Syria's Assad issues another amnesty offer [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
The International Committee of the Red Cross announced Syria's approval of permitting it to enter the largest residential compounds in the regions that have witnessed protests and military operations. This came as activists said that Syrian forces expanded their security campaign to include Aleppo near the Turkish border, and arrested dozens of students in the city's university.

Presenter, Male #1
In a related development, President Bashar al-Assad issued another decree of general amnesty for what was described as crimes committed before June 20. Dissidents believe that this decree came too late. Reuters news agency quoted protestors and activists saying that at least three people were killed in Homs and Mayadeen town near Dir az-Zure by the security forces'' gunfire. They said that the forces deliberately sided with the Syrian regime's loyalists in the conflicts between the loyalists and protestors demanding the toppling of the regime.

Reporter, Male #1
Syrian dissident activists say that Syria is living in between two different stories and a dividing line. These people were not satisfied with the Syrian president's promises and they continue to protest day and night in Damascus and its countryside, in Homs, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, Abu Kamal, and other cities. They raise the same slogans and demands that they have been chanting for the last three months. Activists sent out a call online for new demonstrations to be held on what they named the "Tuesday of Refugees' Victory." They also called for a strike this coming Thursday. A Syrian dissident said that in Bashar al-Assad's latest speech, he did not say anything that meets the Syrian people's aspirations to transform Syria into a democratic country. The dissident added that the regime also continued its means of dealing with the protestors. Activists said that the Syrian forces expanded their security campaign near the border with Turkey and reached the city of Aleppo, which houses the second largest residential compound in the country after the capital Damascus. Rights activists say that dozens of students at Aleppo University were arrested along with 12 other people, including the Imam of a mosque in one of the villages. This past Friday, Aleppo witnessed its first protests outside the university campus. This is the other Syria presented in the state media. It said that these people came to the public squares in Damascus and its countryside, to Homs, Dir az-Zure, Raqqa, Latakia and Tartus to support what the media referred to as the "comprehensive reform program," and raise slogans denouncing those whom the Syrian president called "vandals." Media sources quoted officials in Ba'ath Party calling for massive demonstrations to support the regime. This is the dividing line between the two stories: the third speech by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since protests erupted opposing to his regime. He vowed to begin a national dialogue to discuss the possibility of conducting constitutional and legislative amendments to the laws regarding elections, the media, and political party formation. He expressed his hope to achieve these amendments by this coming September. Following these promises, he issued a general amnesty for what was referred to as crimes committed before the date of his speech. This was the second amnesty of its kind since the protests began. However, the US and some European countries are aware that thousands of Syrians are fleeing across the border. They listened to the Syrians' fears of returning to their homes and observed what was described as human rights violations in the cities stormed by the Syrian military forces under the pretext of confronting armed terrorist groups. They thus lean towards the dissidents' point of view and demand that the Syrian regime accelerate the process of conducting tangible reform and putting an end to the violence against the citizens.

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Thousands of Yemenis decry US-Saudi intervention [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male # 1
Yemeni demonstrators are demanding the formation of a transitional council that represents a clear break with the past. Protestors took to the streets in the capital Sanaa and in Saada province to demand the resignation of several security officials who are related to President Ali Abdullah Saleh. They also expressed their rejection of American-Saudi tutelage.

Reporter, Male # 2
A new day of protests was held in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in a sea of chants and cries expressing the commitment to completely breaking all ties with the past. Today's most prominent demand was for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah's relatives who command the country's most important security agencies. Demonstrators reiterated the same demand near Taghyeer or Change Square, which has led the protests against the regime for the past few months. They expressed that there is no substitute to the formation of a transitional council that genuinely embodies the transfer of power following Saleh's departure to Saudi Arabia.

Guest, Female # 1
We came out today to tell the entire world that the Yemeni people say: "Oh Ibn Saud, Ali Saleh will not come back." The people want a transitional council. This is the people's demand.

Guest, Male # 3
We came out today to renew our demand for a transitional council to manage this period. God willing, the council will lead the establishment of the modern Yemeni state.

Reporter, Male #2
While demonstrations in support of the formation of the transitional council continue, steps are beginning to be taken in that direction in the southern Aden province.

Guest, Male # 4
All the provinces, all the provinces are to form councils in order for us to agree on the transitional council.

Reporter, Male # 2
The protestors, who responded to the call of the youth of the revolution in Sanaa, announced their rejection of foreign intervention and mediation attempts that come at the expense of the Yemeni people. Across Yemen, they chanted for freedom. Here in Saada, a couple hundred kilometers from Sanaa, the protestors' voices strongly resounded against a foreign mandate. This slogan clearly summarizes the direction these masses want Yemen to take after decades of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule.

