UN investigators urge Security Council to refer Syria to ICC [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Our representative in New York, Samer Nader, reported that Lakhdar Brahimi will present a report on the results of his visit to Damascus at the United Nations General Assembly meeting that will be held at the end of the month. And regarding the impact of the ongoing violence and clashes in Syria, Cairo is hosting a ministerial meeting for the "contact group" on Syria, while UN investigators seek to refer the violations case to the International Criminal Court.

Reporter, Female #2
Cairo is hosting the first ministerial-level meeting for the four-way contact group on Syria, which includes Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, in the presence of UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. In this framework, Brahimi briefed the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, on the results of his visit to Damascus, and his meetings with President Bashar al-Assad, the opposition, and civil society representatives.

Reporter, Female #2
On the other had, UN investigators made a recommendation to the Security Council to refer the case of Syrian violations to the International Criminal Court, and to take the appropriate procedures. While presenting his report at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the chair of the Commission of Inquiry, Paulo Pinheiro, announced that human rights violations in Syria have recently witnessed an increase in number, pace, and intensity.

Reporter, Female #2
The spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry called on all parties of the Syrian crisis to immediately end all violations of human rights, as well as international and humanitarian law. France also announced that it is looking into the means of referring the case to the International Criminal Court. Paris announced that this report includes compelling evidence against the regime in Damascus, which committed unprecedented crimes, and said that armed opposition groups must also refrain from committing unacceptable war crimes.

Reporter, Female #2
On the ground, the clashes and media wars between the authority and the opposition continue. As SANA announced that regime forces were able to control the neighborhood of al-Midan in Aleppo, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, announced to Agence France-Presse that clashes continue in al-Midan and several areas in Aleppo.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian Coordination Committees reported that 50 people were killed by security forces' gunfire in several Syrian areas. Syrian TV announced that the security forces who were in charge of protecting the scientific research center in the al-Zahraa neighborhood in Aleppo, and were backed by a unit of the regime's army, confronted an armed terrorist group attempting to attack the center, and inflicted heavy losses among its ranks.

Reporter, Female #2
In Homs, a unit of the regime's army and an armed terrorist group clashed in the neighborhood of Bab Houd. Internationally, Chairman of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Obukhov, warned that Islamist extremists will obtain power in Syria if al-Assad's regime collapses. Meanwhile, China renewed its rejection of any foreign intervention in Syria's internal affairs, as its foreign minister insisted that a political solution to the crisis must happen with the Syrian people's leadership.

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Hamas court charges four in slaying of Italian activist [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
A military court in Gaza issued rulings that varied in prison terms, including a life sentence for two of the four accused, for participating in the kidnapping and killing of pro-solidarity Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni. Arrigoni was kidnapped and killed in the Gaza Strip in April of last year at the hands of a group that calls itself the Tawhid and Jihad Group.

Reporter, Male #1
Far from the camera lens, the military court in Gaza issued its ruling against 4 Palestinian youths accused of participating in an operation in which they kidnapped and killed pro-solidarity Italian activist, Vittorio Arrigoni.

Guest, Male #2 (Colonel Ahmad Atallah, Head of Gaza Military Court)
Three of them are the primary accused, and one of them was sheltering the accused. The court issued multiple rulings. Two of the suspects were sentenced to life in hard labor, the third to 10 years of hard labor, and for the one harboring them, a year of incarceration.

Reporter, Male #1
Though subject to appeal, the decision left a positive impact among rights groups and friends of the late Arrigoni.

Guest, Male #3 (Khalil Shahin, Activist and Friend of Arrigoni)
I feel joy, because the court took into consideration the wishes of our friend Vittorio, and his family as well, by not issuing death sentences, which he regarded as a harsh punishment.

Reporter, Male #1
The Gaza military court rulings regarding the kidnapping and killing of pro-solidarity Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni, came over a year after the incident. An incident that had been met with great anger and criticism in various Palestinian circles.

Reporter, Male #1
Arrigoni had arrived to Gaza aboard one of the flotillas that aimed to end the siege. He settled there, and united in solidarity with Palestinians' rights.

Reporter, Male #1
On the 14th of April last year, an armed group that called itself the Sahabi Muhammad Bin Maslama Brigade, kidnapped Arrigoni to demand the Gaza government release one of the Salafi group's leaders, as it stated in its declaration. Hours after the group posted the video, Arrigoni was found dead in a home north of Gaza.

Reporter, Male #1
The Gaza government's response at the time was swift and decisive. Their forces stormed a house in which some suspects in the incident had barricaded themselves. At the time, they refused to turn themselves in. Two were killed, among them a young man of Jordanian citizenship.

