Syria's humanitarian crisis worsens as crackdown continues
Al Jazeera, Qatar

Presenter, Female #1
Reuters news agency quoted eyewitnesses saying that Syrian forces are indiscriminately firing on the outskirts of Maarat al-Numan in order to terrorize the residents. This has led additional residents to flee the town. Eyewitnesses said an armed convoy reached the village of Mantas, located 15 kilometers to the east of Maarat al-Numan.

Presenter, Male #1
Thousands of residents started to flee two days ago due to the army's crawl toward the town.

Presenter, Female #1
In addition, tanks were positioned in the city of Deir al-Zour and Abu Kamal, near the border with Iraq.

Presenter, Male #1
On the other hand, the city of Hama witnessed anti-regime demonstrations yesterday to counter pro-regime protests held in Damascus.

Presenter, Female #1
On the diplomatic front, Turkey denied the Syrian envoy's statement yesterday that Syrian refugees have started to return to Jisr Shughour.

Reporter, Male #2
The whizzing of bullets was not experienced by pro-Syrian regime protestors in the area of al-al-Mazza in the capital of the Umayyads. A sound the residents of Hawran, Rif Dimashq, es-Sahel, Idlib al-Khadra'a, al-Jazeera and a number of other towns are now accustomed to. Here, in Maarat al-Numan, security forces fire at opposition demonstrators on the "Friday of Tribes" and shut down an international road. And here, in al-Mazza, the same security forces help the president's supporters close a main avenue. Tank convoys are moving in the same direction as protests, from one city to the next. After the army took control of Jisr Shughour and emptied it of its residents, reports indicate the stage for the next military operation will be in Maarat al-Numan. Thousands of its residents fled on the beat of the guardians of the homeland's gunfire and air operations, which took place two kilometers from the city. And here, in Jabal az-Zawiyah, in the town of Sarja, a mother mourns her last son, as described by activists.

Guest, Female # 2
I told them "my children, there's five of you. The choice is between victory and martyrdom. They killed your father when you were small." And now the eldest has been martyred; he will join his father.

Reporter, Male # 2
As for the reforms, they're missing and the search for them continues. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged President Bashar al-Assad to carry out reform before time runs out; a period of time that has lasted 11 years, since the young president received the reins of power that is established on security and only security. These same reforms were discussed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Syrian president's envoy to Ankara, Hassan Turkmani. Turkmani said Syria has made all necessary arrangements for the refugees' return from Turkey, indicating that they already started to return. This statement was denied by a high-level Erdogan advisor and fear of continued military operations in Syria was expressed.

Guest, Male # 3
The hardship of Syrian guests in Turkey was mentioned to the Syrian envoy and to the Syrian brothers. Quite frankly, there is a severe human tragedy and numerous international organizations have begun to check on the status of those refugees. On Thursday and Friday, representatives of international humanitarian organizations will visit them.

Reporter, Male # 2
So, the campaign to crackdown on protests, which is producing one crisis after the next, including the issue of refugees, is aggravating the situation and causing Turkish fear of an increased number of refugees.

Guest, Male # 4 (Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish Foreign Minister)
The Syrians have a common future and destiny with our people. Therefore, it is out of the question to close the door to our Syrian brothers or specify a number of refugees who can come in. However, if this turns into a big wave, it has the potential to become a regional and an international matter.

Reporter, Male # 2
The Syrian demonstrators' mobilization seems to indicate that the military operation hasn't succeeded as protests continue night and day in city centers and on the outskirts of villages. They are calling for reform and freedom.

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Russia intensifies diplomacy efforts as NATO continues its operations
Al-Alam, Iran

Presenter, Female #1
The Libyan government organized a tour for journalists in one of the neighborhoods targeted by NATO air strikes which have caused massive damages in the Libyan capital Tripoli. Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Kaim said that he is not certain about the death toll of the air raid that targeted a hotel in the area. He affirmed that he will urge the hotel owner to file lawsuits against France and Britain. Libyan government sources indicated that 12 victims were killed by NATO strikes. NATO denied this allegation.

Reporter, Male #1
The new air strikes on Tripoli are no different from the previous ones that lasted for several weeks on a semi-daily basis. This time, just as in the past, the shelling targeted the Bab al-Aziziya compound where Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi is located. In the west, Jabal al-Gharbi is coming back strongly into the spotlight of events. Revolutionaries said they took control of various areas in the region, as far as the town of Kekilla, after days of ferocious battles with Gaddafi's battalions. The revolutionaries, who within days have moved the battle's frontline to areas near Tripoli, also announced that they seized control of a number of towns between the city of Ifrin in Jabal al-Gharbi and the capital.

Guest, Male #1
We are ready to defeat the enemy, Gaddafi, and his children. We are persistent and ready, with help from God, God willing, for victory.

