Libyan revolutionaries seize Sirte's port, evacuate residents [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Libya's revolutionaries announced their entry into the city of Sirte from the east, where they are currently clashing with Gaddafi's battalions.

Presenter, Male #1
Brigadier-General Mustafa Bin Dardaf in Zintan said earlier that revolutionaries took control of the port of Sirte today after what he described as violent clashes last night.

Reporter, Male #2
The revolutionaries believe that the road to freedom is costly and difficult. They received more supplies in preparation for the decisive battle in Sirte. The goal is to retighten the noose on the remnants of Gaddafi's loyalists in coordination with their fellow revolutionaries from the west.

Guest, Male #3
We are now guarding the families in Sirte. As you saw, the revolutionaries are evacuating the residents of these areas and facilitating their escape. Of course, we care about these families because there are women and children, we deeply care about this matter and we are keen on protecting their lives while the other side doesn't care about such a thing.

Reporter, Male #2
As the noose is tightened, thousands are fleeing, safeguarded by fighters committed to protecting the sanctity of the refugees' lives. The clashes, while temporarily on hold, had victims. This is one of them. He's from Gaddafi's battalions and is being cared for by fighters advancing from the east. The fighters managed to capture a fairly good number of battalion members who refused to be filmed because some are Libyan.

Guest, Male #4
Naturally, we were deep inside. We took the sea road by Sirte and set up an ambush by air. The reconnaissance patrol oversaw the ambush and thanks to the almighty God and the determination of the youth, we were able to capture them. Some battalions are still entrenched inside the city. They also have snipers but God willing our youth will be able to deal with them.

Reporter, Male #2
Near the city, the houses and farms from which Gaddafi's supporters fled are being thoroughly combed. In coordination with NATO's shelling, the end seems near. Leaders of the revolutionaries say they wanted to enter the city of Sirte without causing any bloodshed. However, Gaddafi's battalions entrenched in the city rejected the peaceful call, rendering fighting a necessity to resolve the battle. From the eastern entrance of Sirte, Abdul Basir Hassan, al-Jazeera.

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Syrian army deserters clash with security forces in al-Rastan [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Syrian security forces backed by tanks and helicopters stormed the town of al-Rastan near Homs, following clashes with army defectors. The revolutionary general assembly announced that 11 people were killed by the Syrian army in today's confrontations. Politically, Britain's ambassador to Damascus said Syrian authorities will stop at nothing to cling to power and are trying to hide the killings, arrests, and abuses against anti-President Bashar al-Assad protestors from the world.

Reporter, Male #2
The situation facing the Syrian regime is getting more difficult by the day. In light of the regime's failure to quell the protests against it and despite its bloody crackdowns, which include acts of execution and detention, the number of defected army members continues to rise, posing a great challenge to President Bashar al-Assad. The area of al-Rastan in the country's central city of Homs turned into a war zone as night fell. Security forces backed by tanks and helicopters shelled various neighborhoods in the city, which is home to nearly 40,000 residents. Over the past few weeks, the city has witnessed a wave of defected army members who have formed the Khaled Bin al-Walid battalion, under the umbrella of the "Syrian Free Army."

Guest, Male #3
We promise the regime that there will be more defections if it continues its oppressive practices. We also promise a big surprise that will shake Assad's entity and its gangs upon entering al-Rastan.

Reporter, Male #2
Dozens of tanks have reportedly stormed the city and set up positions on its streets. Meanwhile, the army carried out raids and sweeps described as "violent and random." The bloody crackdown on the protests that demand the downfall of the regime has not prevented other neighborhoods, towns, and cities in Homs Province from expressing solidarity with al-Rastan. These images from the area of Hula were posted online by activists. In addition, security forces fired live ammunition at protestors in the Kahlidiyah neighborhood and in the Talbisa area of Homs in an attempt to prevent them from demonstrating against the regime's crimes. This video, which was leaked and posted online, shows the shelling of Talbisa Mosque and the area of Qal'a by Syrian tanks. In the town of al-Qusair in Homs near the Lebanese border, the residents bid farewell to a new wave of fallen victims killed by Syrian security forces. In the town of Kafruma in Jabal Zawiyah near the Turkish border, several people were killed and several others were wounded during raids by security forces, as confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory added that regime forces were searching for activists and army defectors. A video was posted online showing the bodies of Mohammed Mahdi al-Sayadi and his three sons who were shot to death by security forces and the regime's shabeha in the area of Halfaya in the countryside of Hama. Thousands of people held a funeral procession for al-Sayadi and his sons, chanting slogans demanding the downfall of Assad.

