Yemeni and Syrian demonstrators unify Friday's call for 'victory' [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven people were killed by the gunfire of Syrian security forces in the city of Hama and its countryside. Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets in various parts of Syria to demand the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad on what was named the "Friday of Victory for our Syria and our Yemen." Meanwhile, the tense security situation continues to be felt in Rastan amid violent clashes between the Syrian army and defecting soldiers.

Reporter, Male #2
This Friday is one of the Fridays that was named by Arab demonstrations. It was titled the "Friday of Victory for our Syria and our Yemen." It came as if a declaration of national coordination between the revolutions in what is called the "Arab Spring." Two regimes are holding onto their stances in Damascus and Sanaa, and each has its loyalists, military force and security institutions. In turn, two streets insist on overthrowing the two regimes with their slogans and protests demanding the two presidents step down. In Sanaa, as well as in Syria, protestors chanted slogans pointing to the unity of their concerns and demands.

Guest, Male #3 (Fida al-Sayed, spokesman for coalition of the Syrian Revolution websites)
Syria, the same as Yemen, is witnessing a popular revolution with rightful demands, which are to attain freedom and dignity, and to get rid of the tyrants who robbed the country and looted the people's blood and wealth for decades. In both Syria and Yemen, the tyrants are clinging onto their seats and refusing to leave even though the people deserted them and demanded that they step down.

Reporter, Male #2
Activists confirmed that eight civilians, including a child, were killed by the gunfire of the security forces and dozens of wounded people are in critical condition with no relief at reach. In contrast, Syrian news agency SANA said armed terrorist groups killed seven military members in al-Rastan, including two officers. SANA quoted a Syrian military spokesman saying the storming of Rastan came after terrorist groups intimidated the residents, disabled power supplies in the city, and cut off the roads with barricades and explosives. It seems the army's operations in al-Rastan will last for some time.

Guest, Male #3 (Amir al-Sadiq, representative of Syrian Revolution Coordinators' Union)
Yes, up until recently, al-Rastan was free of or immune to the army storming in while the army was preparing the operation for the past several months. We received estimates that the number of forces taking part in the operation will reach 15,000 military members once it's over. This proves the extent to which the army fears that region, either because Homs province is near the border with Lebanon or because a large number of army families and army defectors are there.

Reporter, Male #2
While one person has reportedly died from injuries sustained on Thursday in Homs, which witnessed heavy gunfire at dawn on Friday, another civilian was killed by the security forces in Hama. The city of Saraqeb witnessed gunfire from armored trucks after they entered the city, while fire was opened in the Qaboun neighborhood of Damascus. Night and morning protests broke out on Friday before Friday prayers, demanding the departure of the regime, such as this one in Damascus. Meanwhile, security forces were deployed this morning around mosques and public spaces across many Syrian cities in anticipation of protests. Despite the deployment, Syrian security forces were pushed to disperse the demonstrations with gunfire. Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition is engaging in heated discussions on militarizing what is called the Syrian revolution, which some fear will lead to sectarian strife and civil war. Hayan Yaaqoub, BBC.

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Yemeni youth insist they will remain peaceful as Saleh's clerics issue fatwa against protests [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Friday protests in Yemen are usually held under two slogans. The Friday of "we're coming" was dubbed by the opponents of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime. They converged today on 17 squares across Yemeni provinces demanding the downfall of President Saleh and the prosecution of his regime's figureheads. Meanwhile, protestors in Sanaas Tahrir or Liberation Square marked the day under the slogan "Victory for our Syria and our Yemen." On the other hand, the regime's supporters held a rally under the banner the "Friday of resorting to dialogue and polls." The protestors called for the resumption of a comprehensive dialogue, which will lead to democratic elections that will help chart the future of Yemen. President Ali Abdullah Saleh said in an interview with the Washington Post and Time Magazine that he will not step down if his rivals remain in power. He added that transferring power to his opponents means that was toppled in a coup d'etat. During a meeting with religious scholars loyal to his regime in the Yemeni capital, Saleh renewed a call for starting a dialogue with the opposition. The clerics issued a fatwa or religious decree prohibiting armed protests against what they referred to as the "guardian" of the state. On the ground, two Yemenis were killed and several others were wounded in the latest security breach between government forces on one side and members of the First Armored Brigade loyal to the revolution and armed tribesmen on the other. Abdel-Rahman al-Shimiri reports from Sanaa.

