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Democracy Now! | Aug 14
In a major shakeup, Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsi, dismissed the country's two top generals over the weekend, but looks set to replace them ...
Tunisian police violently disperse protestors holding 'night of anger' [BBC Arabic, UK]
Presenter, Male #1
Dozens of Tunisian bloggers and civil society activists took to the streets in a protest against the Ennahda-led government, as called for by organizers on social networking sites. The demonstrators said that the objectives of the January 14 revolution have not been attained. The police used batons to disperse the protestors who gathered on the main Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the center of the capital, where anti-government banners were hung.
Reporter, Female #1
A state of chaos has dominated the main Habib Bourguiba Avenue, in the center of the capital. This comes after dozens of bloggers and civil society activists clashed with members of the police force. The demonstrators were hoping to turn the rally into a night of anger against the Ennahda-led government, which they say has failed to achieve the objectives of the January 14 revolution. They also protested against corruption, which they say is plaguing government institutions.
Guest, Female #2
We are calling for an independent judiciary and an independent elections committee, and for better social conditions. The fate of the constituent assembly is still unknown. There are countless demands. We were not allowed to gather and protest. We were physically and verbally assaulted by the police. The police attempted to confiscate our cameras and dispersed us with violence.
Reporter, Female #1
The demonstration didn't continue and was quickly dispersed, as hundreds of police officers were deployed. For its part, the Interior Ministry said that the demonstration lacked a proper permit.
Guest, Male #2
As usual, the Interior Ministry banned the demonstration. They have banned all demonstrations in the past. We are back to square one. They are banning all new demonstrations.
Reporter, Female #1
This rally was called for by activists on social networking sites in protest of the current political and economic situation. This reflects the height of the political impasse witnessed in the country, especially amid the security breaches reported in some areas and amid accusations against the transitional government of having failed to resolve several outstanding issues. In addition, the country continues to live in the midst of political polarization due to the growing debate over the country's anticipated constitution. Furthermore, many areas are continuing to suffer from the interruption of electricity and water services. Wafa Zayan, BBC.
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Mossad agents confess to killing nuclear scientists on Iranian TV [Al-Alam, Iran]
Presenter, Female #1
The security forces and intelligence services arrested 13 terrorists operating as agents for the assassinations' club that is run by the Israeli occupation entity with the aim of assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists. The detainees confessed to receiving their funds and training in the Israeli entity.
Reporter, Female #2
The Israeli-American campaign against Iran over its peaceful nuclear program is not limited to threats of military operations and sanctions, but also includes the assassination of the country's nuclear scientists. This, as Iranian intelligence members continue to look for those involved in these terrorist operations, those who plan and support them, and also those who execute them. All roads have led to Israel and the United States that stands behind it.
Guest, Male #1
My name is Maziar Ibrahimi; my alias is Saman Amir Abbas. I was sent to Israel to learn how to make explosives, shoot weapons and carry out military operations.
Guest, Female #3
I immigrated to Israel in 1980 to receive military training. We had to rotate every 30 minutes, and monitor the entries and exits of martyr Dr. Mohammadi.
Reporter, Female #2
These confessions are part of a series of confessions of the 13 individuals involved in this terrorist operation. Eight men and five women affiliated with networks established and trained by the Israeli intelligence services were recently arrested. This assassinations' club has killed four Iranian nuclear scientists since 2010. According to the accused, they have used bullets at times and sticky bombs at others. They were trained in this Israeli base, located near Tel Aviv in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to the detainees' confessions and documents seized by Iranian intelligence.
Guest, Male #2 (Haidar Maslahi, Iranian Minister of National Security)
I would like to congratulate the families of the martyred nuclear scientists for this great success. It must be noted that the assassinations directed by the arrogant powers and Israeli intelligence services, and other groups not only led to the martyrdom of some, but also led to the injury of the spouses of the martyrs, and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Fereydoun Abbasi.
Reporter, Female #2
In addition to these arrests, other terrorist operations planned by the detained in Tehran were foiled, operations that implement American-Israeli agendas. And so the question remains, who will respond to these children's questions, whose innocent eyes wonder for which crime did their scientist fathers have to be killed? And when will the slogan of human rights start being adopted?
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Egyptian army to take control of Sinai after deadly attack [Al Jazeera, Qatar]
Presenter, Female #1
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt vowed a speedy response and retaliation for the death of 16 soldiers in an attack that targeted a border crossing in Rafah, in northern Sinai.
Presenter, Male #1
According to the Egyptian presidency, President Mohamed Morsi issued an order to the military and security forces to deploy in all of the Sinai Peninsula. Meanwhile, our correspondent in Sinai reported that residents of the area called on President Morsi and the armed forces to quickly intervene, and put an end to such incidents.
Presenter, Female #1
The Egyptian presidency announced three days of national mourning for the victims of the attack, and said it will organize a military funeral for the dead on Tuesday.
Reporter, Male #2
On our way to the Masoura checkpoint that was the scene of an attack that resulted in the death of 16 members of the Egyptian security forces and wounded others, we passed through a number of checkpoints. Once there, we tried to photograph the scene of the attack, but we were prevented. So we returned to talk to eyewitnesses who were near the site of the attack.
