Libya's decisive battles rage in Bani Walid and Sirte [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
We now look at developments in Libya and begin with al-Jazeera's exclusive video of the heated battles in Bani Walid. The February 17 revolutionaries are launching attacks on Gaddafi's battalions stationed in the city. Our al-Jazeera correspondent spoke of the strong resistance by the battalions.

Reporter, Male #1
The battalions are massing near the Wadi Zaytoun neighborhood on the hill. They are spreading oil on the roads to hamper the revolutionaries' advance, but the revolutionaries have fended off the attacks against them to hinder their push. They are advancing from two directions, from the right and left; the revolutionaries are facing strong resistance by Gaddafi's battalions. One of Gaddafi's close personal staff may be taking refuge here. The battalions are firing mortar shells to counter the revolutionaries' attack. These pictures show the fierce clashes and violent confrontations. Revolutionaries insist on advancing and taking control of Bani Walid.

Presenter, Female #1
In another development, a field commander in Sirte said that revolutionaries control 70 percent of the city, which is considered a stronghold for Muammar al-Gaddafi and his tribe.

Reporter, Male #2
Bani Walid is in the hands of revolutionaries. Two days after the given deadline for the city to surrender, reinforcement was summoned from all directions, despite the hundreds of armed Gaddafi supporters entrenched in the city. After raising signs of victory, the revolutionaries are combing Bani Walid to secure it. The scene is not very different in Sirte. The revolutionaries are mobilizing their forces to secure Gaddafi's stronghold, which was a central front for seesaw battles before most of the city fell into the hands of the revolutionaries.

Guest, Male #3 (Makhlouf Farjan, Field Commander in Sirte)
Thank God, for three days the revolutionaries fought in Sirte and yesterday, 70 percent or 80 percent of the city was liberated, God willing.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, the civilians are trying to leave Sirte to escape the fighting and tragic conditions inside the city.

Guest, Male #3
It is extremely bad, I mean, the hospitals have no medicine, and the humanitarian situation is very bad. There is no electricity, no water, and no gas. The city's residents are suffering a lot. For three months the city has been under siege by the battalions of the tyrant Gaddafi.

Reporter, Male #2
So, in Sirte as well in Bani Walid, decisive battles are ongoing in the Libyan revolution, expected to soon be complete after months of fighting and destruction.

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Syrian activists vow to 'continue' until the regime is brought down [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said those responsible for what he described as the oppression of the Syrian people will not survive with impunity. Erdogan made the statement during a visit to Libya, revealing an apparent escalation in Turkey's tone towards Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Erdogan arrived in Libya earlier today within the framework of his North African tour, during which he also visited Egypt and Tunisia. His visit to Libya comes one day after British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the country. In Syria, at least 20 people were killed by the gunfire of security forces in various regions on the "Friday of perseverance until the downfall of the regime," which witnessed protests across the country today.

Reporter, Male #2
In the Syrian capital Damascus, it was announced that dialogue sessions will continue in the provinces and that a consensus was reached on what was called "reviewing the economic model" and "strengthening communication with the youth." Also in Damascus, Syrian TV is broadcasting live from a number of regions, including the city of Aleppo, to deny what it refers to as "the seditious satellite networks'" reports on the demonstrations. In Damascus, guests on Syrian TV hold the US and Israel responsible for dividing people in the entire Arab region, and not only in Syria.

Guest, Male #3
We have discovered that among the sheikhs, some working for the White House, and that among our muftis, some are working for Israel's Mossad.

Reporter, Male #2
However, not very far from Syrian TV headquarters in al-Umawiyeen Square in the capital, mobile phones recorded these scenes. In the Assali neighborhood of Damascus. In al-Qaboun neighborhood. In al-Maydan. And in the suburb of Saqba. The protests were not limited to Damascus and its suburbs, but spread to most Syrian regions. In Homs, Idlib, the city of Jasim in Horan, the village of Naheta in Houran as well, and Amouda of al-Hasakah. A funeral is held for a person killed by the security's gunfire in Khattab village in the countryside of Hama, while the opposition said the Syrian army and security forces deployed thousands of members to the city. The reports of security deployments and arrest campaigns also continue. People of different political backgrounds, ages and social positions are arrested. Dr. Rafah Rashid is a Syrian psychologist cooped up in a women's prison in Damascus. According to the opposition, she is one of thousands of men and women detainees kept behind bars without a trial. Friday's protests were named by activists the "Friday of perseverance until the downfall of the regime," which witnessed the killing of a number of people by the security forces' gunfire. Syrian state media denied the reports, saying only one security member was killed by the gunfire of militants.

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Defected Colonel Harmoush reveals plot against Syria [Syrian TV, Syria]

Presenter, Male #1
We followed many stories, works of fiction and statements on a number of satellite networks. But now, as promised, we present a video of Hussein Harmoush.

