NATO's immunity at stake over bombing of civilians in Libya [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
The US Department of Defense and the State Department are expediting their efforts to help the Libyan government form a special force to combat those they described as "Islamist extremists" in Libya. The New York Times, which published the article, said the Obama administration secretly received approval from Congress last month to divert nearly eight million dollars from the Pentagon's operations, as well as provide aid appropriated for Pakistan to combat terrorism, to begin establishing a special Libyan force within the next six months that may reach about 500 people. The American special operations could begin a training session, as it did with anti-terrorism forces in Pakistan and Yemen.

Presenter, Male #1
He went out to help the victims in Libya, and when he returned home, he found that his wife and children were victims of one of NATO's raids. Khaled el-Hamedi is a Libyan who decided to sue NATO in the international court. The fifth session of the case will be held in Brussels tomorrow. He is supported by some of the most notable lawyers in the fields of war crimes and international criminal law, as well as human rights. Their demands include lifting the diplomatic immunity the Belgian government has granted NATO since the organization's headquarters are located in Brussels. Luay Ghabra has more details.

Reporter, Male #2
This Libyan decided to strike NATO in its own headquarters. It is not a military hit; it is a judicial and humanitarian one. NATO's missiles claimed the lives of 13 people from the plaintiff's family, and turned his home into rubble. This came as he was helping the displaced, as he is the founder of the International Organization for Peace, Care, and Relief in his country.

Guest, Male #3 (Khaled el-Hamedi, Plaintiff)
The longest hours of my life were during that night. I will never forget that day. It will never be erased from my memory.

Reporter, Male #2
What we're showing here are exclusive images. They are parts of a documentary that was produced by Khaled, and provided to the international court. He says these images contain proof for a conviction, considering that the victims of the shelling were children whose lives were taken. However, NATO asserted in front of the Belgian court that it only targeted military sites. In a recorded statement, which Khaled had taken to court as evidence, NATO admits that it made mistakes.

Guest, Male #4 (Commander Mike Bracken, NATO Spokesman)
From our initial assessment of the facts, it appears that one weapon did not strike the intended target due to a weapons system failure.

Reporter, Male #2
The case has been ongoing for over a year. A group of notable international lawyers took on the case. At the forefront is Nelson Mandela's lawyer.

Guest, Male #3
The positive part is that they accepted the case. This is a positive thing. But their delay in issuing a ruling is a bit scary. This also confirms the presence of external political pressure.

Reporter, Male #2
At the awaited fifth session, the Belgian judiciary will decide whether to lift NATO's political immunity in a country that provides NATO with its headquarters and podium. However, regardless of the decision, everyone reserves the right to an appeal.

Guest, Female #1
I have a request, only one request, for the judge. I wish that he would grant us justice, avenge us, and be fair.

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Bahraini man dies after regime forces fire toxic tear gas into his home [Press TV, Iran]

A Bahraini man dies after inhaling poisonous tear gas fired by Saudi-backed regime forces. The elderly man, identified as Haj Mahdi Ali Marhun spent the past two months of his life in a hospital following complications that he suffered after regime forces fired tear gas into his house in Maameer Village. He is the 95th Bahraini to lose his life since the revolution began last year.

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Gaza rocket hits Israel despite Tel Aviv's Iron Dome [Press TV, Iran]

Palestinians fire a rocket into Israel as Tel Aviv intensifies attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces say the rocket caused no injuries or damage. This came hours after an Israeli warplane pounded the northern Gaza Strip. At least five Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured, including children, in the conflict in the area in the past week.

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Israeli opposition slams government plans to accept Levy report [IBA, Israel]

The Israeli opposition has slammed reported plans by the government to accept parts of the Levy Report on settlement construction. The report was authored by retired Supreme Court Justice Edmund Levy three months ago, and found that Israeli settlement in the West Bank is legal under international law, and recommended that the government stop demolishing illegal outposts. Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that the government would be making a "big mistake" by causing diplomatic harm if it accepts Levy's recommendation to legalize the settlement outposts.