Reporter, Male #2
Amid these developments, the Syrian Revolution General Commission has called on Syrians to take part in what it referred to as "massive rage against the tyrant and his army." In a statement, the commission stressed the importance of staging protests across Syrian cities, towns, and villages. The statement also called for cutting off roads used by the regime's army by peaceful means.

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Yemeni defense minister survives attack [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male # 1
Yemeni Defense Minister General Mohammed Nasser Ahmed was the target of a suicide car bomb attack in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. A security source said the suicide bomber intercepted the minister's convoy as it was driving out of a tunnel in the neighborhood of al-Glouaa. The minister survived the attack and ten of his companions were injured. According to the same source, the defense minister was in the southern part of the county to oversee the battles waged by Yemeni forces against al-Qaeda members. Yemenis opposing President Ali Abdullah Saleh are mobilizing on two fronts. The first is represented by demonstrations with tens of thousands of participants in the streets of Sanaa, condemning President Saleh's speech in which he said he is willing to peacefully transfer power but only through early elections. On the other front, gunmen attacked army bases of pro-Saleh Republican Guards a few kilometers from the capital, which resulted in the deaths of a number of soldiers, including the commander of the 63rd Republican Guards unit, Brigadier Abdullah al-Kilaybi. Meanwhile, clashes continue in Taiz south of the capital, where Republican Guards shelled sites near Freedom Square. We are joined over the phone by our correspondent in Sanaa, Abdel Rahman el-Shumari. Abdel Rahman, what are the repercussions of the assassination attempt against the Yemeni defense minister on the Yemeni scene?

Reporter, Male # 2
Mohammad, there have been no major repercussions in light of the events witnessed in the country and the growing crises. Defense Minister General Mohammed Nasser Ahmed is an influential military figure and a decision-maker. But many here reject violence and assassination attempts, which concern most people and produce widespread fear in Yemen. Of course, after the incident, the security authorities surrounded the area and started an investigation. Some reports indicate that in addition to the suicide bomber, three soldiers providing security for the minister were killed as the minister's convoy was heading toward the Sheraton Hotel. That figure has not been verified yet but around ten people were also injured. The convoy consisted of three cars.

Presenter, Male # 1
Was the minister injured?

Reporter, Male # 2
The minister was not injured at all, but he was transported to a nearby hospital. According to initial reports, he's in good health and was not injured.

Presenter, Male # 1
Does this assassination attempt point to a change in the revolution? Going from peaceful to armed?

Reporter, Male # 2
I don't think there is a correlation between this incident and the peaceful revolution of the youth across most squares. Some are saying this incident is an attempt to draw attention away from the political failure of the regime to peacefully transfer power. On the other hand, some are saying the incident bears al-Qaeda's fingerprints, which is also situated in Aden Province, near Abyan Province. In the past three months, Abyan Province witnessed fierce battles. Army and tribal forces managed to expel al-Qaeda members from Zinjibar and other directorates. Those members were also in Aden. As for the youth, their revolution is peaceful and they say it will remain as such until it attains its goals.