Reporter, Male #1
It was an incident regarded by Palestinians as a deviation from their approach as well as their struggle, whose aim was always to win over and protect all those who sympathize and stand in solidarity with Palestine and its cause.

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Hezbollah leader makes rare appearance at massive rally in Lebanon [Press TV, Iran]

The leader of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah made a surprise appearance and a rare live speech for hundreds of thousands of protestors voicing their outrage in Beirut over a US-made film that offends Islam. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the US and Israel, and waved Lebanese and Hezbollah flags.

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New wave of protests sweeps Muslim world over anti-Islam film [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Demonstrations denouncing the film insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace and prayers be upon him, have reached all parts of the world. Two people were martyred and others wounded during demonstrations in Pakistan. Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey have all witnessed similar protests.

Reporter, Female #2
Protests denouncing the American film that insulted God's Prophet Muhammad, peace and prayers be upon him and his followers, are still raging with force across the Islamic world. Protest and slogans of condemnation were renewed by religious scholars and students of religious studies, during protest rallies witnessed across various Iranian cities. Through them, they affirmed that America cannot be trusted, for it is Islam's main enemy.

Guest, Male #1 (Ahmad Khatemi, Member of the Assembly of Experts)
The first to be accused of this crime are America and the Israeli entity.

Reporter, Female #2
The protests affirmed that America and the Israeli entity, through their support for such works offensive to the holy sites, have uncovered their hidden ugly side, under the cover of human rights and freedom of expression in the Western world. Protestors called for the punishment of the film's producers.

Reporter, Female #2
Thousands of Pakistanis shouted calls to defend Islam's Prophet Muhammad, peace and prayers be upon him and his followers, and took to the streets in all parts of the country to continue the mass demonstrations denouncing the offending film, demanding that its producers be held accountable.

Guest, Male #2
It is obvious that the American Embassy must not operate in Pakistan until this film has been erased, and those responsible choked to death.

Reporter, Female #2
In the southern city of Hyderabad, one person was martyred. In Islamabad, two more were martyred, and two protestors wounded during the demonstrations. Others were wounded and arrested in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, during clashes with the police. The police were trying to prevent them from approaching the American consulate, which they pelted with rocks.

Reporter, Female #2
On the street that houses the NATO alliance and the United States' bases in the Afghan capital Kabul, protestors marched against the film that insulted Islam. They burned the American flag and a portrait of President Barack Obama, later stepping on them with their feet.

Guest, Male #3
It ought not to be allowed to show such films. It ought not to be permitted to insult the Quran, Islam, and the Prophet, peace and prayers be upon him and his followers. And Muslims' feelings must not be hurt from this moment on.

Reporter, Female #2
With the excuse of preventing damage to public and private property, Afghan police confronted the protest rallies that took place this morning, resulting in clashes between the police and protestors.

Reporter, Female #2
Rage among Turks resulted in the burning of the American flag in demonstrations of protest against the film outside the American Embassy in the capital, Ankara, as they chanted slogans calling for the punishment of its producers.

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Iran: IAEA swayed by lobbying countries, mismanagement [Press TV, Iran]

Iran says that the International Atomic Energy Agency is distancing itself from its principle of fairness due to mismanagement and the influence of certain countries. The head of Iran's atomic energy organization, Fereydoun Abbasi, warned that some states had been swaying the UN agency in its decision-making. He also talked of the penetration by "terrorists" and "saboteurs" in the IAEA, adding that there are enough reasons to be pessimistic about the agency's reports.

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Ex-US consul warns of looming conflict with Iran as IAEA stresses 'commitment' to dialogue [IBA, Israel]

Regarding a negotiated solution over the Iranian nuclear program, there will likely be a military confrontation in 2013 with Iran-- this was the warning sounded by former US Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk in an interview with CBS. He explained that Israel sees the turmoil around them from a much closer perspective than the US, making them "very nervous."

Despite the lack of progress so far, the IAEA will hold further talks with Iran aimed at clarifying concerns about its nuclear energy program. IAEA chief Yukiya Amano made the announcement at the member state gathering, stressing that the agency is committed to further dialogue with Iran. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is scheduled to meet with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator as well. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said that a political solution is still possible to the Iranian nuclear issue.

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Times of Israel editor: 'Inconceivable' that Obama can't meet face-to-face with Netanyahu [IBA, Israel]

It is "inconceivable" that US President Barack Obama cannot find the time to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu face-to-face over the Iranian issue, says David Horovitz, Editor-in-Chief of the Times of Israel, in an interview with IBA. He calls the lack of talks a "failure in leadership" for the US and Israel.

