Deadly clashes erupt between pro- and anti-Syrian regime residents in Homs [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
According to reports from Syria, military forces backed by tanks have been encircling the town of al-Bukamal in eastern Syria since this morning. This comes amid reports that a number of members of the army in the town have defected. An eyewitness from the town said that he saw the army unloading its special forces in preparation to storm it. In Homs, according to reports, about 30 people were killed in the last two days in what was described as sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Alawites in the city. Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister William Hague reiterated his call to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to move forward with reforms, or step down from authority. Hague made these statements in Brussels at the European Summit about Middle Eastern issues.

Guest, Male #1 (William Hague, British Foreign Minister)
Well certainly there will be a time for further sanctions on figures in Syria. We have already imposed sanctions on 34 people and an institution, but we will discuss the possibility of imposing more if we find it necessary. We need to work closely with Turkey, which has more influence on Syria than the Europeans.

Reporter, Male #1
The Syrian army's tanks heavily opened fire with machineguns in the al-Rastan region in Homs province. Dissidents reported that the army is preparing to storm the city of Homs while Syrian military units carried out a raid campaign in the city. However, the most prominent new development is clashes in the city between supporters and opponents of the regime, which led to a large number of fatalities and major damages to the residents' homes. Various sources confirmed the news while opposition members believe the incident to be part of the Syrian security institutions' attempt to sow sectarian strife in Syria. The opposition's story has been conflicting with that of the government's since the uprising began with the government laying blame on terrorist groups and religious extremists.

Guest, Male #2 (Ahmad Siwan, Syrian writer, Damascus)
The situation in Homs, al-Bukamal, and Hama is indeed chaotic, and the basic causes are the acts of violence. These acts of violence must be stopped, which is the army's duty.

Reporter, Male #1
Contrary to the official story, the Syrian opposition speaks of sectarian groups and teenagers armed by the regime who were unleashed to confront the protestors. They are locally known as the "Shabeha." Some of these people's pictures were previously uploaded online. And some of them appeared in famous snapshots taken in Baida village near the city of Banias on the Syrian coast. There is another equally serious development near the border with Iraq. Reports say the Syrian army is besieging the city of al-Bukamal after dozens of its air intelligence members and soldiers defected. In other regions, the situation is just as chaotic. The army stormed Zabadani and reports say phone lines, the internet, and electricity are cut off. The army is raiding houses and arresting people. The capital Damascus witnessed a rally on Sunday in which tens of thousands participated. It took place in al-Umawiyyin Square in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.However, in the suburbs of the capital, the opposition's events continued. In the suburb of Qaboun, where previous violent confrontations led to the deaths of a number of its residents, women demonstrated chanting for freedom. In a gesture construed as part of civil society's resistance against any actions aimed at sowing strife, these women and girls from the Syrian coast expressed their solidarity with the residents of the region. In the town of Nahta in southern Syria's Daraa province, where protests were first sparked months ago, demonstrators took to the street chanting the same slogans they have been persistently chanting for weeks. Wael al-Hajar, BBC.

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Rights group highlights 'alarming rate' of Palestinian children jailed for throwing stones [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
Three Palestinian children were severely injured after Jewish settlers beat them on the road leading to the village of Mukhmas, south of Ramallah. Israeli occupation forces also held dozens of children between the ages of 14 and 15 in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem, before transferring them to an investigation center under the pretext that the children attacked a settler's car. In a related development, a report issued by the Israeli rights group B'Tselem revealed that Israeli occupation forces arrested nearly 800 underage Palestinians in the last six years. They were tried in military courts in the West Bank and charged with stone-throwing. Only one of these children was acquitted. The rest were convicted, including 34 children who are not even 12 years of age. Our correspondent Sharin Abu Aqla reports from Bil'in.

Reporter, Female #1
Mahmoud finally regained his freedom and returned to his village of Bil'in. He was taken away from here and put in the occupation's prison for five months. A sentence that might not seem long for some, but he remembers it as a cruel experience. Sixteen-year-old Mahmoud became a released prisoner, tried, convicted and imprisoned for throwing stones at occupation forces.

Guest, Male #2
They tied us up and put us under the rain so we can wait for the patrol to take us. We were taken at around six o'clock in the evening. Before that, patrols and soldiers would come up to hit us on our feet, asking us why we throw stones. We told them the handcuffs were too tight. He said, "You want to throw stones? Then you have to endure what's going to happen to you."

Reporter, Female #1
In prison, Mahmoud tasted the bitterness of solitary confinement and was not allowed any visits from his family for three months. His case is not exceptional and is part of Israeli policy, in which arresting Palestinian minors is a common practice that affects anyone with a stone in their hand. A report from the Israeli rights group B'Tselem documented the arrest of more than 830 underage Palestinians in the West Bank, excluding Jerusalem, in the last six years. In 94% of these cases, the children were imprisoned for up to 20 months. Only one child was acquitted.

Guest, Male #3 (Avichai Adraee, Israeli Army Spokesman)
The important thing is that Israel does not arrest these children for doing nothing. Subversive organizations are intensively using minors and children to carry out blatant vandalism.

