Somali humanitarian organization makes urgent plea for aid [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female # 1
Displaced Somali citizens continue to pour into neighboring countries, especially Kenya and Ethiopia. The refugees say aid has not arrived to the refugee camps in the city of Dadaab, located along the Somalia-Kenya border.

Presenter, Male # 1
The Somali capital Mogadishu is witnessing a mass influx of people affected by the drought and famine in the south of the country who hope to receive humanitarian aid. However, the amount of aid has not met the level of hardship caused by the absence of an effective role by international relief organizations.

Presenter, Female # 1
Joining us in the studio is Shoaib Abdul Latif Sheikh, director of Zamzam charitable organization in Somalia. Mr. Shoaib, the United Nations warned about the condition of Somali refugees. How serious is the situation?

Guest, Male # 2 (Shoaib Abdul Latif Sheikh, Zamzam charitable organization director)
To start with, I would like to thank you. Of course, the situation in the Horn of Africa in general and in Somalia in particular is very serious, much more dangerous than people imagine. This is the fourth year that the region has witnessed severe drought and rain scarcity. For this reason most people, in reality, are enduring a tragic situation. We have offices on the ground in Somalia and Kenya. We see people fleeing their villages and cities and heading towards the unknown. For example, in the capital Mogadishu, there are thousands, or rather hundreds of thousands of refugees who are arriving to the city on a daily basis but can't find the means for a living. In truth, the situation is very difficult. In order to imagine what the situation in Somalia is like, consider that the main sources of national income in the country are livestock and agriculture. Both depend on water so it is very hard.

Presenter, Female # 1
Yes, it sounds like the situation is very dangerous. What about international aid? How would you evaluate it?

Guest, Male # 2
International aid so far has been scarce. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there has been very little aid. Until now, there is no serious plan to help the refugees.

Presenter, Female # 1
Why is that?

Guest, Male # 2
In truth, there are many justifications. International organizations claim there are security conditions and they say there is a shortage of funding. However, we know there is aid sitting in storages in Mogadishu while people are dying of hunger inside Mogadishu.

Presenter, Female # 1
If the situation continues as is, what are its implications for the region as a whole? The Horn of Africa is currently enduring the worst case of drought witnessed in decades.

Guest, Male #2
The situation is unimaginable. This is the fourth year of continued drought. As I said, people depend on livestock and agriculture; all of their livestock, or most of it, has died. For this reason, people's lives now depend on what international organizations offer. So far, these organizations have not made a serious plan to help these refugees. So from here, from the al-Jazeera platform, we send an appeal to international, Arab and Muslim organizations, and to UN agencies to lend a helping hand to these refugees who have no daily subsistence.

Presenter, Female # 1
Thank you very much Mr. Shoaib Abdul Latif Sheikh, director of the Zamzam charitable organization.

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Obama urged to probe Bush torture claims as secret prison details emerge [Press TV, Iran]

For years, Bush critics have demanded a prosecution of the former US president. Human Rights Watch just recently has again asked for his prosecution for the crimes of torture, abductions, abuses committed against prisoners in Iraq to name a few. What will it take to bring US officials to justice, a country whose record of direct and indirect involvement in torture and killings has been unmatched by any other nation since at least World War II. In a report called "Getting Away with Torture," Human Rights Watch has cited substantial information that warrants criminal investigation of ex-US presicent George W. Bush and other former senior American officials, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and CIA Director George Tenet.

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Arab League secretary-general meets with Assad about Syrian crisis [Press TV, Iran]

The Arab League secretary general has held talks with Syrian officials on the latest developments in the Arab world, particularly the unrest in Syria. In his first visit to Syria since to assuming the secretary-general position, Nabil al-Arabi met with Bashar al-Assad in Damascus for talks on the latest developments in the Arab world. The two sides agreed on how to work within the framework of the Arab League find solutions to Arab issues. Al-Arabi also met Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa for similar talks. Speaking to reporters after his two meetings, the high-ranking Arab official expressed his rejection of any foreign interference in Syria's affairs and said the country is undergoing a continuing reform process.

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Main opposition group pulls out of Bahrain's national dialogue [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Bahrain's Al Wefaq National Islamic Society pulled out of the dialogue sessions after a participant made sectarian statements. The Society said that it is considering a complete withdrawal from the dialogue. It called on a number of participants to respect human rights in Bahrain and honor all the international human rights charters that Manama has signed.

