Egypt's Morsi consolidates power after reshuffling military leadership [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
A series of decisions was followed by a speech, where he voiced the reasoning behind these decisions. It is Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi who surprised the Egyptians with decisive and unexpected decisions. Morsi seized legislative powers, and implemented drastic changes to the military leadership, most notably sending Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, and his deputy, Army Chief-of-Staff Sami Anan, to retirement.

Presenter, Female #1
Revolutionary and Islamist forces welcomed these decisions as thousands took to the street to support the president. However, others considered the decisions to be surprising, and that they were adopted without compromising with the military institution. Our correspondent Tawfiq Ahmed reports from Cairo.

Reporter, Male #1
Wide-scale political and popular reactions were in support of Morsi's decisions. Thousands of citizens went to Tahrir Square and other revolutionary squares to announce their joy over the dismissal of Tantawi and Anan. They called on the president to topple figures of the old regime.

Guest, Male #2
We have been waiting for these great decisions for a long time. They came just in time. And thank God, this is a fatal blow to corruption.

Guest, Male #3
He has had a big responsibility lately. So he decided to dismiss them, but appoint them as presidential advisers. I think this is a good decision because he respected the history of the people and took a revolutionary step.

Guest, Male #4
This is one of the revolution's days. The revolution is really close to being completed.

Reporter, Male #1
President Morsi, who issued these decisions at a very sensitive time, utilized Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of the Power, celebrations to confirm that the decision to dismiss Tantawi and Anan was not personal. Rather, it was aimed at serving Egypt's interests, and bringing in new blood into the Egyptian leadership.

Guest, Male #5
Loyalty is a must towards those who were loyal. I never intend to direct to anyone, or to any individual, a negative message. I only intended, and God only knows what I intend, I only intended to serve the interests of this nation, and this people.

Reporter, Male #1
There were conflicting reports over the Military Council's knowledge of these decisions before they were issued. Some sources said that they came following consultations with Tantawi, while others denied that the military knew about these dismissals, saying that on the contrary, they were surprising.

Reporter, Male #1
Morsi issued a new constitutional declaration and drastic decisions, with which he seized all presidential powers and ended, in theory, the Military Council's political role. So will the council's role fade away, or will the turbulent conditions the country is experiencing prevent that from happening? Tawfiq Ahmed, Dubai TV, Cairo.

Presenter, Female #1
One of the most prominent figures that Morsi's decisions brought to power is Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, who was appointed defense minister as replacement for Field Marshal Tantawi. Al-Sissi is the youngest member of the Egyptian Military Council. He was born in 1954, and assumed a number of military posts, the latest of which was chief of the military intelligence before being appointed defense minister.

Presenter, Female #1
In addition, Judge Mahmoud Mekki joined the presidential circle by becoming vice president. In 2005, he was a leader of the judicial independence movement; he was also deputy of the court of appeals. He left the judiciary and worked as a lawyer after he was accused of harming his fellow judges, but he was then acquitted.

Presenter, Female #1
Morsi, who is facing an open front in Sinai, vowed to crush the militants, and to chase them until they are eliminated from the area. So for the sixth consecutive day, the Egyptian army's military operations are continuing against the militants there.

Presenter, Female #1
Today, a security source said that extremist militants shot tribal elder Khallaf al-Maniey and his son as they were heading back from a conference organized by tribal leaders to condemn the operations against the Egyptian army's sites. No one claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Presenter, Female #1
And while the military campaign is escalating in Sinai, Reuters news agency reported that a source close to the militants said that quote, "Hundreds of them organized a secret meeting last night to look into how they will respond to the developments in Sinai."

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Lebanon gets dragged into Syrian conflict with alleged terror plot [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Lebanon's Military Tribunal adjourned the hearing of former minister Michel Samaha to an unspecified date. Samaha's lawyer expressed hope in maintaining the judicial path away from political pressure.

Presenter, Male #1
Defense lawyer Malek Sayyed considered the leaks of Samaha's interrogation as very harmful to the investigation. Al-Sayyad confirmed that the Lebanese minister of justice has vowed to investigate how these leaks occurred. The defense lawyer refused to answer if Samaha was subjected to pressure during his interrogation.

Presenter, Female #1
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that the judiciary will continue to investigate the case of former Information Minister Michel Samaha until it is resolved.

Presenter, Male #1
Mikati confirmed that following the investigation, he will take a political stance and decision that would maintain Lebanon's sovereignty.

Reporter, Female #2
The case is no longer merely about the arrest of Minister Michel Samaha. The military judge's indictment includes the Syrian security regime for the very first time. This development has confused the authorities, that have been holding on to a policy of disassociation since the beginning of the Syrian crisis. The prime minister says this policy is based on the principle of non-interference in the affairs of others. For this reason, he says, it is unacceptable for others to intervene in Lebanon's affairs, or turn the country into a field to settle scores and export crises.