Guest, Male #2
My name is Hussein Mustafa Harmoush. At the beginning of 2009, I was granted the rank of lieutenant colonel, and then I joined a security course for one year at the National Institute for Security Sciences. The course ended on May 3. On June 6, I announced my defection from the Syrian Arab Army.

Reporter, Male #3
Did you complete the course?

Guest, Male #2
No.

Reporter, Male #3
How many times were you reprimanded and for what reasons?

Guest, Male #2
I was reprimanded twice in the Fifth Brigade, and another time in the Field Engineering Faculty when I was the commander of a battalion.

Reporter, Male #3
Why did you flee?

Guest, Male #2
I fled because of the bloody events witnessed on the streets.

Reporter, Male #3
What does "bloody" mean?

Guest, Male #2
I mean there were many people killed in the street.

Reporter, Male #3
Who was killing these civilians?

Guest, Male #2
There were gangs.

Reporter, Male #3
Armed gangs?

Guest, Male #2
Certainly armed gangs; they were killing these civilians.

Reporter, Male #3
Did you receive orders to open fire on any civilian?

Guest, Male #2
No, I was not given any orders to open fire on any civilians or even non-civilians.

Reporter, Male #3
Did you see any commander giving orders to their subordinates to open fire on civilians?

Guest, Male #2
No, I did not see any.

Guest, Male #4
Lieutenant Colonel Hussein, who issued the orders to kill the protestors?

Guest, Male #2
The orders were issued from the security and military institutions.

Reporter, Male #3
After you fled the army, who contacted you?

Guest, Male #2
Many people contacted me, all of them from the opposition abroad. But after about two and a half or three months, I discovered that most of the people who contacted me or encouraged me had their own agendas, and promised me many things.

Reporter, Male #3
Like what?

Guest, Male #2
Mostly support, all kinds of support: material, logistical, weapons, etc. But none of those promises were delivered.

Reporter, Male #3
Weapons, for what?

Guest, Male #2
The plan was to secure weapons to protect unarmed civilians, but nothing was provided, neither weapons nor anything else.

Reporter, Male #3
In order to open fire on the army and security?

Guest, Male #2
No, I said in my statement, even if I was killed by a soldier I would not kill him.

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Yemenis remain steadfast in their demand for change [Press TV, Iran]

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have staged rallies in the capital Sanaa and other major cities after Friday prayers. The protestors have been calling for the complete ouster of Ali Abudullah Saleh's regime. This comes a day after regime forces opened fire on demonstrators in Taiz, killing ten people. Huge crowds in the southern city marched from the Tahrir or Change Square to the Directorate of Security.

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Tear gas kills another Bahraini protestor [Press TV, Iran]

The latest now from Bahrain, we are just getting in this breaking news. Another Bahraini protestor has been killed after inhaling tear gas. In Bahrain, tens of thousands of anti-regime protestors around the capital Manama are holding mass funerals for an anti-regime protestor who was killed on Wednesday. People from all walks of life have come out to the streets right after Friday prayers to take part in the funeral processions.

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Saudi activists call for popular movement toward political reform [Press TV, Iran]

Activists in Saudi Arabia say a popular movement toward political reform is needed to avert a looming crisis in the country. The Muslim Nation Party says the Kingdom's unwarranted arrests, human rights violations, and wasting of public funds for suspicious arms deals are just some of the factors that have thrown the nation into a crisis. The group says political, social, and economic reform policies are needed to resolve the current situation. Other activists have called on Riyadh to implement changes, and soon.

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Hundreds rally in Egypt against revival of emergency laws [Nile TV, Egypt]

Presenter, Male #1
Egyptians gathered in Tahrir, or Liberation Square to take part in a Friday rally dubbed "no to the emergency law." The rally was organized by nearly 30 political movements and parties, most notably the Revolutionary Youth Union and the new el-Ghad or "Tomorrow" Party. However, a number of political parties, including the Justice and Freedom Party and the April 6 Youth Movement, decided to boycott the rally.

Presenter, Female #1
The protestors are calling for the revocation of Egypt's emergency law and for the application of civil law to all citizens without exception. In response, the health ministry deployed 33 ambulances to the square and elevated the state of alert at nearby hospitals.

Reporter, Male #2
Egyptian revolutionaries were divided over today's events in Tahrir Sqaure, where a rally dubbed "no to the emergency law," was organized by nearly 30 political movements and coalitions. On the other hand, several other political blocs, most notably the Muslim Brotherhood, decided to boycott today's rally. The participants held a large banner that read "no to the emergency law." Other protestors raised slogans calling for the revocation of the emergency law and for the application of civil law to all citizens without exception.

Guest, Female #2
We say no to the emergency law and no to military trials. We call for the retrials of the 11,899 defendants in civil courts. If anyone of them is found guilty or proven to be a "thug," we want the honorable Field Marshal to put them in jail. But please take note that many of them are revolutionary youths, who are demanding freedom, justice, democracy, a decent life, and dignity.