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NATO denies lost drone helicopter drone was shot down [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
NATO said that it lost a helicopter drone while it was hovering over Libya on Tuesday. It denied Libyan state TV's report that said it was an Apache helicopter with a pilot. On the other hand, battles between the opposition fighters and Gaddafi's battalions continue around the city of Misurata and towns nearby.

Reporter, Male #1
Misurata and its surroundings, which are under the control of the opposition fighters, are witnessing clashes with Gaddafi's loyalist battalions. Dafniya city, located 15 kilometers west of Misurata, is also witnessing violent clashes. Reports say that a leader of the opposition fighters was killed. So far, opposition fighters have not managed to make noticeable progress in western Libya except for taking control of Misurata and its port. The opposition forces are attempting to expand their military operations toward the west, but they are always confronted by violent resistance from Gaddafi forces. In another development, NATO said that it lost a helicopter drone while it was hovering over Libya on Tuesday. It denied a report by Libyan state TV that said it was an Apache helicopter with a pilot. Meanwhile, the Libyan opposition said that over 20 soldiers from Gaddafi's forces defected from the brigade deployed in southern Libya and joined the opposition.

Guest, Male #1
I announce from this place my defection from the tyrant Gaddafi's regime, and I declare to join the revolutionaries of February 17 and the national council.

Reporter, Male #1
This is the not the first time that soldiers or officers have defected from the Libyan army since the Libyan intifada began on February 17.

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Nigeria launches wide-scale offensive against Boko Haram [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
Nigerian authorities have confirmed that they are preparing to launch a wide-scale military operation aimed at "eliminating" the Boko Haram group, which they described as "extremist." The group targeted a police station in Abuja last week. The authorities said the group, which is seeking to establish an Islamic state, is receiving military training and logistic support from foreign groups.

Reporter, Male #1
Military checkpoints are staged throughout the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, which may reflect the intensity of the security situation there. This news comes as clashes erupted in the city between security forces and armed groups, most notably the Boko Haram, which is seeking to establish an "Islamic Caliphate" in Nigeria.

Guest, Male #2
We are fighting for the establishment of an Islamic state, not only in northern Nigeria but in the whole country.

Reporter, Male #1
The explosion that targeted police headquarters in Abuja last week is one of the largest attacks launched by Boko Haram in its "guerrilla warfare" against the regime. The Nigerian authorities tried to eliminate the group two years ago. Despite the death of its leader and the destruction of one of its main strongholds, the group continues to operate. While its main target has been police stations, the group carried out attacks against Muslim and Christian clergymen. In the past two weeks, the city's church has been targeted in two separate attacks, killing five people. Several of the Muslim clergymen who criticized the Boko Haram group were subject to assassination attempts.

Guest, Male #3
Life here is becoming unbearable. This is why so many people have decided to relocate to safer areas.

Reporter, Male #1
The authorities have long regarded the Boko Haram group as an internal issue. However, the repeated attacks reveal that the group may be receiving foreign funds and support in order to launch attacks on Nigerian soil. The security authorities believe that members of the group are receiving military training in Somalia, with some gaining experience from the Afghan war. The Nigerian government has deployed a large number of its forces in the country's northern region in a bid to launch a military operation against the group's strongholds.

Guest, Male #4
In the next couple of weeks or months, I can assure you that we will eliminate this group. If they want to talk, the government is ready to start a dialogue with them. Having said that, we will not negotiate from a weak position.

Reporter, Male #1
If Boko Haram is indeed receiving logistic support from foreign groups, the government's planned military operation may be the beginning of a long-term battle.

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Attack on Iraqi governor's compound kills scores [Al-Iraqiya, Iraq]

Presenter, Male #1
Twenty-three Iraqi citizens have been martyred and nearly 30 others wounded in two booby trapped car attacks in central Diwaniyah province.

Presenter, Female #1
Governor Salim Hussein Awan, who survived the attack, held a meeting with the head of the provincial council to discuss the ramifications of the blast and the needed security measures.

Reporter, Male #2
Twenty-two people were martyred, including the photographer of the Afaq satellite channel, and 30 others were injured in two booby trapped car explosions carried out by two suicide bombers. The attacks targeted the Diwaniyah governor's residential compound in the center of the city. The attacks also caused massive property damage to nearby buildings, homes, and cars. Among the dead were residents and police officers.

Guest, Male #3
We are security officer assigned to the compound. We stop everyone who passes through the area. We take their information and hand it to the commanding officer. As we were waiting for a decision from the commanding officer, the cars blew up. I don't know how many victims there were. I passed out.

Guest, Male #4
Everything was normal. Then all of the sudden an explosion occurred. At first I didn't know what type of explosion it was. I was thrown up in the air.

Guest, Male #5
I don't know how it started. The two cars exploded simultaneously near the gate of the compound.