Reporter, Female #2
As for the recent developments of the case, a mobilization has started demanding a wider investigation, since the explosive devices that were confiscated are reportedly very similar to those used in the assassinations of Samir Kassir and George Hawi, and the attempted assassination of broadcast journalist May Chidiac, according to the an-Nahar newspaper. In the same framework, the March 14 Coalition mobilized its forces to demand the authorities to take stringent measures.

Guest, Male #2
The Syrian ambassador in Lebanon must quickly be expelled, and diplomatic relations with this regime must be temporarily frozen. A complaint must also be filed at the UN to reveal these facts.

Reporter, Female #2
As for the March 8 Coalition, it has refrained from commenting on the issue, and is waiting for the results of the investigation, with the exception of a symbolic protest held in front of the Military Tribunal. Some of Samaha's supporters organized the protest, but sources close to the March 8 Coalition indicated that a media escalation will serve neither the enemies of the regime here, nor its allies.

Guest, Male #3
They placed all these issues in the same framework. This does not serve anyone, and does not serve the truth. This serves a plan that is much bigger than Michel Samaha and much bigger than Wissam Hassan, will all due respect to both of them. And it is much bigger than the entire Lebanese game. There is a grand plan for the region.

Reporter, Female #2
The authorities say the leaks related to this case are dangerous, but what could later be revealed in the investigation might be even more dangerous. As for the repercussions, they are certainly larger than a mere settling of local accounts.

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Series of attacks on occupation soldiers continues in Afghanistan [Press TV, Iran]

Another "green-on-blue" attack in Afghanistan: an Afghan police officer turned his gun on US-led soldiers in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Some sources say that several foreign troops were killed; other reports say that at least two were injured and rushed to the hospital. Provincial officials say the attacker managed to escape.

Afghans remain opposed to the continued US military presence in their country. The US says that it is taking some of its troops out of the country, but Afghans are demanding a full withdrawal, saying that the presence of foreign troops is no longer acceptable and will lead to the deaths of more people, and that Afghan forces should carry out the operations. About 30,000 US special forces will stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Ten years ago, Afghans welcomed the US forces' protection from the Taliban, but attitudes have changed after numerous civilian casualties and violations of Afghan tradition by the US forces.

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More than 300 killed, thousands injured in Iran earthquakes [Press TV, Iran]

Iran steps up relief operations following the devastating twin earthquakes in the country's northwest. The official death toll now stands at 306. The Health Ministry says that more than 3,000 people have also been injured. Most of the victims are women and children. Iran's Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi has arrived in Tabriz with a high-ranking delegation. The 6.4 and 6.4 Richter-scale quakes hit the towns of Ahar, Haris, Varzaqan in East Azerbaijan Province.

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Rebel video claims to show captured Syrian pilot [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
The Free Syrian Army downed a Syrian military plane, then broadcast a video of the arrested pilot. As for the regime, it broadcast a video displaying brutal acts by opposition fighters as the shelling continues in Aleppo, Damascus, and its countryside.

Reporter, Female #2
These brutal scenes are as removed from humanity and human rights as possible. They were posted online and attributed to opposition fighters from the Free Army in Aleppo Province. The fighters can be seen slaughtering a man without blinking by slitting his throat.

Reporter, Female #2
The video shows a blindfolded and handcuffed man resisting a group of men forcing him to lie on the ground. Then, one of the men slits his throat with a knife more than once, until his blood starts flowing on the sidewalk amid cries of "God is great." One of the men can be heard saying, "This is the fate of every shabeha, and every government supporter."

Reporter, Female #2
On the ground in Syria, the scene has not changed much in the past few days, as the beginning of the week witnessed the shelling of Damascus and its countryside, Aleppo, and specifically the neighborhood of Salaheddin. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian regime forces stormed the Saif al-Dawla neighborhood, located in the western part of the city, and clashed with a number of fighters.

Reporter, Female #2
Meanwhile, the Free Syrian Army announced its control over the Syrian regime's largest checkpoint in Tafas in Daraa Province. The Free Syrian Army announced that it downed a MiG military plane the group said was shelling the city of Mohassan in the province of Deir az-Zour. A brigade that calls itself the descendants of Muhammad, and is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, broadcast a video of the arrested Syrian pilot.

Guest, Male #1
Colonel Staff Pilot Mofid Mohammad Suleiman.

Guest, Male #2
What was the mission you were assigned?

Guest, Male #1
We were assigned to shell the city of Mohassan.

Guest, Male #2
What would you tell the soldiers of al-Assad's army?

Guest, Male #1
I would tell them to defect from this gang.

Reporter, Female #2
On the other hand, the official Syrian news agency SANA said that a military plane crashed as it was conducting a routine training mission in the eastern province. The pilot was forced to eject from the plane due to a technical failure.

Reporter, Female #2
Syrian TV announced that specialized agencies confronted an armed terrorist group in the area of Jami'yet al-Zahraa in Aleppo, killing and wounding many of them. It added that it raided terrorist hideouts in the neighborhoods of Old Damascus, and found tunnels that contain a variety of weapons and grenades, and Israeli-made bombs.