Guest, Male #3
We don't want this emergency law. We would die for freedom, dignity, and social justice. This is why we came out here today. We didn't come out here to break, vandalize, or destroy anything.

Guest, Male #4
The emergency law is the biggest hurdle on the road to development in Egypt. How do you expect an investor to come here and invest if an emergency law is in effect? It's impossible.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite their small number, the participants of today's rally dubbed "Friday of no to the emergency law" expressed unity and support for the armed forces and urged them to restore security and stability to the country.

Guest, Male #7
This emergency law must be overturned. It's against the revolution, the martyrs, and the injured who remain in the hospital.

Guest, Male #8
What did this law do to benefit Egypt over the past 30 years? If anything, it destroyed the public and private sectors. It ruined Egypt. People were afraid to speak out under the pretext of this emergency law.

Reporter, Male #2
The participants in today's protest voiced their rejection to the emergency law. Meanwhile, several other political blocs, who also voiced their rejection to the emergency law, decided to boycott today's rally, saying it's not the right time to protest.

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Protestors in Jordan demand the 'downfall of the Wadi Araba peace treaty' [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female # 1
Jordanians in the capital Amman's district of Rabia protested, demanding the cancelation of the peace treaty with the Israeli entity. The demonstrators tried to break the security cordon surrounding the Israeli embassy after clashing with security forces.

Reporter, Male # 1
In the season of Islamic awakening: truth is born and the people's will shines to change the headlines, and of course, among those issues are the relations between the Israeli occupation entity and some Arab regimes. The beginning was similar in Cairo; the birth of a new Islamic awakening from the womb of current events and political repression. Then, the liberation of Egypt's sky from the Israeli flag began. And from Cairo to Amman, Jordan's capital, popular will was uninterrupted as the roar of popular anger reverberated to demand the departure of the occupation's ambassador from Jordan. The protests that started with the demand for change transformed Amman's streets into a platform to call for liberation. The liberation of the homeland from the presence of the Israeli occupation entity's embassy. Jordanians had a date with the revolution and intended to define their true goal.

Guest, Male #2
The Jordanian people came to demand an end to the Wadi Araba treaty. They came to demand an end to the relations between the Jordanian government and the Zionist entity. The masses are leading this demand and we confirm our right to resist the occupation and our right to remove the enemy from our land. We have the right to reject its embassy and reject all diplomatic, economic and cultural ties with it.

Reporter, Male # 1
The demonstrations illustrated the features of this season and highlighted its headlines and eventual implications. The protests in the al-Rabia area in the capital Amman resulted from genuine pain. The protestors chanted for the cancelation of the peace treaty with the Israeli entity, known as the Wadi Araba, and called for an end to ties with the entity. They also demanded its ambassador be expelled and an end to the normalization policy. Angry demonstrators chanted for the death of Israel and the US. In addition, they burned the Israeli flag. Some protestors tried to break the security cordon surrounding the Israeli embassy and breached the checkpoints but the heavily deployed security forces prevented the protestors, igniting sporadic clashes. The number of demonstrators grew after evening prayers when worshippers left the Kalouti Mosque located near Tel Aviv's embassy.

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Thousands of Iraqis decry government corruption and poor public services [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female # 1
Thousands of Iraqis protested after Friday prayers in the city of al-Sadr, east of the capital Baghdad, in response to the call by Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The demonstrators held government officials responsible for the deterioration of services and demanded the legislative body hold those responsible accountable. In addition, other cities witnessed similar protests.

Reporter, Male # 3
In response to the call of Sadrist Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr, thousands of Iraqis protested in the center of the capital Baghdad. They held some government factions responsible for the deterioration of the government's work and its shortcomings in providing basic services to the citizens.

Guest, Male # 4
These people are in murky waters. If Iyad Allawi and the Iraqiya bloc wanted to reform the government, they would have had their supporters on the street; they have 90 seats. They would've come to Tahrir Square and to the offices of the martyr the way our brothers protested in al-Sadr city.

Reporter, Male # 3
Politicians who participated in the demonstrations confirmed that the continued slow pace of implementing government programs and promises will negatively reflect on the street that now demands accountability for the negligent and corrupt holding important posts in the government and parliament. Those officials are playing negative roles and ignoring essential issues in the country.

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Abbas working on deal with EU, US to avoid statehood bid [IBA, Israel]

We open with the ongoing diplomatic efforts to offset the Palestinian bid for recognition of statehood at the United Nations next week, including a discussion over a new European Union proposal by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today with EU and United States envoys. A report today details a softened Palestinian proposal in the draft they planned on submitting to the United Nations Security Council, which the Palestinians announced yesterday. The proposal that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is discussing with officials from the European Union and the United States includes 20 paragraphs of which four have been agreed upon.