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Israel resumes excavations under Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Israeli entity's interior ministry approved the construction of 1,100 new settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. The ministry announced in a statement that the district planning committee approved the construction of 1,100 new settlement units in the Gilo neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The statement added that the district planning committee passed a plan to build settlement units in the Gilo neighborhood near Bethlehem City in the West Bank. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat considered the decision to build new settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem a rejection of the proposal by the mediators of the Middle East Quartet. Erakat accused the Israeli entity of destroying the two-state option by expanding its settlement projects and occupation measures. He added that today, Tel Aviv responded to the Quartet statement that called for a halt to unilateral action by both sides, in particular a halt to settlements. Erakat called on all countries to support the Palestinian attempt to obtain full membership at the UN Security Council and recognize the state of Palestine. The Israeli occupation continues its excavation operations under the holy al-Aqsa Mosque aimed at Judaizing occupied Jerusalem and taking over the Islamic heritage. Political observers revealed that occupation authorities have begun to dig a large tunnel. The tunnel passes underground the Silwan neighborhood, extends to the Wadi Hilwa neighborhood, runs through the wall of the Old City, and ends underneath the square in front of the holy mosque.

Reporter, Male #1
Every day, there is increasing Judaization and danger for the city of Jerusalem, and specifically for the holy al-Aqsa Mosque. The Israeli occupation authorities continually initiate and complete their plans underground al-Aqsa Mosque and in its surrounding areas. One of the most dangerous plans is the creation of a large tunnel that passes underground Silwan, extends to the Wadi Hilwa neighborhood, runs through the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, and ends underneath the square in front of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.

Guest, Male #2 (Sheikh Akrama Sabri, Head of the Supreme Islamic Body)
These tunnels are a blatant assault on the Islamic Waqf, or Islamic endowments, because the ground underneath and surrounding the mosque are Islamic endowments. In addition, the historic monuments underneath and around al-Aqsa are facing the threat of collapse, obliteration, and annihilation.

Reporter, Male #1
Reports indicate that the occupation connected the new tunnel with a 500-meter-long Silwan tunnel that opened months ago, which extends from the west of Ein Silwan Mosque, passes underground Silwan's main avenue and houses that lead to al-Aqsa Mosque.

Guest, Male #3 (Najih Bakirat, Head of the Manuscripts Department of al-Aqsa Mosque)
I believe it aims to weaken al-Aqsa Mosque's buildings. The next tunnel will not be under Bab al-Ghawanmeh, like the tunnel that was dug in 1996, but will be underneath Marwani Mosque. Once the Israeli occupation seizes control underground, it will seek control above ground. They're looking for an opening to set foot inside al-Aqsa Mosque.

Reporter, Male #1
It has been indicated that the tunnels reached the foundations of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque, and more specifically, underneath the women's praying chamber and the Islamic museum in the southwestern part of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque. The Israeli occupation is racing against time by digging a number of tunnels around and underneath al-Aqsa Mosque, the First Qibla, and the Third Holy Sanctuary, in order to impose its final control of it. Khadar Shahin, Alalam, occupied Jerusalem.

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Israeli ambassador: Palestinian UN move will void all agreements [IBA, Israel]

We begin with this month's showdown at the UN. Israel's ambassador to the United States said if the Palestinians make good on their threat to seek statehood at the Untied Nations all agreements governing Israeli-Palestinian and US-Palestinian cooperation could become null and void. Michael Orin told Foreign Policy Magazine, "Israel has a lot of agreements with the Palestinian Authority and we have no agreements with the government of Palestine. It's just a fact." Orin said, "It puts us in a different realm." He added that the move also affects American agreements with the Palestinian Authority as the US is a cosignatory to the Oslo Accords. Orin stressed that unilateral steps would impact economic treaties including export-import and water sharing, as well as security cooperation agreements.

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Hamas leader arrested again only weeks after release [IBA, Israel]

Security forces have rearrested a founding member of the Hamas terror organization just weeks after releasing him from jail. Sheikh Hasam Yousef was detained as he tried to cross a checkpoint between the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Nablus. Yousef was freed from prison on August 4 as part of a mass release due to overcrowding. There was no reason given for his latest arrest. You may remember that Yossef disowned his son Mosab last march after the younger Yousef converted to Christianity and admitted that he had spied for Israel's Shin Bet security service for ten years.