Guest, Male #3
I was one of the first people to reach the place; we looked around and saw all the soldiers lying on the ground, wounded and injured; some were dead and some were still alive. We brought our personal cars, pickup trucks and sedans, we first picked up the people who were still alive. We moved them quickly and did some first aid, and took them to the hospital.
Reporter, Male #2
A lot of Sinai's residents felt resentment, saying the recurrence of such incidents requires the new political leadership to adopt new policies in Sinai and tackle the security situation there, which the previous regime ignored.
Guest, Male #4
I want to tell President Mohamed Morsi that he must deal with the residents of Sinai in a special way, not like the previous regime treated them. He must treat them like they are residents of the country, and that they have rights and obligations.
Reporter, Male #2
The strict security measures at the Rafah crossing, which was indefinitely closed to the Palestinians, is part of a comprehensive security plan aimed at surrounding the offenders, and tracking them down to uncover the circumstances of this attack. This plan relies on securing the strategic facilities in Sinai and maintaining a presence in areas that harbor militant elements, as described by the Egyptian security, in search of clues that would solve the mystery behind these incidents.
Guest, Male #5
What does it mean for a normal citizen to carry a weapon? It means that he has the law and the power in his hand, and can take his rights by himself. It means there is no state; the state is absent in Sinai. What we want is to feel that the Egyptian state is strongly present in Sinai.
Reporter, Male #2
Tribal elders and revolutionary youth coalitions are calling for an end to the chaos of weapons in Sinai, and for a reassessment of the Camp David agreement, which would lead to securing control of the Egyptian border with both the Gaza Strip and Israel. Mahmoud Hussein, Al Jazeera, North Sinai Governorate.
Presenter, Male #1
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that the attack on Sinai could be a warning sign for Egypt to tighten the security in northern Sinai. And at the beginning of a meeting for the Knesset's Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security, Barak praised the performance of the Israeli forces that fended off an attack by gunmen from Sinai.
Presenter, Female #1
He said it was a sharp and concentrated response by the Israeli army.
Guest, Male #6 (Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister)
In my opinion, the danger of a bigger attack was prevented, and this is a very important operation, and a successful one in the battle that occurred there along the border. And this may be an alarm for the Egyptians to tighten their control in a more assertive way.
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IDF intercepts Islamist militants after Egyptian army base attack [IBA, Israel]
Tensions remain high in southern Israel following a night attack along the border with Egypt. The IDF intercepted a stolen Egyptian armored personnel carrier with eight people aboard whom Defense Minister Ehud Barak said were linked with Islamic Jihad, after they raided an Egyptian army base on the border of the Gaza Strip and entered into Israel, passing the Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Seventeen Egyptian soldiers were killed in the raid. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz said that it was a complex infiltration attempt from Egypt. IBA speaks with former Israeli ambassador to Egypt Zvi Mazel about the Syria situation and the recent developments in Egypt.
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Syrian prime minister joins opposition, defects to Jordan [New TV, Lebanon]
Presenter, Female #1
Syria's prime minister, Riyad Hijab, has defected from the regime, and his spokesman has confirmed he is in a safe place as the government appointed Omar Ghalawanji as his replacement, while clashes continue in the city of Aleppo.
Reporter, Female #2
Defections from the Syrian government continue, ranging from military officers to ambassadors. The defection of Prime Minister Riyad Hijab less than two months after his appointment has further complicated the Syrian crisis. Hijab's spokesman, Mohammad Atari, announced that the prime minister defected from the regime and joined the opposition. The Syrian National Council viewed Hijab's defection as proof of the regime's erosion, while both the minister of religious endowment and the finance minister denied news of their defection to the Syrian Al Ikhbariya news outlet.
Reporter, Female #2
And in response to reports of additional defections, the government under caretaker Prime Minister Omar al-Ghalawenji held a session attended by all members of parliament. During the session, Ghalawenji confirmed that the government will exert all necessary efforts to serve the citizens and face the current crisis. He also said, "our choice is victory."
Reporter, Female #2
On the ground, the shelling and clashes are continuing in the city of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, notably in the neighborhoods of al-Shaar, Masaken Hanano, and Salah ed-Din. Areas in the countryside of Damascus, the city of Deir az-Zour, and Hama Province also witnessed clashes and artillery shelling. Opposition fighters said three Iranian hostages were killed today during an air raid by government air forces in Damascus. The opposition fighters threatened to execute the remaining hostages if the army does not halt its attack.
Reporter, Female #2
British photojournalist John Cantlie who was detained in a jihadist camp in Syria for a week with his Dutch colleague, revealed that some of his abductors arrived from Britain, adding that no Syrians were present in the jihadist camp they were in, noting that his abductors were from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Britain, and Chechnya.
Reporter, Female #2
Al-Alam news channel also revealed the arrest of seven Saudi and Turkish intelligence officers in a military operation by the Syrian army in Aleppo; the officers were supervising the operations of an armed group. The German minister of defense ruled out military intervention in Syria despite the failure of diplomatic efforts to halt the violent bloodshed. Former Israeli Mossad Chief Efraim Halevy said the crisis in Syria will be decided on within the next two weeks, despite Iran's increased involvement in the country.
