Syria launches deadliest attack since start of unrest [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Syrians woke up to another bloody day in the city of Hama after having seen a large number of casualties in the last several days. Residents of the city said that tanks shelled the northeastern parts of the city today, killing at least four civilians. These scenes are the bloodiest that Syria has seen in years. The state media, rights groups, and eyewitnesses tell different stories about what happened. Other Syrian cities are also witnessing bloody days and casualties. Syrians began their first day of Ramadan with events that they may not be able to forget for a long time. Zuhair Saqalla reports.

Reporter, Male #1
Hama city has become the most prominent name in the Syrian crisis that has been ongoing for five months. Hama is the first city that tanks stormed, killing and wounding hundreds of its residents. Its residents woke up to this scene: the effects of gunfire everywhere; ruin and destruction anywhere they look. This is the result of arbitrary gunfire and rocket shelling on the city with a population of 400,000. Various sources gave different death tolls, but they all exceeded 100. Meanwhile, hundreds of wounded are waiting to be checked into hospitals, hoping to survive. Stories of how it happened give an even more ominous picture. Numerous tanks entered the besieged city that is already without basic daily supplies such as water and electricity, and launched rockets at everything. The Syrian state media held armed groups responsible for what is happening. It said that the gunmen set up barricades in the city, killed civilians, and attacked the army, also killing a number of soldiers. But the residents of the city had a different opinion. They said that the Syrian army stormed the city with dozens of tanks and began bombing houses at dawn. When people came out of their houses in an attempt to escape, the shells fell on them. Dozens of citizens were killed in the streets. In southern Syria, human rights organizations reported on its events. They said that the security forces killed three civilians and raided houses east of Daraa city. Over 350 people were arrested in Rif Dimashq. While the bloodshed and death tolls are increasing in these cities, violence is ongoing in Homs, Idlib, Deir az-Zour, and al-Bukamal as well. Rights activists say that a number of people died when an anti-regime protest was fired upon.

Presenter, Female #1
International reactions emerged condemning the events in Syria. US President Barack Obama described the Syrian government's usage of violence against its people as appalling, vowing to step up international pressure to isolate President Assad's regime. For her part, EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton said she was shocked by the attack on the city of Hama, affirming that the army's duty is to protect civilians. Other European countries also expressed their positions. The British foreign minister called for increasing sanctions on the Syrian regime, excluding the possibility of military intervention in Syria. Germany, which holds the rotating presidency in the UN Security Council, requested to convene an emergency meeting today to discuss the situation in Syria. In turn, Russia expressed its deep concern and called on the Syrian government and the opposition to exercise self-restraint. For his part, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanded that President Bashar al-Assad's regime end the attack on protestors.

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Thousands protest on Morocco king's allegiance day [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Thousands of Moroccans have staged protests demanding political reform and an end to corruption. Meanwhile, several Moroccan human rights organizations and the February 20 Movement have criticized King Mohammed VI's speech on human rights and the social movement witnessed in the country. Earlier, the king delivered a speech marking allegiance day in the Kingdom. A number of opposition parties said that the king's announcement of early elections doesn't mean that the country is on the verge of entering a new democratic phase. The opposition is calling for a modern constitution that reinforces the people's authority.

Reporter, Male #2
The Moroccan king's speech on allegiance day, in which he announced his plan to hold early elections, was hailed by loyalists as "a roadmap outlining the upcoming stage." However, the opposition believes that such a roadmap has failed to address political reforms regarding the election process, particularly the bylaws governing elections and political parties. Meanwhile, the Justice and Development Party said that the king's speech on fair and transparent elections is not sufficient, especially in absence of serious measures to help uphold such principles.

Guest, Male #3 (Ali Hami al-Din, member of the political office of the Justice and Development Party)
We call for a review of all legal mechanisms governing the election process. Among them is a measure to ensure the proper monitoring of elections. We call for an independent or legal monitoring body.

Reporter, Male #2
Several leftist groups said that holding early elections is nothing but a repeat of similar scenarios adopted in pervious elections. Many are questioning the importance of such elections and their impact on the democratic transformation in the country.

Guest, Male #4 (Ali Lutfi, member of the political office of the Socialist Party)
Will Morocco be able to meet its constitutional aspirations, starting with transparent and fair elections? We have lived through difficult and bitter times in Morocco.

Reporter, Male #2
Holding elections does not necessarily lead to democratic change, as cited by human right organizations that criticized the king's speech for failing to address the issue of political detention.

Guest, Male #5 (Abdul-Hamid Amin, Deputy Chair of the Moroccan Human Rights Organization)
We were hoping to hear announcements about the release of political prisoners.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, the February 20 Movement held protest rallies across Moroccan cities, including Rabat. The movement said that the king's speech has ignored the social mobilization witnessed in the country and the demands of the Moroccan youth. They said they will continue their protests, vowing to boycott all political reform initiatives in a bid to bring down the constitution and put an end to corruption.