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Kenyan politicians fuel tribal feud ahead of elections [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
The deadly tribal confrontations that have been ongoing in Kenya for a month intensified concerns that acts of violence will prevail over the upcoming elections that will take place next March. The current clashes resulted in the deaths of over 100 people from two rival tribes. What makes the situation even more dangerous is that politicians seek to utilize the confrontations for their own gain in the elections, which has led to the expulsion of a minister from the current government.

Reporter, Male #2
The killers arrived in the early morning. They were in the hundreds. They were armed with arrows, axes, and darts. They set the homes in the village on fire, and they beat the residents to death. They did not distinguish between children, the elderly, or women. They committed a massacre.

Reporter, Male #2
Jamila is an eight-year-old girl. An ax cut a large wound through her innocent face. She is still too afraid to even speak. But those who are able to speak, those who survived the massacre, tell horrific stories about what happened to them.

Guest, Male #2 (Massacre Survivor, Member of Pokomo Tribe)
The attackers were in three groups. The first set the houses on fire. The second kidnapped the wounded. And the third did the killing.

Reporter, Male #1
This conflict takes place over land and water. On one side, there is the Pokomo, young farmers who produce crops on the banks of the Tana River, in order to make money to pay for their daily needs.

Reporter, Male #1
On the other side, there is the Orma tribe. They are Bedouin shepherds who are constantly in search of shelter for their animals. In the past, conflicts were resolved peacefully.

Reporter, Male #1
But the shepherds armed themselves for protection, according to them. Some of them admit to being thirsty for revenge.

Reporter, Male #1
In neighboring villages, religious clerics and politicians preach about the importance of security and peace. But there are those who believe that the land is not only important to the farmers, but to politicians who are using the conflicts to win the upcoming elections.

Guest, Male #3 (Massacre Eyewitness, Member of the Pokomo Tribe)
If you have political power, then you have everything. There are many posts that you could win, and whoever wins has power and influence. That is enough reason to incite conflict.

Reporter, Male #1
The Kenyan government pushed military forces to stop the confrontations, which killed over 100 people within a month. But there is increasing worry that the upcoming elections may turn into a bloody battle incited by senior politicians.

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Palestinians mark 30th anniversary of Sabra and Shatila massacre [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
This marks the 30th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre that occurred on September 16th, 1982. The massacre lasted for three days and claimed the lives of a large number of martyrs, estimated between 3,500 and 5,000.

Reporter, Male #2
The Palestinian people's history is filled with black days, and the darkest of them were the three days in which the Sabra and Shatila massacre was committed. On its 30th anniversary, it still remains a mark of disgrace on the face of the Israeli occupation. If only time had skipped these three days from mid-September 1982; if the evening of Wednesday the 15th of September had gone straight through to Sunday morning on that month. History would have changed, and the thousands of victims among our people would have still been alive. They would not have been forced to face their gruesome deaths at the hands of criminals who lost their humanity, and let loose as heartless killing machines that were directed to kill innocent people who did not commit any sins. They were only Palestinians, which is a sufficient reason to be targeted by Tel Aviv's generals.

Reporter, Male #2
Hundreds of unarmed Palestinian, women, children, and elderly were slaughtered by criminals who had mastered killing innocent people, at a bad time when Palestinians were left as a diaspora with no supporters. After three days, the darkness lifted, and the occupation's atrocities in the camp were revealed. The result was thousands of martyrs and injured people among the Palestinians' ranks. They were subjected to this massacre as revenge for their resistance, before the siege that ended with international guarantees, most notably the protection of the camps' unarmed residents, after the Palestinian resistance left Beirut.

Reporter, Male #2
However, the countries who made these reassurances did not abide by their obligations, and left innocent people to face their fate, being killed, massacred, without taking measures on the ground, only denunciation and condemnation, which still gives Israel a green light to conduct its crimes whenever and wherever it desires.

Reporter, Male #2
The main goal of the massacre came in the form of terrorizing Palestinians to push them to migrate outside of Lebanon, and also to incite sectarian strife there. This was a continuation of the strike that the Israeli invasion directed at the Palestinians' existence in Lebanon.

Reporter, Male #2
The Sabra and Shatila massacre was not the first Israeli massacre committed against our Palestinian people, and it certainly was not the last. It was preceded by the massacres of Qibya, Deir Yassin, and Tantura. It was followed by the Jenin massacre and the Gaza massacres. And despite the atrocities of the killings and destruction in Sabra and Shatila, something the entire world had witnessed, the criminals are still free. Mohamed Noufal, Palestine TV.