Thousands of Somalis flee the cycle of starvation and war [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male # 1
"Somalia is facing drought, not famine, and the United Nations' declaration of famine is politically motivated." This was the Islamic al-Shabab Movement's position, used to express its rejection of the UN's declaration of famine in two Shabab-controlled regions. This contradicts statements by leaders of the movement who welcomed the UN declaration the day before yesterday. After sounding the alarm on the spread of famine in parts of southern Somalia and in order to face the growing humanitarian crises in Africa and Asia, the United Nations requested additional funding. Its budget for next year is 7.9 billion dollars. Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Programme announced its plan to airlift special aid to children in the Somali capital Mogadishu. Ahmad Qassem reports.

Reporter, Male # 2
This is Somalia, and these people are not preparing to act in a scene in some film recounting the story of the hardship endured by human beings. These are their real circumstances, right now, on an Arab land called Somalia. They are gathering what was previously given to them to protect themselves from the unknown. The war against them is long. It is waged by an alliance between poverty, hunger, drought and civil strife. This war rages on amid a slow international response. Some of them have decided to flee. A plan that has had successful results on the humanitarian front. So where should they go? To Ethiopia? The country that demanded tens of millions of dollars to face its own drought and the starvation of hundreds of thousands of its residents. Or to Kenya? The country that hosts the largest refugee camp in the world. A camp that is no longer able to absorb additional people in light of its few resources and the constant stream of refugees.

Guest, Female # 1
To date, we have received 3.6 billion dollars, covering 45% of requirements, with 4.3 billion dollars still needed. Our key concern is that there are persistent imbalances in funding among crises.

Reporter, Male # 2
The image is crystal clear. These scenes of suffering and misery condense the story of hardship. Six out of every 10,000 people here die everyday and one third of these children suffer from malnutrition. 350,000 people from southern Somalia are enduring the catastrophe of famine. And famine here is an advanced stage of the humanitarian disaster that these people have been enduring for a long time. However, it wasn't until regions in southern Somalia were officially declared as famine-stricken that the international community mobilized to reduce the number of deaths. The UN World Food Programme announced its plan to airlift special aid to children in the Somali capital Mogadishu. According to the organization, the situation in Somalia is extremely critical and its outcome depends on the international community's ability to offer all aid required by the citizens of the Horn of Africa region currently enduring the worst drought in two decades. These people are now looking for a refuge that can provide their daily sustenance. They are trying to save the lives of their children with the little they are provided with and have to wait long hours to receive the simple necessities in life: food, water, and medicine.

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Jordanian demonstrators denounce US interference in their pro-reform movement [Press TV, Iran]

Anti-regime protestors in Jordan have demonstrated against what they call American interference in the Arab world. Protests have been held in the capital Amman and several other cities. Demonstrators in Amman have torched a US flag. They have rejected what they call the American dictates of reform. The protestor have also chanted slogans against the government, which they describe as corrupt. They also say they want an end to what they call the "policy of dependency," demanding a new government. The protestors have also condemned wha t they call the government's oppression against the media. This, after nine journalists covering a pro-reform protest were injured by security forces last Friday.

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Omani protestors demand reforms, better wages, more jobs [Press TV, Iran]

In Oman, security forces have fired tear gas at demonstrators in the northern town of Sohar and made large numbers of arrests. Young protestors march from the Shaikh Khalifa mosque after Friday prayers demanding reforms, better wages, and more jobs. They also called for the release of political prisoners. Last month Omani officials convicted a number of civilians for having taken part in anti-government rallies in February and March. Protests in Oman began back in January

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Bahraini woman suffocated as regime forces gas protestors [Press TV, Iran]

Saudi-backed regime forces have attacked protestors in several villages, killing one woman and injuring several others. This is an anti-regime protest that continues around the capital Manama. An elderly woman was suffocated to death after the regime forces fire tear gas at demonstrators near Manama. Several others have also been injured and two are reported to be in critical condition. Bahrainis in several villages and towns around the capital came out to protest the government after Friday prayers.