Reporter, Male #1
The streets of Bahrain precede every session of the dialogue conference with these slogans expressing their rejection to outmaneuvering their demands in any way, even with the so-called dialogue. They insist on achieving their goals for which the popular uprising began. Their goals include conducting real political reform, releasing detainees, and punishing those who committed crimes against protestors. The dialogue continued for the sixth day after witnessing dramatic events caused by Representative Jasim al-Saeedi, who described the Shiite Muslim sect as "naturalized rejecters" during discussions of naturalization issues. His comment caused resentment among the participants. Al Wefaq National Islamic Society's delegation immediately walked out of the dialogue session, saying that it had no desire to enter a sectarian polemic instigated by certain participants. In reaction to the belittling comments directed at the Shiite Muslim community, which accounts for the majority of the Bahraini population, al-Wefaq National Islamic Society is considering completely pulling out of the dialogue conference, according to the announcement by the head of the Society's delegation, Khalil al-Marzouq. Marzouq said that the dialogue is not a serious one. He said that his delegation participated in the dialogue with sincerity and exerted serious efforts to modify its procedures, mechanisms, and approaches, but was ignored and rejected. He stressed the importance of avoiding anything that portrays al-Wefaq Society as a participant in the dialogue if the dialogue leads to outcomes far from the people's will or even against it. The focus of discussions on the fourth day of the dialogue was the electoral system, which included the proposed comprehensive electoral procedures and constituencies. Several participants in the dialogue disapproved of the current constituency division in the electoral system, considering it unfair and the cause of the political crisis in the Bahraini society. The second focus of discussions was the relations between naturalization and its applicable system. A group of participants in the dialogue supported the right of naturalization and the current naturalization system; another group vouched for the necessity to amend the naturalization law and system in the framework of responding to the development demands in Bahrain. A third group asserted that the current naturalization system was applied out of political considerations in order to marginalize the majority of citizens. Participants in the discussion about human rights sent out calls for strengthening and respecting human rights in Bahrain and honoring all the international human rights charters that Manama has signed. In addition, they called for creating an appropriate environment that protects human rights, especially in terms of the relations between the security institutions and the citizens.

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UN Security Council condemns attacks on US, French embassies in Syria [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
In its first statement regarding the events in Syria, the UN Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists on the US and French embassies in Damascus. In the council's statement issued unanimously by all 15 members, the German ambassador to the UN, Peter Wittig, urged the Syrian authorities to protect diplomatic facilities and diplomats.

Guest, Male #1 (Peter Wittig, German ambassador to the UN)
The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the attacks against embassies in Damascus, which have resulted in damage to embassy premises and injuries to diplomatic personnel. The members of the Security Council recall the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic missions and the obligations on host governments, including under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to take all appropriate steps to protect embassy premises. In this context, the members of the Security Council call on the Syrian authorities to protect diplomatic property and personnel.

Presenter, Female #1
Syria was quick to respond to the Security Council's statement. Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari accused the US and France of distorting and exaggerating the facts of the attack. Jaafari said the protests were organized by some youths who wanted to express their opinion regarding the two embassies' interference in Syria's internal affairs. He indicated that some of the protestors who participated in the two incidents were arrested and will be brought to justice.

Guest, Male #2 (Bashar Jaafari, Syria's UN Ambassador)
We deeply regret that the delegations of the United States of America and France have distorted and exaggerated the facts regarding yesterday's demonstrations, which were organized by some youth to express their views with regard to the interference in Syria's internal affairs by the embassies of the above mentioned countries. None the less, in keeping with the commitment of the government of the Syrian Arab Republic to respect its international obligations, law enforcement forces made every effort to insure the safety of those embassies including by deploying reinforcements to help protect the embassies and arresting some demonstrators who are currently being questioned and will be brought to justice.

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Rights group accuses Libyan rebels of abusing civilians [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
The Libyan armed opposition is accused of abusing civilians. Human Rights Watch accused the revolutionaries who were advancing toward the capital Tripoli of burning and looting homes and abusing civilians. The organization said it witnessed some of these acts, interviewed witnesses, and talked with one of the revolutionaries' leaders about these violations. According to the rights group, the latest violation occurred last week as the revolutionaries were in the Nafusa Mountains. The rebel fighters damaged property, burned some homes, looted from hospitals, homes, and shops, and beat some individuals alleged to be al-Gaddafi supporters.

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Egypt's revolutionaries maintain pressure on their military rulers [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The Egyptian interior minister announced a series of transfers, promotions, and terminations of members of the ministry, the largest in its history. It includes nearly 4,000 officers, including 18 major-generals and 19 brigadier-generals, who will be dismissed over accusations related to the killing of protestors. This comes as protests continue in the Egyptian capital's Tahrir, or Liberation Square for the sixth consecutive day, demanding the ruling military council speed up the reform measures demanded by the protestors.

Reporter, Male #2
This woman is a housewife and has never been to Tahrir Square before.

Guest, Female #1
I implore you; I implore you; the military decision, the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi, to make a quick decision. He has all the power in his hand; he holds everything in his hand. He can do anything in Egypt; have mercy on Egypt's people. He saw everything and we don't want to suffer again. We don't want to suffer a second time. Enough already! Have mercy!