Reporter, Male #1
While calmness dominates most areas in Jabal al-Gharbi, revolutionaries are still combing the areas between Zintan and Ifrin in search of cells of battalions which were in control days ago. East of Tripoli, particularly the areas between the suburbs of Misurata and Zliten, artilleries have been roaring for weeks amid frequent seesaw battles between the battalions and revolutionaries. With the raging military confrontation, fresh diplomatic efforts were resumed with the announcement of Russia's initiative several days ago. In this context, the Russian envoy for African and Middle Eastern affairs Mikhail Margelov returned to Libya after his visit to Benghazi last week. This time he is visiting Tripoli to meet with Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoud and Foreign Minister Abdel Ati Al-Obeidi. In London, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and British Prime Minister David Cameron affirmed the necessity of increasing pressure on the Libyan regime and vowed to continue operations until its downfall. While a number of international powers assert that NATO's air strikes on Libya are impeding the efforts to reach a political resolution for the crisis, disputes between NATO members emerged as some refused to pledge to provide additional supplies for the military operations in Libya. Washington announced that the Libyan crisis has already cost the US 716 million dollars. Meanwhile, disputes are increasing between President Barack Obama and Congress over the fear of being involved in a third war, as the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has not yet ended.

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Palestinians protest closure of Rafah border crossing
Future TV, Lebanon

Presenter, Male #1
Hundreds of Palestinians rallied at the Rafah Crossing demanding it be reopened in accordance with Cairo's new vow. Omar Bashir reports from Gaza.

Reporter, Male #1
This is the latest slogan that Palestinians are using in a rally that saw participation from Gazans banned from travelling. They demand to reopen Rafah Crossing without any restrictions that would disrupt freedom of movement. The young organizers of the rally affirmed to continue the protests until their demands are met.

Guest, Male #1 (Mohamed al-Nalbani, official in the Youth Movement for Opening Rafah Crossing)
We call on the Egyptian leadership, especially the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces, the government, the youth of the January 25 revolution, and those who support the Palestinian people's rights, to pursue the complete reopening of the Rafah Crossing without restrictions and conditions. This is in order to ease the sufferings of students, patients, and those who need to travel for social reasons to connect with the outside world.

Reporter, Male #1
More than 15,000 Palestinians and foreigners are registered on the ousted interior ministry's lists to book their spots for travel until mid-August. This was a clear indication of the overwhelming number of people wanting to travel.

Guest, Female #1
I am sick, I need medical treatment. I'm an Egyptian, where can I go to get treated? I have to go to my country to get treated. They are supposed to open it and care for us. We are tired of this.

Guest, Male #1
The Egyptian government should fully open the crossing and completely enable all Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip to travel easily to and from Gaza.

Reporter, Male #1
The stipulated right to travel comes with restrictions on Palestinians. No more than 300 citizens per day are allowed to travel through Rafah Crossing. Palestinians see this as insufficient, considering the number of people who want to travel, including students, conventioneers, patients, and people with overseas residence permits. These people's lives are threatened by their unknown fate. Palestinians hang major hopes on Egypt after the revolution, including the reopening of Rafah Crossing in a humane way, which they say has not yet been achieved. Will the coming days bring Palestinians what they want, especially after reconciliation is achieved? Omar Bashir, from the Rafah Crossing south of the Gaza Strip, Future News.

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US reaffirms alliance with Bahrain
Press TV, Iran

While the anti-regime protests and the regime's crackdown in Bahrain continues, the United States renews its alliance with the Persian Gulf kingdom, calling it an ally that the US will not break ranks with. It has now been four months since Bahrain's anti-government protest began, and to mark the occasion, demonstrators have once again poured into the streets renewing their call for an end to the monarchy's longtime rule.
The country's largest opposition group, the al-Wefaq, has also called for a massive turnout on Friday, its second since the state of emergency was lifted last week. The protests come in a deadly, Saudi-backed crackdown which has left dozens dead and hundreds more wounded since February. The violence that followed the United States' green light has led to the arrest of thousands of people including doctors, nurses, and paramedics detained for treating wounded protestors. The violent crackdown has compelled Washington to speak out against Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

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Yemen opposition dismisses Gulf mediation offer
Oman TV, Oman

Members of Yemen's political opposition dismissed an offering from Gulf Arab neighbors to resume mediation in the political crisis which has brought the country to the brink of a civil war. The Gulf Cooperation Council, the GCC, a block of neighboring monarchies, did not say how the new offer was different from several previous ones to end the crisis. A member of the opposition party said any attempt at mediation would be doomed from the start. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia for wounds suffered in an attack on his compound last month, has backed out of several previous deals to step down.