Reporter, Female #2
Politically, the Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed Tehran's consultative meeting on Syria, in which Iran called for starting a dialogue between the Syrian regime and opposition groups, confirming it will continue to build on these positive initiatives.

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Israeli attack on Iran: overblown media hype or imminent reality? [IBA, Israel]

Headlines about an imminent Israeli attack on Iran are appearing on Page One of Israeli newspapers, but is it real, or is the media just stirring up the rumors of a possible Israeli attack on Iran before the US presidential elections? IBA takes a look at some possible hints that the Israeli government is gearing up for ana attack.

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Tunisia announces formation of National Authority to prevent torture [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Tunisian government decided to form a national commission for the prevention of torture, and to monitor prisons in cooperation with civil and human rights organizations. This comes in response to demands by rights organizations to end the torture of prisoners that was carried out by the previous regime. The organizations believe torture is continuing after the revolution.

Reporter, Male #1
The worst kind of torture is the one Tunisians endured during the Bourguiba and Ben Ali eras. These regimes didn't spare anyone, targeting leftists, nationalists, soldiers, and especially Islamists. Today, political prisoners are demanding rehabilitation and compensation for the financial and moral harm they suffered after their rights were violated for decades.

Guest, Male #2
All types of torture were used. Physical torture causes harm that persists today. They would break the prisoners' fingers and legs, and some people were released with permanent disabilities, and there are some people who died.

Reporter, Male #1
Although the worst forms of torture were practiced in the past, a number of rights organizations believe signs of torture and some abuse persist in Tunisian prisons today. And even though torture differs from what it looked like in the past, everyone is urging that it be addressed.

Guest, Male #3
In the past, torture was systematic everywhere, and sometimes it had no purpose. This doesn't mean that torture does not exist today; torture does exist, and it is still happening.

Reporter, Male #1
The Tunisian government, in cooperation with civil society, decided to form a national commission for the prevention of torture. The commission that is composed of independent representatives of civil society confirms the reformist path adopted by the government against all types of torture, especially since many officials are former political prisoners. The commission will monitor Tunisian prisons and prevent all forms of torture.

Guest, Male #4
If these practices exist, they are certainly not government policies. It is not a way to govern; it is definitely the practices of some individual. There is a need for judicial and security reforms. Judicial reform is also needed, and can be achieved by disqualifying the judges that are concealing torture, or by reforming the judicial institution in general. Reforming the security institution is necessary, and can be completed by removing those who were in charge of torture.

Reporter, Male #1
The Tunisian government is trying to overcome all forms of torture that were practiced by the Bourguiba and Ben Ali regimes, as violations in post-revolution Tunisia still exist, and especially since some of the former regime's allies are continuing to work in the Tunisian prisons and in the interior and judicial ministries. Hassaan al-Shaary, Al-Alam, Tunis.

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Somalia prepares for presidential elections [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
In Somalia, the number of presidential candidates for the elections scheduled for August 20 is continuing to rise. In an unprecedented political move, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohammed Ali, and Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan have all announced their presidential candidacy. The three leaders are facing internal criticism over the use of state resources to finance their election campaigns. Our correspondent Ali Halali has the details.

Reporter, Male #2
The candidacy of the three main officials in the current Somali administration comes as part of their efforts to return to power, following their long-term alliance, which crumbled after the leaders failed to nominate one candidate. In response, each candidate decided to fight on a separate front in the presidential battle. Somali presidential candidates and politicians have criticized the three leaders over the use of state funds, media, and security resources to finance their election campaigns.

Guest, Male #3 (Abdullah Sheikh Ismael, Politician and Former Minister)
State funds and property shouldn't be used to finance these types of campaigns. These are public funds that should be used in the public's interest, and not for personal gains.

Reporter, Male #2
The decision by the three top officials to cling to their positions and join the presidential race has stirred debates among Somali political circles. This comes amid calls for the resignation of the three leaders following the announcement of their candidacies, which they say will help provide an equal platform for all candidates.

Guest, Male #4 (Sultan Warsi Ibrahim, Tribal Leader)
The way I see it: It's not fair for the three candidates to maintain their positions. They should have resigned from their positions a long time ago. Although they have been asked to resign, they haven't done so. Less than ten days are left.

Reporter, Male #2
Each of the three men has a different background. President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is affiliated with the Islamic Movement, which described itself as "moderate." Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohammed Ali is associated with the technocrat movement, which includes exiled Somali scholars who have received prestigious degrees. For his part, Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan represents a role model for leadership in business and multi-tribal affiliation.

Reporter, Male #2
With the August 20 election day approaching, the number of Somali presidential candidates is continuing to rise, in a rather complicated process overshadowed by political, tribal, financial, and foreign variables. Ali Halali, BBC, Mogadishu.