Reporter, Female #1
Children in Israeli courts are not subject to Israeli law, or international law. They are arrested at night and are deprived of many rights, such as the right to consult a lawyer and the right to have one of their parents present during the investigation.

Guest, Male #4 (Karim Jibran, official in B'Tselem organization)
The children between the ages of 12 and 17 are tried in military courts and they are dealt with as if they were adults. They are given strong sentences, in many cases and they are denied visitation from their family. Violence is also used against them during their arrest.

Reporter, Female #1
The report shows that prison is the first option the occupation resorts to, instead of the last. They were only children provoked by injustice. They found themselves facing allegations, trials, and military judges. So, instead of reducing these children's anger, Israel might not realize that it is planting seeds in the future generation and that its acts are turning it into a generation that resists and rejects the occupation. Shirin Abu Aqla, al-Jazeera, from the village of Bil'in west of Ramallah.

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HRW accuses Bahrain of systematic attacks on medical providers [Press TV, Iran]

Human Rights Watch has accused Bahraini of launching a campaign of arrests and intimidation against medical staff. It also blames government forces for attacking patients injured during anti-regime demonstrations over the past months. The group has issued a report detailing torture and prosecution of health workers, attacks on ambulances, the siege of hospitals, and torture and prosecution of wounded protestors. The report says regime forces have detained more than 70 medical professionals and have put about 50 of them on trial in a special military court.

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Tunisia PM threatens crackdown on new wave of protests [Press TV, Iran]

Tunisia's transitional government has threatened a crackdown on the recent wave of demonstrations in the country. The Tunisian prime minister Beji Caid el Sebsi says the government will no longer tolerate any action that would lead to violence. His comments come after two people were killed in clashes between protestors and police in Sidi Bou Zid. The prime minister stressed the police have not used force against protestors and blames what he called extremists for the deaths.

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French aid ship to reach Gaza by Tuesday [Press TV, Iran]

A Gaza-bound aid ship is expected to reach Gaza on Tuesday. The activists onboard the French vessel say the aim is to arrive to the besieged coastal strip by daybreak Tuesday. The French ship is the only remaining vessel from a larger international flotilla that was hoping to set sail from Greece weeks ago. But Greek authorities have blocked any vessels from reaching Gaza. The Israeli military also said it will stop any attempt to break Gaza's siege that was imposed in 2007.

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Moscow refuses to recognize Libyan Transitional Council [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male # 1
Russia announced its refusal to recognize the Libyan Transitional Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people while the US and a number of European countries have. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow refuses to recognize the council as the Libyan people's legitimate representative. He said the recognition would constitute taking the side of one political force in a civil war. Lavrov added that his country is in contact with both Tripoli and Benghazi with the aim of taking a constructive position and sitting at the negotiation table. Washington and the Libya Contact Group countries recognized the council during their last meeting in Istanbul. On the ground, Libyan revolutionaries announced they took control of the eastern town of Brega. They said they expelled Gaddafi's forces after waging fierce battles that lasted for days. A spokesman for the revolutionaries confirmed that Gaddafi's battalions withdrew to Ras Lanuf, located 100 kilometers west of Brega. He said regions that witnessed clashes were filled with lands mines, which has led to the death of over ten fighters and the injury of nearly 300 others in the past few days. Joining us from Moscow to discuss the Libyan issue, and specifically the latest Russian position, is Dr. Viteslav Motosov, a former Russian diplomat. Dr. Motosov, how would you interpret Russia's strict position on the recognition of the Libyan Transitional Council?

Guest, Male # 2 (Dr. Viteslav Motosov, former Russian diplomat)
Russia's position has been clear from the beginning of the Libyan crisis. Russia is not playing the role of Muammar al-Gaddafi and the ruling Libyan regime's lawyer. However, at the same time, Russia does not recognize the temporary Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people. The main reason is the large number of political movements in Libya right now. Russia shares the African Union's position, which demands and insists on intensive political negotiations to find a political solution, a Libyan solution, without any foreign interference, neither political, nor military. Russia is against NATO's military strikes targeting Libya, and this is the main point. This was the initial difference between the Russian position and that of the US and the West. The second issue is recognizing the legitimacy of the temporary Transitional Council in Benghazi as the main force of the Libyan political scene. In order to solve the Libyan issue, there is an urgent need to support the position of the African Union. The African Union's position is based on contact with the Libyan government and the Transitional Council. Russia stands with regional forces, not foreign forces that are motivated by selfish reasons.

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Yemeni army launches offensive against militants in Zinjibar [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male # 1
The Yemeni army launched an assault on the southern town of Zinjibar in a bid to retake control of the town from extremists who have been controlling it for months. And, as protests against the regime continue, the British ambassador to Sanaa spoke of the necessity to include the different political forces in the country's organized political change.

