France continues push for international military intervention in Mali [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said an African military intervention in Mali is possible in a matter of weeks.

Presenter, Female #1
In statements to the media, the French minister mentioned the steps that must be followed after West African countries received the authorization of the Security Council to prepare a detailed plan for such an intervention.

Presenter, Male #1
He said that African countries have 45 days to do so. The minister clarified that France will not send forces to Mali.

Reporter, Male #2
Mali is becoming a French obsession. A few days ago, President Francois Hollande vowed to crush the Islamists there. Later, his defense minister spoke of a military intervention in the former French colony within weeks, not several months. However, he clarified that French forces will not be deployed on the ground.

Reporter, Male #2
Paris will provide logistic support, and will push for restoring Mali's unity. According to the French minister, the Sahel region is turning into a terrorist haven where groups, extremists, arms, and drug dealers are dividing Mali. The minister vowed to prevent this division, considering the unity of these countries as significant for the safety of Europe.

Reporter, Male #2
Paris' stance comes despite threats by Islamist groups, believed to be affiliated with al-Qaeda, to open the doors of hell to the French hostages they hold. The al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad group in West Africa warned that Paris will not be able to count the bodies of its nationals in the region if it continued to support sending troops to Mali. However, what seemed like a French project took an international turn a few days ago.

Reporter, Male #2
The Security Council asked The Economic Commission of West African States, known as ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations to prepare a plan for military intervention within 45 days. This led Paris to conclude that the intervention will occur within a few weeks.

Reporter, Male #2
However, regional parties still have their reservations about the idea. Among them is Algeria, although it was forced to enter the crisis since the Mali coup last March. It fears that Mali will turn into another Afghanistan, and believes that intervention will only make the situation worse, and the only solution in its view is peaceful dialogue to dismantle the crisis, not to add more fuel to the fire.

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Iran slams new EU sanctions as illegal, unwise, inhuman [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
The leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, confirmed that the attempts of the West to subjugate the Iranian population will fail. During a meeting with a number of officials in northeast Iran's province of Khorasan, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian people are stronger than all the games the West is playing, adding that Western claims that Iran abandoned the negotiations is a lie. He said Tehran did not abandon the negotiations, including those regarding its nuclear program. Ayatollah Khamenei warned of getting pulled into the disinformation that is being waged by Zionist institutions that control the Western media.

Presenter, Male #1
Iran considered the European sanctions imposed on it as illegal and inhuman, because they target the Iranian people. China also rejected the new embargo, saying it does not help solve the issues, but further complicates them. The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said she is hoping that intensifying the pressure on Iran will persuade the country to make concessions, and resume negotiations soon.

Reporter, Male #2
The European Union's decision to impose new sanctions on Iran, hitting the banking, maritime shipping, and industrial sectors, under the pretext of its peaceful nuclear program, was confronted by the reactions of Iranian officials. Iran, which has been facing collective forms of sanctions since the victory of its Islamic revolution and before possessing a nuclear program, is still facing unilateral sanctions under the pretext of this program. This renders these sanctions illegal and inhuman, since they target the Iranian population.

Guest, Male #3 (Ramin Mehmanparast, Iranian Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Iran presented a package of proposals to the P5+1 group at the Moscow meeting. European nations have regarded it as comprehensive and constructive. We have requested a response to the proposals, but they have yet to provide an answer. Sadly, instead of pursuing negotiations, they reverted to repeating their past mistakes. They think that by applying pressure and using threats, they will accomplish gains during the negotiations. But we invite them to stop these practices and to return to positive negotiations. The opportunity is available to settle the issues in a manner that guarantees our legitimate rights, and removes the doubts of Western nations.

Reporter, Male #2
Iranian officials confirmed that EU sanctions will affect European nations first, saying the policies of the West will not affect the solid Iranian economy. Rather, they will propel Iran to focus on self-sufficiency in all fields, and to push for scientific advancement to fill the shortage in the country.

Guest, Male #4 (Dr. Haidar Borshahrdani, Iranian Parliament National Security Committee Member)
The Iranian economy is very solid, and will not be affected by Western sanctions. We will turn these sanctions into an opportunity to fulfill self-sufficiency in different fields. European citizens and companies will be harmed by these sanctions, especially as the winter is approaching, and they will be deprived from a large portion of Iranian gas.

Reporter, Male #2
China rejected the European sanctions on Iran.

Guest, Male #5 (Hong Lei, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson)
We oppose unilateral sanctions against Iran. We think that using sanctions to place pressure cannot solve the Iranian nuclear issue in an essential manner. They could further complicate the issue, and escalate the confrontation. We hope all concerned parties will show flexibility, increase communication, and aim for a new round of negotiations as soon as possible.

Reporter, Male #2
This new round of Western sanctions on Iran included adding Iranian Minister of Energy Majid Namjou to a list of figures whose assets are being frozen, and restricted from traveling.