Reporter, Male # 2
The head of the province's security agency confirmed that the breach was the first of its kind in al-Diwaniyah. He added that the targeting of the city is part of a terror plan aimed at undermining stability and security in stable provinces. The official said heightened security measures will be enforced to prevent a repeat of such an incident, in addition to opening an investigation to understand the circumstances around the event.

Guest, Male # 6
In truth, it is part of the terror plan that is targeting all of Iraq. I believe there was some intelligence on the entry of a booby-trapped car into the city of al-Diwaniyah. There have been heightened security measures in the past few days but it is really the first breach of its kind in al-Diwaniyah. God willing, additional measures will be taken.

Reporter, Male # 2
It is worth mentioning that al-Diwaniyah witnessed intensive security measures due to the bombing, including the closure of city's entrances and exists, and streets leading to the province's government headquarters. According to observers, the security breach by the booby-trapped vehicle is a serious indicator of the stability and security of the province, which requires the placement of new plans to prevent a repeat of such an incident.

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Jordan's information minister resigns [Press TV, Iran]

Jordan's Information Minister Taher Adwan has resigned in protest of laws he deems "restrictive to freedom of expression." Adwan said that he submitted his resignation today to Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit in protest of a government decision to debate new press and publication laws in parliament. The resignation comes after King Abdullah II ordered parliament to convene in an extraordinary session to discuss a series of temporary laws. Describing the proposed legislation as a "blow to the reform drive" and "martial laws," Adwan condemned "the repeated attacks on journalists who are doing their professional duties."

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Death toll rising in Afghanistan [Press TV, Iran]

More US-led foreign forces have been killed in Afghanistan. The military alliance says a Jordan soldier has lost his life in a militant attack in southern Helmand province. Earlier, two other soldiers were killed in the east of the country. No further information is available yet. The latest deaths come as President Barack Obama is considering the size of a plan to withdraw American troops from the country. Nearly 260 forces, most of them American, have been killed in the country so far this year.

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Israel stages massive military emergency drill [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
For the second consecutive day, Israel continued its military exercise codenamed Turning Point 5, considered to be the largest drill in the entity's history. The maneuver falls within the framework of seizing on the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon in 2006 and the demands of the Winograd Commission, which inquired into the aggression on Lebanon.

Reporter, Male #1
Within the framework of training the Home Front Command, the Ministers Committee on Security and Political Affairs held its first session under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was held in a fortified site built in occupied Jerusalem in order to protect members of the government in case of emergencies. The site is equipped with advanced technology that allows the prime minister and government officials to manage exceptional circumstances such as earthquakes, traditional war, chemical or biological attacks, and even nuclear attacks. Maarif newspaper reported that over 100 officials from different countries around the world arrived in the country to benefit from Israel's expertise in dealing with emergencies. Among the most prominent Turning Point 5 exercises was the training for the downfall of hundreds of medium and long distance rockets on Tel Aviv as well as preparing for a helicopter crash in a residential neighborhood in the Karmiel settlement near Safed. Additional drills will be held to prepare for an attack on the Knesset using unconventional weapons as well as the launch of rockets on food factories and prisons. The most important drill will be held on Wednesday night with the sounding of sirens for the first time in Israel's history during night exercises. The sirens will be sounded in the morning and evening to call on residents to seek asylum in safe sites. Also for the first time, the warning will be sent through mobile phones. The alert about incoming rockets will be sent to the five millions cell phone users.

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Hamas rejects Fayyad for Palestinian prime minister [IBA, Israel]

The so-called reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas appears to be unraveling. Hamas today denounced statements by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in which he claimed the right to choose the prime minister of a unity government. Speaking to Lebanese television, the PA president said that he should be able to select a government that represents his policies. Abbas also said that if the United States succeeds in its efforts to renew peace talks, he would reconsider Palestinian plans to unilaterally declare statehood at the United Nations in September. Fatah and Hamas disagree over who should be the new premier. Abbas is insisting that current Prime Minister Salam Fayyad keep the job. Hamas has vowed not to sit in a government led by Fayyad.

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World Jewish Congress hears divergent views [IBA, Israel]

The World Jewish Congress, meeting in Jerusalem, heard divergent political views, as Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said the Palestinians must drop the idea of unilaterally declaring statehood, and come to the negotiating table. Opposition leader Tzipi Lipni then placed blame for the stalled talks on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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The issue of 'who is a Jew?' makes headlines [IBA, Israel]

Interior Minister Eli Yishai has signed a regulation that reinstates the nationality notation in Israeli identification cards of all citizens who were eligible for the document before 2002. Eli Yishai calls for the nationality line on identification cards to remain blank for those issued to people who converted to Judaism through the reform or conservative movements -- a measure that defies a 2002 high court of justice ruling that officially recognized the converts as Jews.