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Shimon Peres welcomes new Jordanian, Egyptian ambassadors to Israel [IBA, Israel]

Two new ambassadors from Egypt and Jordan presented their credentials to Israeli President Shimon Peres at his official residence in Jerusalem. Incoming Egyptian Ambassador Atef Salem became Egypt's first ambassador sent to Israel by newly-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Salem downplayed reports of tension between the two countries, and said that Cairo remains committed to all agreements with Jerusalem, including the 1979 peace treaty.

Jordan's new ambassador, Walid Obeidat, also arrived despite threats against him back home. Members of his own al-Obeidat Bedouin tribe vowed to disown him should he accept what they called the despicable position in Israel that contradicts the clan's viewpoints. The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan also condemned Obeidat.

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Palestinians shut down Israeli-only road in West Bank [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
Seven Palestinian citizens were wounded during the Israeli occupation forces' crackdown on a number of citizens and foreign solidarity activists who succeeded at shutting down the street known as Latrun Road, which has been closed since 2002, and runs along the villages west of Ramallah.

Reporter, Male #2
They are making their way towards a road that has been closed for Palestinians since 2002. Latrun Road connects occupied Jerusalem and the center of al-Salib. Traffic was shut down and, probably, this new kind of protest by the owners of stolen lands was inspired by their weekly marches, and by the settlers' attacks on those who pick olives. They stood in front of traffic and paralyzed it, as cars were unable to move. This way, drivers can know, even if for a few minutes, the feeling of those who are deprived of passing through this road to pick their source of livelihood.

Guest, Male #3 (Said Yaqin, Popular Committee Against the Wall)
This street is an apartheid street; it is a street exclusively for the Jews. This is a natural reaction to the settlers' aggression in the past month. We took this step to stop this artery that ties this occupied land to Jerusalem.

Reporter, Male #2
Dozens of citizens from the villages of Beit Liqya, Beit Tira, Khirbet al-Tira, Bel'ein and other villages located west of Ramallah, gathered in the morning and succeeded at entering through the gate and closing down the street. The citizens' right to the road was on display, as its flag rose without any action by its opponent. The protesters felt victory during these moments. Before the occupation's soldiers came, the protest had entirely paralyzed traffic on the road, causing major delays.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdallah Abu Rahma, Popular Committee Against the Wall)
We will conduct various demonstrations of this kind in several areas, and not just one place, against the judaization of Jerusalem and against the aggression and the shelling of our families in Gaza. We will mobilize as popular committees in many areas, and we will not stand with our hands tied behind our back, and we will continue to surprise this enemy that unleashed flocks of settlers to attack our farmers everywhere.

Reporter, Male #2
It only took 10 minutes to successfully shut it down, and then the occupation's soldiers arrived and beat everyone and fired sound bombs, despite the citizens' attempt to stay longer. However, sound bombs, tear gas, and other weapons forced them to retreat behind the gate, after several were injured, proving the protesters' new kind of boldness, which the marches of the popular struggle were not accustomed to.

Reporter, Male #2
Storming the street that Israelis call 443 is considered a big step, especially because of how important and vital this street is to Israelis. However, the citizens who have been deprived of entering it for 10 years wanted to prove their right to do so, and to show their ability to haunt those who influence Israeli policies and the policy of supporting settlements.

Reporter, Male #2
If you prevent us from entering our land, we will prevent your cars from traveling along the roads. This is the message of those who lost their lands and their olives, as conveyed by the weekly marches to the streets that Israeli cars pass through. From the road that links occupied Jerusalem, Ajwad Jaradat, Palestine TV.