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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praises EU for ratcheting up Iran sanctions [IBA, Israel]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the European Union for ratcheting up sanctions against Iran. The comment came ahead of Netanyahu's annual meeting in Jerusalem with EU ambassadors to Israel. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that failure by the EU to do so would be tantamount to the West's failure to stop Hitler in the 1930s.

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Grave of ex-IDF chief Moshe Dayan vandalized [IBA, Israel]

The grave of former defense minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan was found desecrated this morning at the Nahalal Cemetery in northern Israel. Scrawled on the headstone in red paint were the words "The Minister of Failure on Behalf of the Fallen," referring to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which caught Israel off-guard and cost the lives of 2,500 IDF soldiers.

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Former Bosnian Serb leader denies accusations at war crimes tribunal [Press TV, Iran]

Relatives of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre say that Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is trying to fool the world, following his courtroom declaration that he should be rewarded for trying to avoid war in Bosnia. Karadzic is currently being tried at the Yugoslav War Crimes Court for some of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II. Families of the victims sued the Netherlands at the European Court of Human Rights over a Dutch court ruling that said that United Nations peacekeeping forces were immune from prosecution over their failure to prevent the massacre.

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Gaddafi-era officials kept in jail over Lockerbie case [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Kuwaiti police arrested at least five people during a protest held last night to protest the possible amendments to the elections law. The protests witnessed rare criticisms of the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Eyewitnesses said that nearly 5,000 people participated in the demonstration, and that skirmishes occurred and led to the injury of several people. Opponents called for a sit-in today in front of parliament to protest the arrests.

Presenter, Male #1
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the ultimate responsibility for securing hey country's consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi is hers. The embassy was subjected to an attack that resulted in the death of the American ambassador to Libya last month. Clinton confirmed that guaranteeing security for diplomatic missions abroad is her duty, not that of the White House.

Presenter, Male #1
Two former Libyan regime officials, Mohammed al-Zwai and Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, appeared before the Tripoli appeals court where they are being tried on charges of squandering public money in the Lockerbie case, and of treason. The court ordered them to remain in prison pending the outcome of the case, and rejected the defense's request to release them on bail.

Reporter, Male #2
Strict security measures were enforced near the court of appeals in the Libyan capital Tripoli as two former officials from the era of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi, speaker of parliament Mohammed al-Zwai and foreign minister Abdulati al-Obeidi, arrived to appear before the court. They are charged with squandering public funds by granting compensations to the families of the victims in the case of the bombing of PAN American over the Scottish city of Lockerbie, which exceeded USD 2.7 billion, and for treason by betraying the state's trust to negotiate on its behalf abroad.

Reporter, Male #2
During the session, the two defendants denied the accusations directed against them by the judge who refused to release them and ordered to keep them in prison pending the outcome of the case. As soon the session ended, the defense lawyer expressed satisfaction with the course of the trial, despite the rejection of his request to release his clients on bail.

Guest, Male #3
The court granted our requests despite rejecting the request for their release but this is its jurisdiction. I am satisfied because the court heard us, and heard the justifications for the release request, and the justifications to hear the defense witnesses. We hope that the trial will be a fair one.

Reporter, Male #2
The Libyan street seemed to be following this case with great interest, placing their confidence in the Libyan judiciary.

Guest, Male #4
The Libyan judiciary is known for being fair, and it has been in existence for a long time, and we are very confident in the Libyan judiciary. As for the people who are now being tried, the law is the decider. If the law finds them guilty, they will bear the consequences of their acts. And if the law finds them innocent, they are just Libyan citizens, just like all Libyans.

Guest, Male #5
Everything is under the command of the Libyan authorities and the Libyan judiciary, and I am certain that at the end it will be fair, and it will not be unjust again.

Reporter, Male #2
According to the documents of the case against the two defendants, they are not authorized to negotiate all of the provisions of the agreement and its conditions, and they will be tried in accordance with the Economic Crimes Law and the Penal Code.

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Arab League welcomes Brahimi's call for Syria truce during Eid holiday [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
The Arab League welcomed the recommendation of the joint envoy to the Syrian crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, for initiating a truce between Syrian regime forces and the armed opposition in light of the ongoing clashes in several parts of Syria.

Reporter, Female #2
The Arab League's Deputy Secretary-General, Ambassador Ahmad Bin Hilly, welcomed the recommendation of the joint envoy to the Syrian crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, for initiating a truce between Syrian regime forces and the armed opposition to stop the violence that has been ongoing for 20 months. The deputy secretary-general added that the League's Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi will meet with Brahimi in Cairo on Wednesday. They will discuss the outcome of his tour to the region, and the negotiations he held with international parties and the recommendations presented to solve the Syrian crisis.