Guest, Male #6 (Abdul-Hamid Aish, Member of the February 20 Movement)
We will continue to hold street protests as long as corrupt officials continue to be voted into office and honored.

Reporter, Male #2
Over the next few days, the Moroccan Parliament is expected to start debating the laws pertaining to the organization of legislative elections. Nur-Din Ujart, Alalam, Rabat.

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Bahrainis rally for dismissed employees [Press TV, Iran]

Anti-regime protests continue in Bahrain as Saudi-backed forces crack down on protestors. In Manama, hundreds of recently fired-workers have stormed into the Ministry of Labor demanding their jobs back. Reports say that the ministry is surrounded by regime forces. Human Rights Watch says more than 2,000 workers have been sacked from their jobs since they took part in anti-regime demonstrations. On Monday, people took to the streets in several cities including the capital Manama.

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Two hundred injured as police drive protestors from Cairo's Tahrir Square [Press TV, Iran]

About 200 protestors were injured and 25 were detained in the capital's landmark Liberation Square. Some protestors were detained from inside the mosque. The protestors are complaining that they have been assaulted verbally and physically by the military officers as well as the Central Security forces. Now, the situation in Liberation Square is completely controlled by the military and Central Security forces. There has been no information given about the detainees.

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Thirty Libyan rebels killed in new battle of Misurata [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
Reports from Misurata indicate that the clashes between revolutionaries and Gaddafi's battalions in the western front killed over 30 revolutionaries and wounded 130.

Presenter, Female #1
Meanwhile, Zlitan revolutionaries backed by Misurata revolutionaries managed to advance to the center of Zlitan city after confrontations with Gaddafi's battalions.

Presenter, Male #1
West of Misurata and Zlitan are two hotspots of the military conflicts between the Libyan revolutionaries and the battalions loyal to Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi. The latest reports from these regions indicate that clashes and continuous shelling launched by the battalions killed at least 30 and wounded over 130 Misurata revolutionaries in the western front. In Zlitan, revolutionaries backed by their comrades from Misurata managed to push into the city center despite resistance by Gaddafi's battalions. The confrontations led to casualties among revolutionaries while dozens of Gaddafi forces were also killed, according to sources in the region. To some degree, the achievements made by the revolutionaries in the ongoing conflicts in Libya are breaking the military stalemate which dominated most of the Libyan fronts, especially in Jabal al-Gharbi. These online images show the revolutionaries' determination to resolve their battle in Tiji and Badr after they entered al-Ghazaya and al-Josh in the Jabal Nafusa region. Reports indicate that the battalions later returned to al-Josh. So far, the war seems to be costly in all aspects. The participants in the war are showing will and determination despite the severity of their wounds.

Guest, Male #1
We are not weak, though it's not going to be an easy task.

Guest, Male #2
How old are you?

Guest, Male #3
53 years old.

Guest, Male #2
Are you married or single?

Guest, Male #3
I'm married with eight children.

Reporter, Male #1
Painful images of the war also ensued. In the latest one, this man in his fifties was taken prisoner by Gaddafi's battalions. The battalions find supporters in certain villages and towns, which political observers say makes the battle in Jabal al-Gharbi even more complicated.

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Israeli municipalities declare strike in solidarity with housing protests [IBA, Israel]

The fallout from the mass social uprising continues to be felt across the country as several municipalities closed down services to identify with the protestors and thousands signed onto a Facebook site calling for a general strike. Meanwhile, the government is scrambling to come up with concrete solutions. Actions continue to press on as over 23,000 people declared a general strike via Facebook. That number may not sound that impressive given the scale of protests over the weekend but it does put further pressure on the government.

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IDF soldiers and Lebanese army exhange gunfire near border [IBA, Israel]

In other news are two security incidents from parts of the country. A brief exchange of gunfire erupted on the northern border this morning between IDF soldiers and Lebanese army troops. In the West Bank, two Palestinians were killed during IDF's search and arrest operation in the Qalandiyah camp adjacent to Ramallah.

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Two Palestinians killed, one injured by Israeli gunfire in Ramallah [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Two Palestinians were killed and a third one seriously injured in a predawn military operation conducted by the Israeli army in the Qalandiyah refugee camp south of Ramallah. Several young men were also arrested in the raid. The sounds of gunfire and teargas have echoed across the Qalandiyah camp on this first day of Ramadan. Eman Erekat has the details.

Reporter, Female #1
Mutasem Adwan, a Palestinian youth, was getting ready to eat Sihur before fasting on the first day of Ramadan when he went to investigate reports of gunfire near his home at the Qalandiyah refugee camp south of Ramallah. Adwan was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. The victim's father said that the Israeli army stormed the camp at dawn in order to arrest two Palestinian youths. However, they started to fire indiscriminately at the residents, killing Ali Khalifah and Mutasem Adwan, and seriously injuring a third person.