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Vatican to send delegation to Damascus as heavy fighting rages across Syria [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
A mortar shell fired from Syria landed in southeast Turkey, causing no injuries, as reported by the MTV TV channel quoting the local authorities. The channel added the shell fell on a bank of the Asi River in Turkey's Hatay Province. Meanwhile, confrontations remain fierce, especially in Maarat al-Numaan, as a delegation from the Vatican gets ready to visit Syria next week.

Reporter, Female #1
Yet again, opposition gunmen downed a Syrian armed forces' helicopter. This time, it was near the city of Maarat al-Numaan in Idlib Province, in northwestern Syria, with the conflict reaching its peak in the village of Busaybeh. Meanwhile, the Anadolu news agency quoted the Free Syrian Army's political adviser, Bassam al-Dada, saying one of the two pilots captured by the opposition fighters after downing their fighter jet resembles Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Reporter, Female #1
For its part, official Syrian TV reported that a unit of the armed forces eliminated an armed terrorist group in the western countryside of Ma'ar Lohtat. As for Aleppo, the town of Sha'ab was shelled while clashes continued in al-Ramouseh, and near the Kowriss Military Airport in the countryside of Aleppo. In a related development, the acting president of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, Murat Karayilan, speaking to the Swiss daily Le Temps, warned Turkey from the headquarters of the party in Iraq of violent revenge on its territories if it attacks Syrian-Kurds.

Reporter, Female #1
On a different note, France, through its Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, accused the Syrian regime of using cluster bombs following his meeting with representatives of civil revolutionarily councils administering areas controlled by gunmen in northern Syria. Similar accusations were made by non-governmental organizations. These charges were categorically denied by the army's general leadership, and Syrian armed forces. As for the Syrian opposition members, after their meeting, they stressed on the need to protect these liberated border areas from air raids carried out by the Syrian regime.

Guest, Male #2 (Othman Bilawi, Head of Revolutionary Council in Maarat al-Numaan)
A long time ago, over a year ago when we were expecting the regime to shell the cities, we asked for a no-fly zone. Sadly, the Russian position is clear, and the Chinese position is also clear as they stand against the Syrian people. We asked, and we are still asking for a no-fly zone, but as we say, it's out of my hands.

Reporter, Female #1
The American newspaper Washington Post revealed the European governments, most notably the French and British governments, that were and remain the biggest supporters of the armed groups in Syria, are now feeling great concern over the possibility of catastrophic repercussions in their countries over this support. This was made evident through the British and French authorities' arrest of extremist Islamists attempting to join the fighters in Syria.

Reporter, Female #1
Also on the political front, Pope Benedict XVI decided to send a high-profile delegation on a mission to offer their views on a solution that can only be political, according to a Vatican spokesman. The spokesman indicated the delegation will bring aid collected by the bishops to the victims of the conflict.

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Bin Laden driver's conviction overturned by US appeals court [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
A US federal court overturned the conviction of Salim Hamdan, who was the driver for former al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, and was previously imprisoned in Guantanamo. They considered that providing material support for terrorism had not been deemed a war crime. Legal experts say the court opens the door for the acquittal of other prisoners in Guantanamo.

Reporter, Male #2
Osama Bin Laden's driver Salim Hamdan was imprisoned for seven years here in Guantanamo. And although he left the American prison in 2008, the controversy around his case has not ceased, especially after the appeals court in Washington overturned the decision to convict him. The court said that materially supporting terrorism was not categorized as a war crime when Hamdan was convicted, and that the law issued on this matter in 2006 does not apply retroactively. Experts predict that this verdict will have an impact on other convicts.

Guest, Male #3 (Wells Dixon, Senior Attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights)
I think the Hamdan decision weakens the convictions directed at other convicts, especially conspiracy convictions. The defense that the court accepted in this case also applies to other prisoners.

Reporter, Male #2
Working with Osama Bin Laden was part of the evidence that was used against Salim Hamdan. He was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001. American authorities said that he was on his way to the battlefield at that time, while the defense attorneys said he was on his way back from participating in a humanitarian mission. The United States deported Hamdan to Yemen at the end of his sentence in late 2008, and local authorities released him in 2009. However, American law activists kept his case in court. Ahmed al-Sheikh, BBC.

