gaza Strip to visit their children and relatives, and ending the implementation of the "Shalit Law" inside the prisons. Meanwhile, the Palestinian side denied reports that a partial or complete agreement was reached between the hunger strikers' national committee and the Israeli Prison Service.

Guest, Male #3 (Qaddoura Fares, Head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society)
No agreements have been reached. All the media outlets' reports in the past few days included a customary matter that happens during all strikes. The Prison Service is trying to end the strike at the lowest cost by partially responding to the demands, but the prisoners know very well that such steps cannot form the base or the grounds for ending the strike.

Reporter, Female #1
In an official statement, Israel said the Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike was aimed to attain "political privileges."

Guest, Male #4 (Ofir Gendelman, Israeli Government Spokesman)
This hunger strike was not an Israeli choice; rather, it was the prisoners' decision. They are the ones who decided to starve. We do not starve Palestinian prisoners. They have rights in accordance with international charters and norms. We abide by our commitments to the International Red Cross, but this decision was taken by the prisoners who want to achieve political privileges inside the prison. They are demanding inflated privileges that were terminated by the prison authorities.

Reporter, Female #1
Permanent protest tents were set up in the center of a number of Palestinian cities to display solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike. Meanwhile, confrontations continue between Palestinian youth and the Israeli army, which controls the area surrounding Ofer military prison, where peaceful popular demonstrations continue to be held in solidarity with what was described as "the battle of the empty stomachs."

Reporter, Female #1
On the ground, an escalation is likely to take place on the Palestinian street, according to official and popular confirmations amid the prisoners' ongoing hunger strike inside Israeli prisons, and growing Palestinian and Arab fears of a serious deterioration that could threaten the lives of the prisoners on strike. This, they fear, could take the entire region back to square one. From around the Israeli Ofer prison, west of the city of Ramallah, Iman Ereikat, BBC.

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Israeli border wall violates Lebanon's sovereignty [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
The Lebanese army pulled out of the committee designated to monitor the construction of a separation wall between Lebanon and occupied Palestine after an Israeli violation was recorded during the construction. The Israeli occupation forces then transferred the construction from the southern side adjacent to the Kfar Kila-Adaissi highway to its northern side.

Reporter, Female #1
In protest of Israel's 65-centimeter violation of the Blue Line during the construction of the separation wall, the Lebanese army withdrew from the military committee monitoring the construction of the wall. While the soldiers are still stationed in front of the separation wall, the Lebanese army kept a number of its troops along this road to help manage the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, the construction sites of the Israeli occupation forces continue to operate despite Lebanese objections. The trucks of the Israeli occupation forces continue to erect walls, installing them on the ground with large cranes to complete the separation wall, as the Israeli occupation forces patrol the dirt road between Lebanon and the occupied territories on foot and by car.

Reporter, Female #1
UNIFIL, the UN forces in Lebanon, continue to hold negotiations with the Israeli side to end the breach. Continuous meetings are also convened near the Fatima Gate between the Lebanese army's commander of the South Litani region, Brigadier-General Sadeq Tleis, the army commander of the Ninth Brigade, Colonel Amin Abu Mujahid, the head of UNIFIL's eastern sector, senior officers in the Lebanese army, UNIFIL forces, and the head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO. Members of UNTSO in the occupied territories are monitoring Israel's work. The Spanish brigade is continuing its reinforcement and deploying a number of personnel carriers and military vehicles to the road that parallels the separation wall. It also set up steel barriers in the middle of the main road, opposite to the separation wall, to avoid friction and prevent any violation.

Presenter, Female #1
The Mufti of Tripoli and the North Sheikh Malek Shaar said any weapon pointing at the internal front is a violation of patriotism and the country's oath and charter.

Reporter, Male #2
At the opening inaugural ceremony of az-Zaka Mosque in the town of Herr al-Petroniya, the mufti of Tripoli and the North, Sheikh Malek al-Shaar, called for helping and embracing every disaster-stricken person. He asked that refugees from Syria not be neglected, saying they should instead be welcomed and provided with medical care.

Guest, Male #3 (Sheikh Malek al-Shaar, Mufti of Tripoli and the North)
It's unacceptable, and no one should be allowed to commit any acts of political or military chaos, or similar practices. Lebanon has had enough, and we cannot take it any more.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Shaar called on the Lebanese to unite.

Guest, Male #3
Any weapon pointing at the internal front is a threat to the nation, and a violation of patriotism and the country's oath and charters.

Reporter, Male #2
At the opening inaugural ceremony of the mosque, al-Shaar said he believes this mosque will be a meeting center for both Christians and Muslims, as instructed by the prophet.

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Expert says Annan plan is making 'no difference whatsoever' in Syria [IBA, Israel]

Joining IBA in the studio to discuss the situation in Syria is Dr. Jonathan Spyer of the IDC Global Research in International Affairs Center. Jordanians are burning Israeli flags in the streets in protest of the peace treaty between the two countries, and Israel's other partner in peace in Egypt is obviously in a very volatile situation ahead of the elections there. IBA discusses Syria and Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan and speaks with Dr. Spyer about the UN observers' recording of ceasefire violations, and also asks, "How much does the danger of rising Islamic forces pose to the state of Israel?"