Reporter, Male #1
An alarming ambiguity persists over the political scene in Yemen amid a security breakdown. Explosions are echoing once again in the capital Sanaa, particularly in the Hasaba neighborhood, where fierce confrontations erupted between the Republican Guards on one side and supporters of the Hashed tribal chief, Sadiq al-Ahmar, on the other. Several people were killed and several others were wounded in the clashes. This news comes after the Yemeni vice-president warned of a potentially explosive situation erupting in Yemen.

Guest, Male #2
Yesterday, the vice-president met with EU and Arab ambassadors. He affirmed that the crisis went back to the starting point following the recent incidents witnessed in the country. This reflects a great deal of desperation. More violent incidents were reported today as well. This means that all truce and mediation efforts may not succeed.

Reporter, Male #1
Meanwhile, peaceful protests and rallies will continue across Sanaa and most Yemeni provinces as the youths of change have rejected the war option that is being sought by the regime. They also vowed to continue their peaceful protests aimed at achieving "revolutionary resolve" and the desired change.

Guest, Male #3
We have 60 million weapons in our possession yet we are peaceful. We will continue to be steadfast and peaceful.

Guest, Female #2
We will not resort to violence no matter what happens. We are peaceful youths and our revolution is peaceful as well. We will not get tired or bored, and we will stay here until the last Yemeni citizen standing in Change Square is gone.

Reporter, Male #1
In another development, a group of Yemeni religious scholars loyal to the regime issued a statement at the end of their meeting in Sanaa, prohibiting defections against the "guardian" of the state, whether by words or actions. The fatwa also prohibits staging protests on public streets. Observers believe the regime is blatantly using religion to serve its special interest. Yemen stands between the security and the political solution, while the country is on the verge of entering a critical stage, fluctuating between an escalation on one side and a truce on the other. Abed-Rahman al-Shimir, Dubai TV, Sanaa.

Presenter, Female #1
In a brief statement, the Yemeni Defense Ministry announced the death of the American-born Yemeni Imam Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki was an al-Qaeda leader pursued by the US. Several members of the network were also killed in the attack. While the Yemeni Interior Ministry confirmed the death with no further elaboration, a tribal source said that al-Awlaki was killed early today in an airstrike, targeting two vehicles travelling between Maarib east of Sanaa and al-Jawaf along the Saudi border.

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Bloodshed uniting Arab peoples against dictators [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male # 1
In Sanaa, protestors held their demonstration under the banner "Victory for our Syria and our Yemen." In Syria, activists used the same slogan for the Syrian revolution to express the unifying conditions of the Yemeni and Syrian people in their revolutions against the ruling regimes. It is worth mentioning that this is the first time during the protests, which have swept across many Arab countries since early this year, that activists unify their protest against the regime under one banner. To explain this unprecedented event and the structure of the sole Arab regime that exists, despite the rulers' different names, my colleague Ziad Barakat has the following report.