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Kuwait hosts Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
In Kuwait, the Asian Cooperation Dialogue conference was launched with the participation of 32 countries.

Presenter, Male #1
During the opening session, the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, called for dialogue and peaceful means to resolve political problems.

Reporter, Male #2
Today, Asian countries are exploring ways to place their joint interests first, and resolve their political differences, which are impeding the wheel of development and prosperity in the world's largest and most populated continent. During the conference, speakers called for taking advantage of the resources available in the region, including energy, food, and human resources, in order to keep up with the wheel of development witnessed in Europe and America. They also called for dialogue as a means to resolve their differences, and for mutual respect, democracy, and freedom.

Guest, Male #2 (Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait)
From this podium, we call for the language of reason and dialogue to prevail, as well as to spare our countries damage and destruction, by respecting our charters, agreements, and conventions, and by resolving our differences in peaceful means, without interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

Reporter, Male #2
The Kingdom of Thailand, which coordinated the conference, exerted efforts to ensure the success of this conference, hoping to turn it into an international organization capable of achieving economic integration among the countries of the continent, by finding the appropriate solutions to political conflicts, and by empowering mankind, as well as combating the spread of poverty and underdevelopment in some countries.

Guest, Female #2 (Dr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Thai Foreign Minister)
Thailand is offering to establish a permanent secretariat for this gathering in order to assist in drawing recommendations. My country is willing to host the upcoming meeting in Bangkok.

Reporter, Male #2
The modest participation of China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and India, which are leading countries in the continent, cast doubt on the success of the efforts toward establishing a joint entity, especially considering the political differences that continue to dominate their decisions despite the growing economic challenges facing the region.

Reporter, Male #2
An ideal opportunity awaits Asian countries to take a leadership position, especially amid the economic hardship facing America and Europe. This requires politicians to unify their positions, resolve their problems through peaceful means, refrain from denying or canceling each other out, as well as seek to assure their people and stabilize their homelands. Ahmed al-Huti, Al-Jazeera, Kuwait.

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Pakistani girl shot by Taliban 'making progress' [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Doctors in Britain are getting ready to operate on Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl who was shot by Pakistani Taliban last week. Malala's condition has been described as stable. Malala was airlifted to Britain for treatment after she was subjected to an assassination attempt at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban members, as revenge for her campaign to promote the right to education for girls in Pakistan. BBC notes that its crew in Pakistan has been subjected to threats from the Taliban movement because of its presentation of this case. It is watching the situation closely, and will take all measures to protect the crew.

Reporter, Male #2
The initial medical evaluation for Malala was completed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The main concern was that the long trip from Pakistan to England would lead to her relapse. However, doctors here in Birmingham said that Malala enjoyed a comfortable night.

Guest, Male #3 (Dr. Dave Rosser, Medical Director at Queen Elizabeth Hospital)
We have been completely satisfied with Malala's improvement. She is showing all the signs of the strength that we were told about.

Reporter, Male #2
On the other hand, protecting Malala has become an important matter, especially given some incidents that were reported overnight.

Guest, Male #3
I was told that a number of people visited the hospital, and claimed that they were Malala's relatives. We didn't believe them, and they were arrested.

Reporter, Male #2
The police deny arresting anyone, and said that those people had wanted reassurance about Malala's condition, and wanted to wish her a speedy recovery. Although Malala was not subjected to any threat due to these incidents, the security measures in and around the hospital make it very clear that the police are not taking any chances, and for very valid reasons. It's feared that the Pakistani Taliban may try to assassinate Malala once again. The movement has issued a statement in which it described Malala as a spy for the West. This means that even after Malala's full recovery, it will be dangerous for her to return to Pakistan.