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Egyptian demonstrators call for trial of Mubarak and corrupt officials [Press TV, Iran]

Egyptians have gathered in the capital's Liberation Square for another mass rally to demand an immediate end to military rule. Following Friday prayers, the protestors came out onto the streets calling for the trial of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his regime officials. They also urged the new military rulers to put an end to the trials of civilians, many of whom were arrested during the 18-day revolution. The demonstrators demanded the trial of police officers accused of killing hundreds of protestors.

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Afghans clash with NATO forces after nighttime raid [Press TV, Iran]

Afghan people have clashed with foreign forces in Parwan Province to abort a US-led night operation. The confrontation happened in the town of Bagram as foreign soldiers were launching an attack on the residents' homes. The people in the Bagram US base have been outraged by the US nighttime raid. The US forces wanted to detain one of the residents of the area. When local villagers learned of the nighttime raid they came out of their houses and wanted to stop NATO forces from detaining the man. Clashes then erupted between the foreign troops and the local villagers. Villagers have been injured as NATO forces opened fire on them.

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Rights group condemns draft Saudi anti-terror law [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Amnesty International strongly condemned the new anti-terror law drafted by the Saudi authorities, which criminalizes legitimate political opposition. The organization said in a statement that the draft law, which was categorized as classified, considers it a crime to question the integrity of the king or the crown prince, and carries a minimum prison sentence of ten years. The draft law also allows for detaining a person for one year without a trial and holding suspects for four months in solitary confinement. The organization added that the law narrows the space for a legal defense and increases the use of the death penalty. It describes the law as posing a dangerous threat to freedom of speech in the name of preventing terrorism. Meanwhile, Saudi lawyers confirmed that tens of thousands of detainees are being held by the kingdom without legal trials. They consider it a blatant violation of criminal procedures. Controversy rose in Saudi Arabia over arrests without trials after the authorities denied the existence of a detainee named Fahdi Saeed who has been held for nine years. In addition, human rights activist Dr. Yousif al-Ahmed was also arrested. Via the internet, he requested that King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz end the long imprisonment of the detainees. He also demanded the release of women who were arrested for peacefully protesting in front of the Interior Ministry this past June. The women protested over the long imprisonment of their relatives. Ahmed appealed to the king to release 1,200 detainees.

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Syrian towns rally in support of Homs [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Syrian cities witnessed popular protests today, like every Friday since the events began in March. Activists on social networking websites called for a demonstration named the "Friday of the Grandsons of Khaled Ibn el-Waleed." The opposition estimated the number of participants to be at 1.2 million protestors.

Reporter, Male #2
Descriptors and opinions vary on the events in Syria, but one thing is constant and that is the country's regular date with protests every Friday. It has been ongoing for four months. The Syrian dissidents chose to name today's protest the "Friday of the Grandsons of Khaled Ibn el-Waleed." People took to the streets in a number of Syrian cities after Friday prayers. Protests were witnessed in the cities and countryside of Damascus, Homs, Hama, Daraa in the south, Idlib in the north, and Deir az-Zour in the east near the border with Iraq. According to images uploaded onto the opposition's websites, the number of participants in Friday's protests is estimated at 1.2 million. Northeastern regions with a majority of Kurdish residents also witnessed massive demonstrations in al-Hasaka province. Reuters news agency quoted eyewitnesses saying that security forces used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of protestors in the city of al- Qamishli, leading to a number of injuries. Agence France-Presse quoted human rights activist Abdul Karim el-Rihawi saying that hundreds of protestors demonstrated in the Kurdish towns of Amouda, Derbassiya and Ras al-Ayn. It is worth mentioning that the death toll was at a record low, and gunfire was limited to Homs, where the regime says armed groups there are taking advantage of the peaceful protests. Demonstrations took place in the neighborhoods of Bab Amer, al-Ghouta, Ashira, al-Qusur and Deir Balba'a despite the military's massive security operation in the city. This, according to opposition activists. In the northwestern town of Idlib, activists said protests took place in the main square of the city and there was gunfire in the town of Kfar Nabel in the countryside of Idlib without causing any casualties. In northern Syria's Aleppo, opposition activists reported that security forces stormed Amina Mosque and arrested a number of worshipers. According to preliminary estimates by human rights activists, five people were killed today. Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel Rahman said members of the Syrian army and security forces were heavily deployed in two Damascus neighborhoods of al-Qaboun and Rikn ad-Din, where a large number of Kurds reside. In contrast, Syrian military sources denied defections from the army as reported by some media outlets. It said an attack occurred against a military bus in Homs, which led to the death of army personnel and the injury of others.