Reporter, Male # 2
There was a father in Yemen who wanted to bequeath an inheritance. And a son in Syria who indeed received an inheritance. They are Ali Abdullah Saleh and Bashar al-Assad and both have been facing for months a massive popular revolution, during which both people broke the barrier of fear to dismantle a rule that is based on fear, corruption, and regional and international complicity, according to the regimes' opponents. The two men are not anomalies in the Arab world. They were preceded by the head of the biggest Arab state, Hosni Mubarak, who tried to ensure the transfer of power to his son after his own long reign. Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi had the same ambition. As for the first Arab president to be toppled by the people's revolutions, it was Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. His opponents say he was the worst, handing over the country and its resources to his wife, who transferred Tunisia's land, people, and wealth to the Trabelsi family's bank account. Analysts say the same foundation can be found across a region that is not only still under the pre-state configuration but also ruled and motivated by that configuration. So there is no modernity, no citizenship, and no modern state. This has rendered reaching power the means to rape the state. This caused countries to come under the sole ownership of the president, his family and those close to him. So according to this reasoning, the one who owns the country also owns its wealth and the future of its citizens for the coming decades. This led the ruler to not only effectively annul the existence of the people, but also pushed that ruler toward crazy inquiries only pondered by the protagonists of the great tragedies, from which cheap comedies were inspired in their Arab version. The ruler, at the peak of his anger at discovering the presence of a people who don't want him, asks them, "Who are you?" This is the question that Gaddafi asked, addressing his people and answering that they only "rats." In Syria, the young president, who happened to be an optometrist, discovered that there are germs nestled in the limbs of the country, so he decided to extract them. In Yemen, the president talked about cattle and in Egypt, about children. However, those described as germs in Syria saw a different scene from the doctor president. They revolted in Daraa nearly seven months ago. They shouted "no," a victory for their dignity and a search for an environment devoid of germs in a country that happened to be their own. The response was harsh with over 2,700 killed and thousands of injured and detained, in addition to the bodies that are being cut to pieces and the women and children, who are getting killed and delivered to their families in black bags. The same situation, even if the method differs, is occurring in Yemen. The two presidents have resorted to the reasoning of self-enclosed rulers asserting, "It is either us or chaos." President Bashar and his media talked about armed gangs and Salafists. And Saleh did the same, discussing extremism and al-Qaeda. Both talked about a foreign conspiracy while many regional and international indicators confirm their overt or broad collaboration with foreign powers, as claimed by their opponents. A person close to President Bashar was not embarrassed to link his president remaining in power to Israel's stability. Observers say both raised the scarecrow of civil war, and sought to grow the fear of minorities, connecting the entire country's existence, not only its unity, to their reign. In both countries, supporters of the regime warned of division within the society and the dangers of a split that could threaten the unity of their countries' territories. And both talked about constitutional changes while blood was heavily being shed on the streets. Blood on the streets of Sanaa, Ibb, Daraa, Deir az-Zour, and Homs united them. So why don't their struggles and slogans become unified as well? This is what happened on this Friday, when its organizers in both countries sought to bring victory to our Syria and our Yemen.

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Mauritanian youth condemn country's census as racist [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Mauritanian Interior Ministry announced the arrest of 56 people, including 13 foreigners, in Nouakchott during clashes between security forces and youths protesting next year's census. The youths consider the census to be racist and aimed at stripping them of Mauritanian citizenship. This comes amid the authorities' confirmation that they will move forward with the controversial census.

Reporter, Male #1
The protests were organized by what is now known as the youth of "Don't Touch my Nationality," and in the past few days demonstrations focused on some southern Mauritanian cities. But now that spark is once again reaching the capital Nouakchott with burning, vandalism and looting incidents. The chaos was caused by the census that black Mauritanians say is aimed at stripping some of them of their citizenship and altering the country's demographic composition.

Guest, Male #2 (Ibrahim Omar Su, University Professor)
Of course, there is deliberate exclusion at some of the poll centers in the country. And this government knows that; we believe the government is aware of that fact. We don't encourage people to use violence but to defend themselves because that means defending the country. If loving our country is part of our faith then defending the people's national identity is part of our faith.

Reporter, Male #1
Mauritanian authorities arrested a number of the protests' leaders in Nouakchott. Meanwhile, detainees were freed in similar events witnessed in the two cities of Kaedi and Maghama in southern Mauritania during the past two days. This comes in light of the government's reaffirmation that it will move forward with the population's census based on the belief that it serves the country's greater interest.

Guest, Male #4
The country does not accept any bargaining with the nation's security and stability. We will move forward with the census process because it is a strategic choice that serves the future of our country.

Reporter, Male #1
This chaos reminds people of the bloody ethnic clashes between Arab and black Mauritanians in the country. The most violent of these clashes were in 1966 and 1989. Black Mauritanians say their movement was peaceful and their goal is to defend their full citizenship. Meanwhile, these images show that violence and vandalism passed through here. As for rational people, they hope that this event will peacefully pass by. Mohamed Abdullah Manin, al-Alam, Nouakchott.