Reporter, Female #2
Brahimi had held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, during which they discussed the developments of the Syrian crisis and Brahimi's mission. Egypt said it asked Syria to clarify the circumstances around the killings of three Egyptians, including a leader of an opposition combat group. According to Damascus, they died in battles in Aleppo and Damascus. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed it sent an urgent memorandum to Damascus demanding clarifications about the killings.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian Air Force launched its most violent raids on the surroundings of Maarat al-Numaan since opposition gunmen took control of the city last week. Clashes took place near military centers close to the city. The most notable clashes occurred in Wadi al-Daif, the largest camp for regime forces in the area, which gunmen had lately attempted to storm. The Hamidiya camp, south of the city, was shelled by locally-manufactured rockets. Violence reached several parts of Syria. In Aleppo, clashes took place in the two neighborhoods of al-Hamdaniya and al-Maydan. In Homs, regime forces are trying to storm the Khalidiya district and a number of nearby districts that are controlled by the armed opposition, especially in the center of the city.

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WFP issues e-cards for Syrian refugees [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Electronic cards were distributed to displaced Syrians in Turkish camps, and despite their displacement, Syrian refugees are trying to adapt to their new reality.

Reporter, Female #3
Despite their displacement, the conditions of Syria's refugees behind the Syrian-Turkish border is much better than those who were unable to cross the border. In the Turkish camps that are spread along the border, the displaced live in premade houses, as aid agencies are working on providing them with food and clothes. Finally, the World Food Programme and the Turkish Red Cross have set up a plan to distribute electronic cards to thousands of refugees. The cards come with a specific monthly allowance so refugees can buy necessary food items from large retailers in the border areas.

Guest, Male #1 (Daly Belgasmi, World Food Program Regional Director)
The World Food Program and the Turkish Red Cross developed this card. It's a type of credit card that allows Syrian refugees to make purchases at large retail stores full of fresh produce.

Reporter, Female #2
Syrian families haven't been satisfied with the modest aid they receive that includes bread and food. They decided to bring some of their traditions to the Kilis camp. Winter is near, and the crisis is long, so women decided to take advantage of their down time here to prepare their pantry. The equipment available in the houses motivated women to cook food, so that their fragmented family can be reunited at their modest dining table. While international agencies and organizations are trying to provide the displaced Syrians their basic needs, their increasing numbers in neighboring countries threatens a nearing humanitarian crisis.

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International delegation visits Palestinian Christian-Muslim village to observe effects of Israeli occupation [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
The Palestinian government media center organized a ground tour for a number of parliamentarians, the national authority's authorized ambassadors, and foreign journalists in the village of Aboud, north of Ramallah, to see the reality of the village and the ongoing violations committed against it by Israeli occupation authorities.

Reporter, Male #2
In the midst of the settlement campaign's assault on farmers and their properties, which started as citizens began picking olives, the government's media center accompanied parliamentarians, foreign journalists, and ambassadors of a number of authorized countries on a ground tour of the village of Aboud, north of Ramallah, to witness the realities of the village.

Guest, Female #1 (Nour Ouda, Palestine Media Center Chairwoman)
Aboud represents a small version of the Palestinian reality, and the most beautiful coexistence between Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters in Palestine. This is a village that struggles in all forms of peaceful ways to preserve its land and vast history; it also represents the difficult reality of living under the occupation, and what it includes, from confiscating land, to cutting trees, and losing private properties. The reality of the occupation, and the reality of this settlement campaign, create instability.

Reporter, Male #2
Minister of Agriculture Waleed Assaf participated in the ground tour that was launched from Deir al-Lateen in the center of Aboud village and headed towards the agricultural lands under threat of confiscation by the Bet Arye settlement which is established on the lands of the village of al-Lubban al-Gharbiya and Aboud.

Guest, Male #3 (Mubarak, Indian Ambassador to National Authority)
I came here along with the Palestinian Media Center to watch Palestinians picking olives in the village of Aboud, and to express solidarity with Palestinians against the apartheid wall.

Reporter, Male #2
This delegation's trip to the village of Aboud aims to inform the visitors of the conditions the citizens are enduring due to the rampant settlement policies and the effects of the apartheid wall that has devoured hundreds of donums from the village for the settlements and divided side roads around it.

Guest, Male #4 (Malta's Representative to Palestine)
We are here to learn about the reality on the ground, and I am very grateful for this visit that allowed us to watch the people, and to listen to their opinions directly.

Guest, Male #5 (Faisal Abd Majid, Aboud Council Vice Present)
This tour is examining the path of the apartheid wall on the land of Aboud village and aims to observe the economic, geographic, and psychological damage on the citizens of the village of Aboud, especially since this village is Christian and Muslim, and has been distinguished for its coexistence for years.

Reporter, Male #2
As soon as the delegation reached the citizens' lands, they were shocked to see the cancerous settlement that surrounds the village from four directions and shuts down most of its entrances. The village only has one entrance now. They confirmed their determination to convey the reality of the citizens' suffering to their countries and expose the occupation to the international public. Khaled Motawea, Palestine TV.