Syrian conflict spilling into Lebanon as renewed clashes erupt in Tripoli [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
In Lebanon, and specifically in the northern city of Tripoli, clashes erupted between the areas of Bab al-Tabbaneh that opposes the Syrian regime, and Jabal Mohsen that supports it, with residents exchanging gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades. This led to the killing of one person and injury of 23 others, according to a Lebanese security official. The clashes continued sporadically throughout the night before the Lebanese army restored calm to the city. The Lebanese army said that its members responded to the fire of military weapons that was exchanged between the gunmen, and conducted patrols in the neighborhoods of the region to arrest the gunmen and restore normalcy to the area.

Presenter, Male #1
Joining us from Tripoli over the phone is our correspondent Eliane Chatery. Eliane, how would you describe the situation in Tripoli following the clashes that occurred yesterday between the supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime?

Correspondent, Female #1 (Eliane Chatery, Dubai TV Correspondent in Tripoli)
After relative calm this morning, it seems that clashes have made a comeback, and were renewed about an hour ago with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. Sniper fire continued the whole day between the area of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen.

Correspondent, Female #1
The preliminary and unofficial death toll rose to three, with more than 20 injuries. Among them are nine injured soldiers from the Lebanese army: four from yesterday and five today, including an officer, after a Lebanese army station was targeted with a bomb, which led to the injury of those five, including an officer, as mentioned. The Lebanese army issued a statement this morning saying it is conducting military operations, meaning it is raiding the gunmen's areas, and is also conducting an arrest campaign. In addition it is also directly responding to the clashes to foil them. But this has not prevented a violent renewal of the clashes about an hour ago, as mentioned.

Presenter, Male #1
Eliane, is the situation headed more towards containment or an escalation?

Correspondent, Female #1
In reality, it was not surprising that the clashes resumed between the areas of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen because of the many known factors. There is an attempt to contain the situation, but everyone knows that political calls alone are not enough, and that the Lebanese army's intervention is never enough. We need many political calls and a political umbrella so that the Lebanese army can intensify its deployment, alongside the security forces, until calm is restored. And even this solution cannot guarantee calm will be restored to this area; a drastic political solution is needed.

Presenter, Male #1
Eliane Chatery, our correspondent from Tripoli, thank you.

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Seventy-two killed across Syria, as Obama warns al-Assad over chemical arms [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
In Syria, the Local Coordination Committees said security and military forces killed 72 people in many areas; most were killed in Damascus and Daraa. Opposition activists reported that the southern city of Daraa came under air and artillery shelling this morning, and that a number of residential neighborhoods were subjected to artillery shelling in the city of Latakia in the northwestern part of the country. Regime tanks also stormed the Damascus suburb of al-Mouadamieh.

Presenter, Male #1
Qadri Jamil, the deputy Syrian prime minister, said the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is not a precondition to the start of negotiations between the parties of the Syrian crisis. He added that all issues can be discussed, including this one. He also indicated that foreign military intervention in Syria is impossible because it will lead to an expansion of the crisis beyond the country's borders. Jamil said the threat made by American President Barack Obama to deploy US forces if Syria were to use chemical weapons is a mere "propagandist threat."

Guest, Male #2 (Qadri Jamil, Deputy Syrian Prime Minister)
The US-European stance on sanctions is hypocritical, and greatly harms the Syrian people and the Syrian citizens who are suffering a lot today from these sanctions. And as the Arab proverb says, "A friend in need is a friend indeed," we felt that the Russian side, and all our other friends, and China and Iran, and all the others; we felt they want to help us ease the effects of these sanctions on Syrian citizens.

Presenter, Male #1
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Western countries against taking unilateral action on Syria. He confirmed that Russia and China agree that they will not allow any violation of international law and the UN charter. This comes after American President Barack Obama threatened to wage a US military operation against President Bashar al-Assad if he attempts to use chemical or biological weapons.

Reporter, Male #3
International understandings on Syria have hit a dead end after the failure of the Arab League's initiatives, the plan of joint UN-Arab League enjoy Kofi Annan, and finally the Russia communique in Geneva that was never implemented.

Reporter, Male #3
And as the delegation of UN observers leaves Damascus, the curtain has been lifted on a fruitless international diplomatic effort, whose results were reflected in reports by the intelligence services of the powerful parties involved in the Syrian crisis. However, the verbal attacks between the major international players were the most notable.

Reporter, Male #3
Recurring Russian warnings against the use of force in Syria outside the framework of the Security Council was expressed by Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov during his visit to the Finnish capital Helsinki, and in Moscow during his meeting with China's State Councilor Dai Bingguo.

Guest, Male #4 (Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister)
Russia and China have reliable standards, with which we adopt all our measures. And this is completed through coordinating our foreign polices. These standards are represented through the need to firmly commit to international law, and the principles of the UN charter. We must not allow their violation. So we are adopting these rules, and we believe it is the right path for the current situation.