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Al-Zawahiri named new al-Qaeda chief
BBC Arabic, UK

Presenter, Female #1
Al-Qaeda has selected Ayman al-Zawahiri as its new chief following the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces in a special operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad last May. Ayman al-Zawahiri was the second in command of al-Qaeda, next to bin Laden. Prior to that, he was the leader of the outlawed military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Egypt. The US government is offering a $25 million reward for any information that leads to his capture. The original reward was $5 million.

Reporter, Male #1
Osama bin Laden was killed at this home in Pakistan. This is the American story about a major victory in the so-called "war on terror." However, the death of al-Qaeda's first-in-command meant only one thing: a vacant position that needs to be filled. Since then, many names have been listed as candidates for the position. However, Ayman al-Zawahiri was selected today as the successor. Al-Zawahiri left his position as second-in-command to become the most wanted man by the US. Al-Qaeda issued a statement online announcing al-Zawahiri's appointment. For years, al-Zawahiri has been described as the mastermind and the mentor of al-Qaeda, and as its most notable spokesman. Al-Zawahiri played several major roles in various Islamic organizations. He joined an underground cell in 1968. In early 1979, he joined the Islamic Jihad and moved up to become the organization's emir, responsible for the recruitment of new members. He was arrested following Sadat's assassination. After his release, he travelled to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, where he met Osama bin Laden. They both left Afghanistan and returned in the mid 1990s, following the Taliban's takeover of the country.

Guest, Male #2 (Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's new chief)
The Sheikh has passed away as a martyr, may God bless him.

Reporter, Male #1
It's true that bin Laden was killed, but his ideology is still alive as his followers are still eager to promote it despite the pressures facing them. Al-Qaeda wants to send a message to the West in general and to the US in particular, as they want to purge al-Qaeda by killing its founder, marking the beginning of an end to so-called "terrorism."

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Opposition: Netanyahu is isolating Israel
IBA, Israel

The opposition is accusing President Benjamin Netanyahu of isolating the state of Israel. All this an more during an extended session of the Knesset last night. It was a three hour free-for-all in the Knesset as members of the opposition Kadima Party took turns bashing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his failure in the political, economic, and social fields. The opposition's chairwoman led the charge, criticizing Netanyahu for saying in an interview that there is no solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For his part, Netanyahu gave as good as he got. He criticized the members of the Kadima Party, saying there are no real difference between his principles and theirs.

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Anti-government demonstrators question Iraq's democracy
Alsumaria, Iraq

Reporter, Male #1
The scene in Tahrir, or Liberation Square drastically changed on the first Friday after the 100-day deadline ended. After protests began with antagonistic slogans denouncing the government and its figureheads, an inflow of completely different slogans was heard in the square. The new ones swore allegiance to the prime minister and demanded the execution of the the Dujail Massacre perpetrators. The competing slogans did not last long in Tahrir Square. Soon after, opposing chants turned into punches and blows. The sticks on which banners calling for a peaceful demonstration were mounted turned into light weapons in the hands of those carrying them and heavy weapons for those beating others with them. The youth of February did not remain silent for long, and soon after government supporters attacked them. Following unequal confrontations, the protestors were dispersed but tried to gather once again in Firdaus Square, which is relatively far from Tahrir Square. And Tahrir was now under the control of those demanding the execution of the Dujail Massacre perpetrators. The scene of Abu Tahseen and his famous shoe, which was recorded on the day of the former regime's downfall, reproduced itself several times during today's demonstration. These people focused on a picture of one of those accused of committing the Dujail Massacre, portraying him as a political leader. Not only was this Friday protest different in all these aspects from previous Friday protests, but Tahrir Square also witnessed for the first time strong government presence represented by two ministers. The first is Ali Dabbagh, the government's spokesperson, and the other is the minister of human rights. They announced their full support of the protestors who arrived at the square and left in government buses. Leaders of the Baghdad Operations say they rented the buses. So this is how the government occupied Tahrir Square, according to leaders of the demonstrations. Many did not expect the first protest after the 100-day deadline to end this way. It is unknown what protestors will do about the fact that attention was redirected from their demand for services to the issue of terrorism, which greatly preoccupies the Iraqi public.

Presenter, Female #1
A number of demonstrating young people who crawled from Tahrir Square to Firdaus Square criticized the government's behavior. They described the government as a new dictatorship for sending people to sabotage and repress the protests in a new manner. They considered today's events a dangerous sign of democracy in Iraq.

Guest, Male #2
A large group of people came to the center of the protest chanting "the entire people are with Nouri al-Maliki." They overtook our group demanding reform and to change the situation in Iraq. They entered our group and tried to hit us. A short while later, they brought someone who was standing at a distance and started hitting him. He was bleeding. Another was hit in the eye.

Guest, Male #2
The government rented cars and incited people. These are Hosni Mubarak's actions, the acts of dictatorships. Where is the democracy? We were protesting, saying that we're peaceful and they brought saboteurs, people with knives. We can say they sent us thugs. What is this?