Dr. Spyer believes the Hashemite monarchy is still in control of the situation in Jordan in spite of protests in the tribal areas that form the basis of support for the monarchy. However, in Egypt, Islamists won a landslide 75 percent of the parliament, which means a significantly deteriorating situation for Israel since it will be busy with its own internal unrest for the foreseeable future. He also thinks that the observer mission and the six-point Annan plan is making "no difference whatsoever" to the reality in Syria, and says that "Syria is in a state of civil war, and it's going to take a lot more than Kofi Annan" and Robert Mood to make any impact.

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Al-Qaeda kills dozens of Yemeni troops after death of leader [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Thirty people were killed in an attack launched by al-Qaeda members on three Brigade 115 military bases in southern Yemen. Sources close to Ansar al-Sharia said the attack on the military bases was a response to the killing of al-Qaeda leader Fahd al-Quso.

Reporter, Male #1
At least 30 soldiers were killed and dozens were injured in a new attack carried out by al-Qaeda members on Brigade 115's military bases in the city of Zinjibar in southern Yemen's Abyan Province. According to eyewitnesses, al-Qaeda captured dozens of Yemeni soldiers in its latest attack, although it released 70 of them several days ago. A source at Ansar al-Sharia group that is affiliated with al-Qaeda said the operation was a response to the killing of Fahd al-Quso, an al-Qaeda leader.

Guest, Male #2
It was a reaction to the killing of leader Fahd al-Quso. In my opinion, the only proper solution to dealing with al-Qaeda is to unite the army, the tribes, and popular bases, and invite these groups to engage in a dialogue if they put down their weapons.

Reporter, Male #1
An al-Qaeda leader, the tenth most wanted man in the world by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, was killed in an air strike in the area of Rafad in southern Yemen's Shabwa Province. This occurred after Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi delivered a long speech to al-Qaeda.

Guest, Male #3 (Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi, Yemeni President)
I say to these killers, who harmed our religion of tolerance, that the battle hasn't started yet, and will not end until every governorate, village, and site is cleansed, and the displaced return to their homes safe and reassured, and after they commit to peace and hand over their weapons.

Reporter, Male #1
Western and local sources said the Yemeni army's inability to cleanse the southern regions of al-Qaeda is the cause for division and corruption.

Guest, Male #4 (Jamal Bin Omar, UN Envoy to Yemen)
There are also challenges in the south, where armed groups control vital areas of the south, especially the Abyan region. This requires Yemenis to intensify their efforts in order to lead the process of reform in the military and security institutions.

Reporter, Male #1
Despite these concerns, the army's unification with local committees may have some effects in preventing al-Qaeda from expanding to new locations. The war on al-Qaeda has reached a tipping point after the killing of Fahd al-Quso, an important al-Qaeda leader, and after President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi threatened to eliminate those who he described as killers, until they put down their weapons and commit to peace. Ahmed al-Salafi, Al Jazeera, Sanaa.

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NATO air strikes kill civilians across four Afghan provinces [Press TV, Iran]

Fresh US-led air strikes in Afghanistan have left nearly a dozen civilians dead. At least five people were killed and 15 others injured in air raids in northwestern Badghis Province. Meanwhile, US-led air raids in the southern Helmand Province took the lives of a mother and her five children. Some Afghans, including former Afghan prime minister Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, accuse the US-led forces in Afghanistan of intentionally killing civilians and not intending to end the war.

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Egypt's ruling junta and the elections [Press TV, Iran]

As Egyptians prepare for their first presidential election since they ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are far from satisfied with the current circumstance, saying the ruling military council may plan to influence the election process, and thus hang on to power. Press TV speaks with writer and journalist Adel Lotfy in London, asking whether the military council is exerting pressure behind the scenes to have its favored candidate elected. Lotfy believes that is true, and adds that one more excuse, such as the recent deadly clashes between protestors and security forces outside the Defense Ministry, would be enough for the "junta" to cancel presidential elections.

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Bahraini demonstrators demand release of activists [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Bahraini regime forces continue their excessive crackdown on peaceful protestors with the use of live bullets and pellet shotguns and the storming of houses. The latest such incident led to the injury of a number of citizens. Confrontations erupted between protestors and regime forces in many areas after a march was quelled. Meanwhile, members of the regime besieged the town of Samaheej, broke into the residents' houses, and tampered with their belongings.

Reporter, Male #2
These masses flocked from town to town in Bahrain to express their discontent over the regime's repressive policies, the arrest of the Bahraini revolution's leaders, and the regime's insistence on ignoring the people's demands. Regime forces, backed by Saudi occupation forces, confronted these peaceful marches and used weapons to disperse the protestors. This is the scene in the village of al-Qariya.

Reporter, Male #2
The scene in the town of al-Dair was the same. Confrontations erupted between protestors and regime forces after a march was quelled and many protestors were wounded by pellet shotguns. This video shows regime forces that are armed to the teeth storming the town of Samaheej, besieging it, and opening fire at the residents after attacking many houses and tampering with their belongings.

Reporter, Male #2
The residents of Nabih Saleh chanted that "God is great" after regime forces surrounded the town and opened fire and tear gas at the residents, covering the sky with dark clouds. The residents of the town of Karzakan were not spared from the regime's repression either. Regime forces attacked the peaceful marches that were held out of loyalty to the Bahraini revolution's martyrs. The regime forces also opened fire at night protests that broke out in Dar Kulaib in solidarity with the detainees in the regime's prisons. In the towns of al-Markh, Dumistan, and Bani Jamra witnessed excessive violence after regime forces attacked protestors there with pellet guns and tear gas.