Reporter, Male #3
The shouts of the Russian minister came after American President Barack Obama warned Damascus in an unscheduled press conference against using chemical weapons. He stressed that this would constitute a red line. The statement was reminiscent to statements made by the administration of the former president, George Bush Jr., before invading Iraq. At the time, the administration accused the Iraqi regime of possessing and developing weapons of mass destruction.

Guest, Male #5 (Barack Obama, US President)
The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has lost his legitimacy and must resign. We are monitoring that situation very carefully, and there would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front, or the use of chemical weapons. That's our red line, and that would change my calculations significantly.

Reporter, Male #3
International bickering on Syria comes alongside heightened international intelligence work. So, while there are talks that the battles in Aleppo are being run from Russian operation rooms, media outlets circulated photos showing a German spy ship near the Syrian coast, and an unusual workflow in NATO information centers in Cyprus was reported. Alex Ayoub, BBC.

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US assassination drone strike kills three in northwestern Pakistan [Press TV, Iran]

US assassination drone strikes continue to claim more lives in Pakistan. Three people were killed when an unmanned aircraft fired four missiles at a house in the northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan. The attack is the latest in a rising number of air strikes by US unmanned aircraft on foreign soil.

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Iran unveils major defense achievements [Press TV, Iran]

Iran celebrated its National Defense Industry Day with the Defense Ministry unveiling a series of its latest achievements to mark the occasion. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated several important projects, including sophisticated missile and electronic technology, as well as advanced aerial and sea defense batteries.

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US representative slammed for drunken skinny-dipping in holy Sea of Galilee [Press TV, Iran]

In an embarrassing revelation involving US lawmakers drinking and nudity, a delegation of about 20 Republican lawmakers and staff on a trip to Israel last summer swam in the Sea of Galilee after a night of dining and drinking. House Representative Kevin Yoder swam naked in the waters, which Christians consider as holy.

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US media displays bias against Muslims [Press TV, Iran]

A new report reveals that there may be an issue of media bias in the US, especially when it comes to violent actions against Muslims. Members of the Muslim community may be exposed to violence from the public that is largely underreported by the media. A recent analysis by Newsweek points out that there are tendencies to report violent acts committed by Muslims, and underreport violence against them.

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Israel asks Egypt to withdraw tanks from Sinai [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
A senior Israeli source at the prime minister's office told our Al Jazeera correspondent that Tel Aviv sent a letter to Cairo, via the White House, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Egyptian army's tanks from Sinai.

Presenter, Male #1
Egypt has stepped up its military presence in the region as part of Operation Eagle, aimed at purging "armed terrorists" following the recent Rafah attack.

Reporter, Female #2
Is it a warning sign of a looming crisis between Israel and post-revolution Egypt under the Brotherhood's reign? And will Cairo respond to Tel Aviv's request, sent via Washington, to withdraw the Egyptian army's tanks from Sinai? Israel considers the deployment of heavy arms for the first time in the region since the Camp David Accords were signed, even if part of a wide-scale cleansing operation against terrorists, as a serious violation of the peace treaty between the two sides, especially considering that Egypt acted with no prior consultation with Israel.

Reporter, Female #2
The message comes one day after Israel deployed anti-missile system batteries in the city of Eilat in response to the Egyptian army's deployment of anti-aircraft missiles in Sinai. The Israeli diplomatic escalation also comes after the recent visit by the new commander of the Egyptian armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to the volatile Sinai Peninsula. Al-Sisi is directly overseeing the final preparatory plans to step up Operation Eagle that is underway in the area. President Mohamed Morsi said that al-Sisi is personally leading the operation in Sinai. The plan includes the use of military aircrafts and rocket launchers with the aim of purging the area from armed militants.

Reporter, Female #2
It's undeniable that the killing of the 16 Egyptian soldiers by members of what has become known as the Salafi-Jihadist Front in Sinai has placed Egypt in an awkward position. The Egyptian government is obligated to maintain security, which is subject to an escalation at any time. In doing so, Egypt is trying to prevent militants from provoking Israel in a bid to drag it into carrying out a military action in Sinai, and consequently engage in a military confrontation with Egypt. And this exactly what Cairo and Tel Aviv are trying to avoid, at least for now.

Presenter, Male #1
Joining us from Jerusalem is our correspondent Elias Karram. Elias, why did Israel take this position, and why now?

Guest, Male #2 (Elias Karram, Al Jazeera Correspondent in Jerusalem)
Honestly, Israel is facing a real dilemma. On one hand, Israel wants the Egyptian army to continue its military operation in the Sinai Peninsula and purge the area of what Israel is referring to as "terror cells." But on the other hand, Israel fears that the Egyptian army will not withdraw its forces from Sinai after completing its operation.

Guest, Male #2
Israel fears that the Egyptian army will create a new state of affairs that contradict what was agreed upon in the military provisions of the Camp David Peace Accords between the two sides. Israel will have no choice but to deal with this new reality on the ground. This may lead to the launch of a new round of negotiations, especially considering that Egypt may demand to renegotiate the military provisions of the Camp David Accords.