Presenter, Female #1
Knowledgeable Jordanian sources confirmed to New TV the arrival of the defected prime minister to Jordan, saying he was transported to an unknown destination in a helicopter. Our correspondent in Amman, Ma'en Abu Dalu, reports.
Reporter, Male #1
While official Jordanian outlets reported conflicting news on the arrival of defected Prime Minister Riyad Hijab to Jordan, knowledgeable sources confirmed to New TV that Hijab and 10 of his family members arrived to the Jordanian border at noon, after their convoy was subjected to shelling by the Syrian army. As soon as they secured their entry into Jordan, eyewitnesses said a helicopter picked up Hijab and his family around 2:30 pm, and took them to an unknown destination.
Guest, Male #2 (Mohammed Atari, Spokesman for Syria's Prime Minister)
Of course, he is in a safe neighboring country. He is in good health; he has eight of his brothers, and two of his sisters with him. The whole family is safe; they are safe, and in good condition, thank God.
Guest, Male #3 (Sultan Hatta, Political Analyst)
I think the defection of the Syrian prime minister today will mark the beginning of significant defections. The regime's front has started to collapse. I think many took a similar decision, be it in the security, military, civilian or political party leaderships. However they were postponing it, not because they do not belong to their people and their revolution, but because their families are closely watched. The families of all or almost all of the Syrian ambassadors abroad are controlled by the regime.
Reporter, Male #1
The Jordanian government's denial of Hijab's arrival with his family diminished the tension in the Jordanian-Syrian relationship, after it seemed the two countries' armies almost directly clashed on the Jordanian-Syrian border and since the Jordanian government's stance toward the Syrian regime is unclear.
Reporter, Male #1
Residents of towns near the Jordanian-Syrian border confirmed that forces of the Free Army transported Hijab and his family's convoy to areas near the Jordanian border. Some of the Jordanian political and media circles view the defection of Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab as the largest jolt the Syrian regime has experienced so far, viewing it as evidence and proof of the ability and capabilities of the Free Army inside and outside Syria. Ma'en Abu Dalu, New TV, Amman.
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Suicide bomber kills 45 in south Yemen [Dubai TV, UAE]
Presenter, Female #1
The death toll from a suspected al-Qaeda suicide bomb attack on a funeral for the head of the Popular Committees' nephew in the southern Yemeni city of Jaar has risen to 45. Dozens of mourners, including the head of the Popular Committees, who was the intended target, were seriously injured in the attack. Abdel al-Rahman al-Shimiri reports from Sanaa.
Reporter, Male #1
It seems that al-Qaeda is resorting to its old methods of killing. Al-Qaeda killed or injured nearly one hundred people who were attending a memorial service in the city of Jaar in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan. According to news reports, the suicide bomber targeted the head of the Popular Committees in the region, seriously injuring him.
Guest, Male #2 (Abdel al-Aziz al-Hayajem, Yemeni Journalist)
Al-Qaeda took advantage of the situation, especially since the central government is still preoccupied with the political crisis at hand. In addition, some obstacles are still impeding the political process. These factors are making it easier for al-Qaeda to freely mobilize. Al-Qaeda started to settle its score with the Yemeni army and the Popular Committees.
Reporter, Male #1
Al-Qaeda is mobilizing once again in the southern regions. They turned the entire city of Jaar into a funeral, as they targeted Abdul Latif al-Sayed, the head of the Popular Committees, which until last June had fought within the ranks of the Yemeni army and expelled Ansar al-Sharia from Abyan after maintaining control of areas in the province for more than a year.
Guest, Male #2
Political and foreign groups are being accused of supporting al-Qaeda. It has become clear that certain political groups are seeking to impede the political process. The UN and its envoy have warned of sanctions against anyone attempting to impede the process.
Reporter, Male #1
It seems that al-Qaeda was able to mobilize and launch surprise attacks. Meanwhile, the security challenges facing President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi are growing. Hadi warned earlier that he will defeat al-Qaeda and uproot the group from southern Yemen. In light of the suicide operations launched by al-Qaeda, fear is growing that the organization may expand its attacks to other regions, which will be difficult to counter. Abdel al-Rahman al-Shimiri, Dubai TV, Sanaa.
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Muslims killed in Myanmar as world remains silent [Press TV, Iran]
The massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has seemingly failed to grab the attention of international news organizations, and the West and international organizations are doing little to combat the killings. In Iran, people have gathered once again in front of the United Nations office in the capital Tehran in a show of support.
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Fresh anti-regime protests held in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain [Press TV, Iran]
Anti-regime protests show no sign of abating in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. This time, protestors have come out on Tarut Island to condemn the recent killing of a teenager by Saudi police. They also expressed solidarity with Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was wounded and arrested by Saudi forces in Qatif last month.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed Bahraini forces continued their crackdown on protests across Bahrain. Bahrainis in several villages and towns across the country, including areas near the capital Manama, have been attacked by police. Those detained by police include prominent activist Nabeel Rajab and Zainab and Abdulhadi Alkhawaja.