Reporter, Female # 1
The exploding security situation in southern Yemen, and specifically in the city of Zinjibar, is leading the events in the country as battles between the army and gunmen intensify. This comes as a number of people were killed in protests demanding the formation of a transitional council to manage the country's affairs. In an attempt to retake control of the city captured by gunmen months ago, the army, backed by tribesmen, launched an assault on the town of Zinjibar amid reports of a number of injuries from both sides and fatalities from the extremists' side. Witnesses said dozens were injured in street battles after the army and tribesmen entered the city from the east and an official reported that dozens of extremists were killed since the attack on the city began two days ago. As the situation escalates in the south, protests against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh continue for the sixth consecutive month. Witnesses said dozens were killed and others injured when forces loyal to President Saleh fired at an anti-regime protest. This comes as dozens of members of the Republican Guard and special operations forces announced their defection to the revolution in Sanaa's Taghyeer or Change Square. They also announced their support for the formation of a transitional council. The city of Taiz and a number of provinces witnessed unprecedented demonstrations. On the political front, British ambassador to Sanaa, Jonathan Wilks said the Yemeni president's unwillingness to discuss a power transfer will have negative political and economic consequences on the country, in addition to the effects on the security and humanitarian fronts. Wilks said Yemen needs to start the political transformation by transferring power from the president to his deputy. He confirmed the necessity to include the different political forces to deal with the current situation and cooperate for an organized political transformation.

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Istanbul bombing targeted Israeli diplomat [IBA, Israel]

We open with today's revelations that the explosion that rocked the center of Istanbul in late May was aimed at Israeli diplomats in the city. Eight people were injured in the attack and according to a report published in an Italian newspaper, the terrorist bombing targeted Israeli Consul-General to Istanbul Moshe Kamhi. It was reportedly carried out by the Hexbollah terror group, not the Kurdish PKK terror group as originally suspected by officials.

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IDF thwarts terrorist attack in Gaza Strip [IBA, Israel]

Air force jets thwarted an attack overnight by a terrorist squad in the southern Gaza Strip. It was identified as planning an ambush of IDF soldiers. Military soldiers reported that the mission was carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet intelligence service and that the IDF will continue to act firmly against all attempted terror attacks against the country. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades military wing of the Hamas terror organization today identified two of the wounded as members. The retaliatory IDF strike comes in the wake of the recent escalation of Palestinian fired missiles into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

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Israeli students protests soaring housing prices [IBA, Israel]

Here in Israel, ongoing protests against soaring housing prices continue to escalate with dozens of students and other young adults today joining the expanding tense where Tel Aviv's Rothschild Boulevard, where hundreds of protestors remain camped out. Similar initiatives have also been organized in Be'er Sheva as well as in Kvar Savvis outside Beit Berl Colelge. Twenty students came to the capital where they symbolically distributed sleeping bags to members of Knesset and tomorrow members of Hebrew University's student union and other Jerusalem based movements say that they will erect tents in downtown Zion Square.

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What is the Islamists' view of the 'Arab Spring'? [ANB, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
"Sajalat" this evening will look into the position of Islamists in the Arab region on what has been named the "Arab Spring." We will discuss the issue with Dr. Omar Ashour, a lecturer at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Welcome. Of course, talking about the Islamists at a time when a wave of events is occurring, we begin with the West's fear that the Islamists could take over the Arab revolutions. In addition, there is domestic fear that the Islamists will co-opt the Arab revolutions. The same situation is applicable in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, and Libya. Are we still in some sort of gray area, at the ambiguous state, where concerns are not compatible with reality since nothing is tangible at this moment? Or, do you have an idea of the role that Islamists are playing in these revolutions? Also, did Islamists essentially ride this wave or did they want these revolutions to occur, especially considering that some people believe that it is forbidden by Islamic law to revolt against the ruler?

Guest, Male #2 (Dr. Omar Ashour, Lecturer at the University of Exeter)
There are some things that we can be certain of and there are others that are still undetermined so far. The fact is that the Islamists will have a role and strong influence in Arab politics in the next phase, especially in countries that have overthrown their authoritarian regimes, such as Egypt and Tunisia.

Presenter, Male #1
You believe it will be a role, not the essential role?

Guest, Male #2
It will be a prominent role, and it could be the essential role. It is certain that the Muslim Brotherhood is popular and is probably the most organized organization among the existing political movements in Egypt. Tunisia's al-Nahda Movement has the same position. The post-Gaddafi Libya might also see a rising role of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood, and perhaps the rise of other Islamic movements such as the Sufi movement in Libya. This is the first issue, but a question we could ask is whether or not they will they win in the elections.

Presenter, Male #1
Moving on to Yemen, a contested issue, both domestically and internationally. Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that chaos would prevail in the country and that al-Qaeda would control Yemen in the absence of a government. There have been attacks in Abyan and Zinjibar. The situation in Yemen is more understood on the ground than anywhere else. Does al-Qaeda pose a threat to Yemen or is it part of this struggle between the government and the opposition?

Guest, Male # 2
I don't think al-Qaeda has a great following or any influence in any country. The problem arises when there are two armed sides that can create some sort of chaos and have clashes. This is what is happening in Yemen. However, will al-Qaeda control Yemen? I don't think there is a possibility of that happening.

Presenter, Male # 1
Disregarding al-Qaeda, is Yemen also facing an Islamist battle?

Guest, Male # 2
The battle is between those who remain from Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime and the youth of the revolution. This is the great battle. There are some marginal groups, including of course, al-Qaeda.