Guest, Male #2
Israel asked the US administration, or the White House, to mount pressure on the Egyptian army and the political decision-making body in Cairo to ensure the withdrawal of the Egyptian forces after the completion of their military operation. They also want to ensure that Egypt will not deploy any forces or military machinery without consulting Israel first. In the past few weeks, Israel has allowed the Egyptian army to deploy a limited number of tanks and fighter jets. However, it seems that the Egyptian army sent more reinforcements than were permitted by Israel. And this is where Israeli fears and concerns originate.

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Taliban damages plane of US Joint Chiefs head during Afghanistan visit [IBA, Israel]

Insurgents fired rockets into an American base in Afghanistan and damaged the parked plane of the visiting Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey. The US-led military coalition said that general was safe at the time, but had to take another aircraft out of the country. The rocket strike that hit his C-17 military transport plane was another propaganda coup for the Taliban after they claimed to have shot down a US helicopter last week.

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Ethiopian ruler Meles Zenawi dies at 57 [IBA, Israel]

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's long-time ruler, died suddenly of an undisclosed illness at the age of 57. He held tight control over his country, but was helpful in the immigration of Ethiopian Jewry to Israel. IBA delves further into Israel's relationship with the hardcore Marxist-Leninist and the country of Ethiopia.

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Bahrain regime forces attack mourners, several injured [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
In Bahrain, the February 14th Coalition called for mass participation in a march commemorating Jerusalem Day martyr Hussam al-Haddad in the island of al-Muharraq today.

Reporter, Male #1
Bahrain was not filled with joy like past years, but was overcome with sadness, as its forgotten revolution mourned the souls of youth in the prime of their lives, youth who were martyred by regime forces. The last victim is 16-year-old martyr Hussam al-Haddad, who was killed during the commemoration of international Jerusalem Day, so he was named the al-Aqsa martyr. And based on calls by the opposition, citizens boycotted commercial malls and markets that remained nearly empty, as traffic on main roads was limited, and visits to the martyrs' graves increased in a display of their loyalty to them.

Reporter, Male #1
The regime's gift to the Bahrainis, that was represented through the killing of martyr al-Haddad on Eid al-Fitr, which Bahraini religious scholar Sheikh Issa Qassim thanked the authorities for, was not the first. Last year, and also on Eid, the regime killed a young boy, Ali Jawad al-Sheikh, by running him over. And on his anniversary, the neighborhoods of al-Kharijiya in the island of Sitra, and the town of al-Daraz witness mass marches.

Reporter, Male #1
In solidarity with the family of Ali Jawad al-Sheikh on the island of Sitra, the February 14th Coalition confirmed its determination to receive retribution from the murderers, regardless of how long it takes, and called for national unity, and for not allowing the regime to divide the people by sowing sectarian strife.

Guest, Male #2
We have the right to retribution from those who killed martyrs Ali al-Sheikh and Hussam al-Haddad, and all the martyrs. We will not compromise on their rights, neither us nor the parents of the martyrs, no matter how long it takes. We confirm the need for national unity, and we will not allow the Khalifa enemy to divide us and to implant sectarian strife in our beloved country.

Reporter, Male #1
The revolutionaries' action continued through the night, as nighttime demonstrations were held in most areas under the banner "Freedom Offerings," during which protestors chanted for the downfall of the regime, and for retribution from the murderers.

Reporter, Male #1
The Bahraini regime turned the squares of the cities and town into military sites to crack down on unarmed citizens. It drowned their homes with poisonous gas and pellet bullets, which lead to a number of injuries among the participants in the peaceful protests.

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Is technology hindering social ties in Algeria? [Algerie TV, Algeria]

Presenter, Male #1
It seems that modern technology continues to penetrate our traditional social fabric. And while technology can be helpful in some instances, it can't replace real connections under any circumstances. Karima Nashmat reports.

Reporter, Female #1
The month of bounties and blessings is gone, and other blessed days will come. The blessed Eid al-Fitr crowns the highest image of social solidarity, and strengthens kinship between all Algerians. But with the development of technology, some of us are limiting our social ties to phone calls or text messages, while sending wishes over the Internet through social networking sites.

Guest, Male #2
I am against this because affection can't be expressed. Where's the affection? There's no emotion in sending a text message to wish others a happy holiday.

Guest, Male #3
It's different when you go into someone's home, and see what they need. We need this kind of kinship, and this is was the prophet, peace be upon him, called for.

Guest, Male #4
It is a positive thing on one hand, so people are not disconnected, but on the other, real connections between one another should also continue.

Reporter, Female #1
Even if opinions vary between being in favor of electronic blessings, as some have called it, and resenting them, no one can disagree that technology has succeeded in overcoming time and place, but sometimes at the expense of real ties, affection, and a warm family and social environment. After all, Eid is a chance to maintain our kinship and our connection to God.