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Israeli doctors' strike marks 110th day [IBA, Israel]

We open with the ongoing crisis in the nation's health sector on this 110th day of the doctors' strike. Some 200 medical students from across the country joined the campaign for improved work conditions and staged a demonstration of their own outside a Tel Aviv hospital. Protestors carried signs accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of killing the medical establishment as well as other placards demanding that Netanyahu wake up and realize the value of life. The students also pledged their support for the nation's medical residents who were issued back to work by the National Labor Court earlier this week.

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Israel places Barghouti in solitary confinement after cell phone found in prison cell [IBA, Israel]

Palestinian sources are reporting that the imprisoned senior Fatah official, Marwan Barghouti has been placed in solitary confinement after the discovery of a cell phone in his prison cell. The Israel Prison Service confirmed those reports and stated that a device was found during a routine search regularly conducted in the cell of security prisoners. Earlier this week, Palestinian newspapers published calls from the 52-year-old Palestinan leader of both the first and second intifadas for a mass march in September of at least one million people from within and outside the West Bank to demonstrate support for the slated UN vote for recognition of a Palestinian state.

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Yemenis mark Friday of Rejection to Collective Punishment [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
In Yemen, anti-regime protestors gathered in Sanaa and 16 squares in other provinces to reaffirm their demand to topple all symbols of the regime. They named today the "Friday of Rejection of Collective Punishment." In turn, supporters of the ruling party rallied in al-Sabeen Square in the capital Sanaa on what they called the "Friday of Sit-in to Thank God," in support of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Reporter, Male #1
This is a glimpse of the Yemeni Special Forces in training to fight terrorism. This training is supported by the United States, which is trying very hard to hunt down members of al-Qaeda in Yemen. Everyone has long heard about this support, and these scenes are repeatedly aired on TV. In turn, the Yemeni authorities headed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been stressing that al-Qaeda is increasingly dangerous. Therefore, these authorities have gained major support politically, financially, and militarily over the last decade. They also benefited from the claim that Saleh is Washington's best ally in this war. However, political observers believe that this support did not bring much tangible progress in dealing with the issue. Yesterday, the Yemeni authorities announced to have killed an al-Qaeda leader, Ayed al-Shabwani, and a group of his companions. The authorities have previously made the same announcement at least three times. But this time, tribal groups claimed responsibility for killing Shabwani. Protestors in Taiz are denouncing the deterioration of security in Yemen. In broad daylight, assassination attempts targeted high-level Yemeni opposition leader Mohammed Yadoumi, the head of the High Authority of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, or al-Islah Party.

Guest, Male #1 (Mohamed Fahtan, Spokesman for the Joint-Meeting Parties)
There is no doubt that this was an operation with a dangerous goal. It aimed at shuffling the cards and pushing the matter onto a non-peaceful path.

Reporter, Male #1
The protests over the assassination attempt of the opposition leader quickly turned into clashes between the protestors and the police. As usual, the authorities commented on what happened.

Guest, Male #2 (Abdu al-Janadi, Yemeni Deputy Minister of Information)
Of course, they say there was an assassination attempt, but members of the army said that they saw gunfire. We, at the General People's Congress, of course condemned this operation.

Reporter, Male #1
The government's official spokesman mocked one of the factions in the popular uprising that announced it would break the political impasse by declaring the formation of a transitional presidential council to avoid the country's total collapse.