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New iron dome defense system reassures Ashdod residents [IBA, Israel]

Students at Ashdod got a back to school gift from the IDF. The army has deployed the third iron dome rocket battery just outside the community. Defense minister Ehud Barak praised the chief of staff for deploying the system ahead of schedule. The Ashdod mayor welcomed the good news at the start of the school year, and said it will give parents and children a sense of security.

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US airstrike kills 35 in eastern Afghanistan [Press TV, Iran]

Reports say a US airstrike has killed at least 35 people in eastern Afghanistan. The attack happened in the Abban district of Ghazni Province. The US military says it has targeted Taliban militants but villagers say civilians are also among the dead. Afghan officials have made no comments. Earlier, officials said at least 20 civilians had been killed in a recent operation by US-led foreign forces in the east. The Western military alliance had announced that the dead were militant.

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Dozens of women protestors sentenced to 15 years in Bahraini prison [Press TV, Iran]

Moving on to other news now, Bahrain has sentenced 32 female protestors to 15 years in prison each. Days ago 36 women and seven girls were arrested for chanting anti-regime slogans at a major mall in Manama. They were protesting against the parliamentary by-elections. Amnesty International says the women were tortured in detention. The advocacy group says Bahraini authorities have even denied the detainees access to their lawyers and families.

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Karbala citizens demand Iraqi authorities improve security [Al-Forat TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Female #1
Citizens demanded the government fulfill its duty of protecting them instead of making accusations and condemnations that will not bring the victims back to life. They also demanded the government reduce the number of checkpoints and bomb detectors in the city, which have not been able to prevent terrorists from achieving their goals. Hussein al-Shimari reports.

Reporter, Male #1
The Karbala residents' wounds from the painful Nakhib incident have not yet healed since the shocking bombings of the passport and identity card office in the eastern region of Abbasiya. This terrorist attack victimized over 100 citizens who were martyred or wounded, sounding the alarm for all politicians and leaders of the country. The incident provides clear evidence of the flawed security measures to protect citizens, as Iraqi politicians are preoccupied with internal disputes and personal gains, and are completely disconnected from the Iraqi citizens' concerns, sufferings, and sorrows.

Guest, Male #2
Al-Qaeda is known for their terror. Yesterday they targeted pilgrims, and today they targeted the residents of Karbala. This became known to us. God willing, we will stay here. God willing.

Guest, Male #3 (Ali Ibrahim, Journalist)
Why is Iraqi blood becoming cheap? The officials are safe in their ivory towers, closing the doors on any conflict or problem and abandoning the citizens. The local security agency said the incident occurred in zone two not zone one, which is outside its jurisdiction. If the provincial building, the police headquarters, the federal court, and the passport office are not included in zone one, then which department is part of zone one!

Reporter, Male #1
The corridors of al-Hussein Hospital in Karbala Province were filled with dozens of wounded people, including the elderly, women, and children. In addition, there are over 34 wounded members of the security institution. Some were at the site of the attack guarding the government departments, while the others rushed to the bombing site to evacuate the martyrs and wounded, and were injured in the bombings that followed.

Guest, Male #4 (Colonel Sarih, Member of the Karbala Police Department)
I heard the call for help and saw the smoke. I jumped in my car and rushed to the passport office. The national guards were not able to enter the area. The homes were on fire. I went inside to help evacuate the families. I was worried about the residents' safety. Someone detonated a booby trapped car in the area. People were running scared.

Guest, Male #5
I was walking in the area when the explosion struck. I was taken away by a car.

Reporter, Male #1
The streets of Karbala are still living in frustration and fear in the aftermath of the repeated security breaches. Residents are questioning the reason behind filling city streets with checkpoints and bomb detectors as they are not effective. At the same time, they demand the government take swift and urgent measures to protect the citizens and prevent more bloodshed throughout Iraq. Al-Forat, Hussein al-Shimari, the holy city of Karbala.