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Bahraini protestors call for international support [Press TV, Iran]

In our lead story we go to Bahrain as tens of thousands of anti-regime protestors have taken to the streets in a massive rally calling for the downfall of the regime. The rally was held by the main opposition group al-Wefaq. Thousands of Bahrainis shouted slogans against the regime. The purpose of the rally is to call for freedom and democracy in Bahrain. The protestors are also calling for the international community to stand by the Bahraini people. Bahrain has been witnessing a popular revolution since mid-February. Since then, dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested by Saudi-backed forces.

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Thousands gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square to 'reclaim the revolution' [Press TV, Iran]

In other news, in Egypt demonstrators have once again gathered in Cairo's landmark Liberation Square after Friday prayers to push the formation of a civilian government. Thousands attended the protest dubbed "Reclaiming the Revolution" to demand military rulers immediately transfer power to civilians. The protestors accuse the ruling military council of hijacking their revolution. They reminded that the state of emergency put into place by ousted President Hosni Mubarak legally expires on Friday. This after the military rulers announced that the emergency law would stay in force until next year.

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Hundreds continue to flee Libya's Sirte as battles rage on [Press TV, Iran]

To Libya now where hundreds of residents are fleeing the town of Sirte as revolutionary forces struggle to gain control of the home town of fugitive former ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The town has been pounded by the revolutionary forces' big guns and NATO airstrikes for several weeks. Reports say long lines of cars packed with families and their belongings are trying to leave the besieged town. Revolutionary fighters have set up a checkpoint outside the town to carefully examine each vehicle.

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Palestinian Authority lobbies undecided UN members [IBA, Israel]

We open with continued attempts by the Palestinian Authority to convince undecided Security Council members to support their bid for statehood. PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Foreign Minister Riad al Maliki have scheduled yet another tour of persuasion abroad next week. British Telegraph reported today that Maliki will visit Bosnia while Abbas will travel to Columbia, Portugal, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. The Palestinians say that they need just one more vote endorsing their bid for full United Nation's membership to reach the nine necessary to pass the request to the Security Council. Even if a majority is reached, however, the United States has already vowed to exercise its veto power over the initiative.

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The spirit of Egypt's Abdel Nasser revived during the 'Arab Spring' [Nile TV, Egypt]

Presenter, Male #1
These days, the Arab and Egyptian people are commemorating the departure of the immortal leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser. The anniversary coincides with the revolutions of the Arab Spring, which came out to call for freedom, justice and an end to corruption. These are the ideas upon which Abdel Nasser built his national project, and to which all Arab people, from the Atlantic to the Gulf, responded.

Reporter, Male #2
Today! What a joyous day it is for the remembrance of Abdel Nasser. The memories of the great project and the great man are hovering above the popular revolution that erupted against oppression and injustice, placing the picture and voice of the leader on the shoulders of this revolution's masses.

Guest, Male #3 (Gamal Abdel Nasser)
No force in the world can vanquish the power of this people that believed in God and confidently walked on God's path.

Reporter, Male #2
On the ground, the old labor slogan has made a comeback with the farmers and workers, who were justly treated by Abdel Nasser, but whose rights were violated by the circles of corruption.

Guest, Male #3
We need to build our country in two facets. We need to make up for what we've missed in the past years. At the same time, we need to maintain the same pace as today's super powers. Therefore, every penny we have must be invested in agriculture, manufacturing, services, education, and healthcare.

Reporter, Male #2
On the ground, the old labor slogan made a comeback with the daring youth and the eyes of young women. Despite the blackout, these youths dreamt about it and never stopped hoping for its return, the return of justice, nationalism, and pride. On today's commemoration, we salute Abdel Nasser. Do you not see that those who lived for their people lived forever, and those who ravaged their people's fate were ignored by history? Today marks the memory of Abdel Nasser in the country of Abdel Nasser. And once again, may peace be upon Gamal, may peace be upon the pure ones.