Guest, Male #2
A woman announced the formation of the transitional council. With all do respect and appreciation for her, we can say that the council has a birth defect. The council was born dead.

Reporter, Male #1
But the current situation in Yemen is that neither side is willing to back down. What worries and causes fear among Yemen's neighbors and Western allies is that the return of the Yemeni president from the hospital to his country will lead to a new round of clashes between his loyalist forces and his opponents demanding he step down. A state of alert and tension is apparent in the capital Sanaa amid a security vacuum and deteriorating living conditions in other parts of the country. Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

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Is the Syrian regime capable of reform? [ANB, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
We discuss the Syrian issue tonight with Professor Ahmed Asfahani who supports the regime. Do you think the Syrian regime is headed for major change, not its downfall but major change? Does it have the courage? Is it in charge of the decision-making? And, is it capable of change?

Guest, Male #2 (Ahmed Asfahani, journalist and political writer)
It is capable, yes. Is it in charge of the decision-making? I cannot answer that question yet. However, the need for change will determine the issue; there is no other option. The situation in Syria is clear: there is no room for Syria to turn back. It cannot return to the one-party system, nor can it return to the National Progressive Front as a coalition linked to the Ba'ath Party that rules the country. It cannot return to the ruling police state. This has become impossible in Syria. We are now in a transitional phase, moving from the current unacceptable status quo to a system that can gather the support of the widest scale of communities of the Syrian people, regardless of whether they are with the loyalists or with the opposition. In my opinion, this transition is urgently needed. The information I have was not obtained from official sources. As you know, as journalists, we gather information from various sources. They indicate that the Syrian leadership will announce a series of measures that meets most of the demands of the protestors, not all the demands but most. They include the call for a multi-party system, political openness and the dismantling of the police state. I believe the most difficult task will be dismantling the police state. It is not possible to eliminate a police state that has been in control for 50 years or 70 years. I'm discussing the police state that came to existence in 1950s before the Ba'ath Party took power. It was born as a result of military coups, starting with Adib al-Shishakli and Sami al-Hinnawi. It is difficult to dismantle such a police state overnight. It is possible to build a pluralistic country, an open country with freedom of speech, and that will later create a state that is not based on security.

Presenter, Male #1
Despite your optimism Professor Ahmed Asfahani, historically speaking, there is no precedent for one ruling party that allowed competition from other parties. Will Syria be able to make unprecedented history?

Guest, Male #2
Well, there might not be a precedent in the Arab world but there are several in Eastern Europe.

Presenter, Male #1
Yes but their regimes collapsed. It was not the ruling party that allowed pluralism; these regimes fell first.

Guest, Male #2
It was the system that collapsed. Let's not simplify the issue in this manner. The Soviet Union collapsed and it was holding the reins of these regimes. So naturally, these regimes collapsed as well. However, I'm referring to factional parties. Dr. Mohamed, you asked whether one party can relinquish power. All the communist parties in Eastern European countries collapsed with these regimes.

Presenter, Male #1
Yes, they collapsed and became political parties.

Guest, Male #2
The parties remained; communist parties still exist. Within two or three years, some of these Eastern European countries held elections. The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Syria is unable to maintain its position as the only ruling party and it should turn into one of many parties.

Presenter, Male #1
Is this wishful thinking Mr. Ahmed, or is it possible?

Guest, Male #2
No, no, this is the reality and I expect it to occur in Syria.

Presenter, Male #1
There are political scientists who believe that due to this party's ideology and its interests, it is not capable of giving up power in this manner. Or, it could cosmetically relinquish power but not effectively.

Guest, Male #2
I disagree with this opinion. I recently met with officials from the Ba'ath Party and regular members of the Ba'ath Party, and I've had contacts with its officials. Dr. Mohamed, you would be surprised to see their level of understanding and recognition that the Ba'ath Party is no longer capable of remaining the only ruling party and that it should conduct a series of measures to relinquish power. It may not be immediate, it may not happen in two or three months, but they've decided on a series of measures that will transform the party from the only one to one of many. This is what I heard from members of the Ba'ath Party that I've met with recently.