Guest, Male #2 (Issa Adwan, the father of Mutasem Adwan)
An act of chaos unfolded in the camp. My son was martyred right here, next to this camera. This is what happened. He was shot in the head. His head was torn into pieces. If they didn't mean to kill him they would have shot him in the leg. He was hit in the head.

Guest, Male #3 (Ayman al-Louzi, Resident of Kalandia refugee camp)
As the occupation army entered the camp, they started firing heavily. Mutasem went outside to investigate, like any other resident in Qalandiyah. He was hit by two bullets to the head. He was martyred at the scene. He never took part in any operation.

Reporter, Female #1
The Israeli army said in a statement that one of its units was attacked by rocks as it was conducting a routine arrest operation targeting wanted Palestinians in the camp. The army said five of its soldiers were lightly injured, dismissing reports of fatalities on the Palestinian side. The military added they have opened an investigation into the incident. The Palestinian leadership described what happened at the Qalandiyah camp as "an Israeli crime and an attempt to create an atmosphere of escalation ahead of September." It also held the Israeli government responsible.

Guest, Male #4 (Hanna Emira, Member of the PLO Executive Committee)
These acts of killing, if they continue, will create an atmosphere of escalation, which may lead to a wider popular movement in the Palestinian territory. This is a normal response to these types of practices. The state of calm that is being witnessed in the Palestinian territory will not persist, especially as talks continue to be deadlocked.

Reporter, Female #1
A state of anger has dominated the Palestinian public, who demanded revenge for their slain brothers during a funeral procession. The Israeli army said its latest operation comes under the pretext of security measures aimed at maintaining calm in the West Bank's cities and towns. However, the Palestinians, both at the public and official levels, stressed the seriousness of the latest developments for the entire region's security. From the Qalandiyah refugee camp south of Ramallah, Eman Erikat, BBC.

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Lebanese official surprised by extension of US sanctions [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
US President Barack Obama renewed sanctions on Wiam Wahhab, Assaad Hardan, and two Syrian figures. According to the president, they pose a threat to Lebanon's stability since they transport weapons from Syria to Hezbollah. In an interview with New TV correspondent Ramiz al-Qadi, Wahhab responded to the sanctions by saying, "We will freeze Obama's assets in the town of Jahiliyya."

Reporter, Male #1
The renewal of financial sanctions on Lebanese and Syrian figures coincided with the International Tribunal's decision to release what it called "parts of the indictment." The extended sanctions began with people whose names are on the black list issued by the US cabinet. They include Parliament member and head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Assaad Hardan, and former minister and leader of the Tawhid Arab Party, Wiam Wahhab. Also included is Colonel Hafiz Makhluf, who is related to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his maternal side and holds a senior position at the General Security Directorate of the Syrian intelligence. The fourth person on the list is Syrian Deputy Vice President for Security Affairs Mohammed Nassif. The financial sanctions can be traced back to former US President George W. Bush's administration. In 2007, the sanctions were imposed due to the officials' contribution in Syria's attempt to reinforce its mandate on Lebanon and undermine its sovereignty. The US administration usually resorts to these measures as a message that it is accusing the concerned parties in one way or another. However, the decision is only effective if these individuals' respective governments take action against its citizens. As for the renewal approved by Obama, it contains accusations of supplying Hezbollah with weapons and threatening US homeland security. In this context, as-Safir newspaper said that President Obama renewed the decision with minor changes in the language of the executive decision.

Guest, Male #2 (Wiam Wahhab)
Regimes using advanced weapons to undermine Lebanese sovereignty and contribute to the political and economic destabilization of the region, and continue to form a remarkable and major threat to the US homeland security and its foreign policy. Look at this; is it reasonable to say that I pose a major threat to political stability? I mean, this is really funny but at the same time it is serious. There is one issue we must not ignore and that is the silence of the Lebanese government and state. This is unacceptable. I am sending the president a letter; I talked with the foreign minister and I want to discuss the issue with everyone. It is unacceptable to remain silent. The American ambassador should be summoned; she has no right to target one's constitutional right to be part of the opposition within his state. We will not be quiet anymore. If it's a question of bullying, everyone can be a thug and everyone can get 2,000 people to shut down the airport road when Feltman visits. But if it's a question of law, then it is my constitutional and legitimate right to oppose any Lebanese government and be part of the opposition in my own country. When George Bush imposed the sanctions, I told him we decided to prevent his entry to the town of Jahiliyya so we will have to renew the sanctions for Obama. I will prevent him from going to al-Jahiliyya and will freeze his assets in the village's banks because I have as much money in the US as he does in the village.

Reporter, Male #1
Wahhab downplayed the legal effects of this decision outside the United States, saying that Feltman is the one who reported these names to the US administration.