Reporter, Male #2
Many people here have the same demands. It is estimated that tens of thousands are also spread on side streets, which remain closed. The military council issued a statement to the protestors.

Guest, Male #3 (Mohsen al-Fangary, Egyptian Supreme Council for Armed Forces Spokesman)
The armed forces are supported by the people's trust. Based on its national principles, it affirms that it will not tolerate the hijacking of power.

Reporter, Male #2
The protestors were quick to react.

Guest, Male #4
He did not mention the martyrs' rights; he didn't mention anything about the prosecution of Mubarak, or whether he is indeed in Sharm Sheikh or not, as is being said. He did not mention Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, or the trials on the former ministers. His entire speech did not address any of these issues.

Reporter, Male #2
The organizers say this means the sit-in at the square will continue.

Guest, Male #5
We are revolutionaries and we are protestors. Our protest is peaceful. The military council threatened us; the threat was within the statement, not a direct threat. His speech echoed in Tahrir Square and we reject the threat, even from the military council.

Reporter, Male #2
The atmosphere seems festive after one full day of protests that reached the prime minister's headquarters, only meters from here, to demand his ouster. As the protestors say, the protests will continue to escalate until their demands are met, especially the demand for an urgent and open trial of former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. From above, Cairo appears calm at night. However, the situation on the ground is different. According to observers, the conflict now is between a military council that holds power and the thousands of protestors holding a sit-in at Tahrir Square, who hold revolutionary power and the media's interest, in addition to great popular support. Mustafa al-Minshawi, BBC, Cairo.

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Netanyahu defends boycott bill at Knesset [IBA, Israel]

We open at the Knesset, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the plenum after having been summoned by the opposition to address the controversial boycott bill. This follows the signed request of 40 MKs, a legal move that mandates the premier's appearance at the Knesset. Netanyahu defended the bill and said that Kadima had also supported the legislation in its original form. These developments come as a coalition of human rights organizations today announced plans to join the Gush Shalom Peace Group, which was the first to the appeal the new law. The bill passed Monday might after a lengthy and contentions debate and now permits the prosecution of any individuals or group that calls for an economic, cultural, or academic boycott against Israel.

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Orthodox Jews clash with Jerusalem police [IBA, Israel]

Hundreds of ultra-orthodox protestors confronted police when they took to the streets of a Jerusalem neighborhood this morning. They were protesting the presence of tax authority officials who arrived in the area to close an illegal slaughterhouse and arrest senior officials who are suspected of tax violations. The demonstrators burned trashcans and threw stones and bottles at security officers who tried to break up the protests with stun grenades and water hoses. Six policemen were lightly injured in the clashes and six people were arrested.

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Jerusalem Post military correspondent discusses latest developments in Israel [IBA, Israel]

Presenter, Female #1
Joining us now in the studio is Jerusalem Post military correspondent, Yaakov Katz to discuss the latest developments. The northern command changed hands today, five years after the start of Lebanon war. How do you assess our situation on that front?

Guest, Male #1 (Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post military correspondent)
I think the five years passed speak for themselves. They have been the most quiet five years that Israel has known along the northern border. I think there have been ten rockets that have been launched into Israel over the last five years but not a single one by Hezbollah. Hezbollah is no longer seen along the border, they are not deployed along the border in the open, they are not operating like they used to be and therefore there is some success we can walk away with in the past five years.

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A glimpse into the work of Syrian cyber activists [France 24, France]

Presenter, Female #1
In Syria, where most foreign journalists have been expelled, citizen journalists are at the frontline of the international media through their use of mobile phones pictures and social networking sites.

Reporter, Female #2
New media is being used in the battle against the Syrian regime. Syrian activists are gathering at this media center near the Turkish-Syrian border to collect anti-regime protest photos and video clips, which reveal the measures taken by the Syrian government. They then upload them online to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Guest, Male #1 (Jihad, Cyber activist)
Our goal in the beginning was just freedom. But now, at this moment, we want the downfall of the regime because the trust between us and the regime is gone.

Reporter, Female #2
Some of them put themselves in grave danger in order to film the turmoil with their cameras and mobile phones. Hussein saw his brother get killed by a gunshot as he was filming a protest.

Guest, Male #2 (Hussein, Cyber activist)
I want to walk down the same path; I want to walk the way he did, along his side. I want to take his place and walk for him. I want to continue his path.

Reporter, Female #2
Nearly 30 people are working at this media center, most of whom are from Jisr al-Shughour; the town from which thousands of residents fled to Turkey due to the authorities' security operations. Jalil says he is a wanted man but vows to continue his work.

Guest, Male #3 (Jalil, Cyber activist)
By merely conveying the scale of the crime to all the people, for them to see the truth of what is happening, we are activating and moving major powers in the world.

Reporter, Female #2
Concerned about pictures leaking from beyond its borders, the Syrian regime waged its own war by airing pictures that accuse the opposition of committing brutal acts.