Anti-regime Syrians strike as massive pro-Assad rally held in Damascus [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male # 1
The Arab League delegation headed by Qatar arrived to Damascus from Doha to start mediation talks between the Syrian regime and the opposition. The delegation first met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. After the talks, the head of the delegation, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani said the meeting was frank and friendly. He added that he took note of the commitment of the Syrian government to work with the committee to reach a solution. He indicated the talks will continue on October 30th.

Reporter, Female # 2
After the Square of the Seven Fountains in Damascus, and Saadallah al-Jabiri Square in Aleppo, the Ummayyad Square was one of the Syrian capital's largest squares holding a million-person protest. The rallies were held to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, reject foreign interference and support the reform campaign. Participants in the square held what they called Syria's family tree, inscribing on it "long live the homeland and its leader; the Syrian people are one family." The family tree was 500-meters long with the photo of President Bashar al-Assad at its center, in addition to the Syrian flag and papers with the names of Syrian citizens from several provinces who signed with their blood to express their adherence to national unity. Al-Hasaka province in northeastern Syria also witnessed a protest in President al-Assad Square in support of the national independent decision and in rejection of foreign interference. Participants also expressed appreciation for the stances of Russia and China, which support Syria in facing the conspiracy hatched against it.

Guest, Male # 2
Syria is strong! Like the Koran and the cross! Syria is strong because of its tribes and its intellectuals. Syria is strong because of its army. Syria is strong because of its national unity. All of Syria is strong! We will not allow foreign interference! We support the reforms! Twelve million Syrians support the leader Bashar!

Reporter, Female # 2
On the other hand, the Syrian opposition called for a general strike in statements posted on social networking sites. It confirmed it will not accept anything other than the resignation of the Syrian president and his prosecution. It added "Arabs, do not get more involved in the bloodshed against us." In this context, the Syrian Transitional Council said the strike is the first phase of broader and larger strikes toward civil disobedience, which can topple the regime through the power of the Syrian people alone. On the ground, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the killing of eight military personnel, including an officer, when gunmen believed to be defected soldiers fired a rocket propelled grenade on the army bus in central Syria. In addition, the Observatory reported the killings of eight people by Syrian security forces across the countryside of Idlib, Homs and its countryside, and the countryside of Damascus. On the political front, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said what is happening in Syria is very painful during a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh in Amman. He added there is a need to end the inhumane operations against civilians.

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Libya's new ruler urges NATO to stay through 2011 [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Libya's National Transitional Council Chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil urged NATO to extend its mission in Libya until the end of the year. During a meeting with NATO military commanders in Doha, Abdel Jalil said that the NTC would like to request that NATO continue its mission in order to help Libya and neighboring countries.

Reporter, Male #2
A cautious response quickly came from NATO headquarters in Brussels following the statement issued by Libyan NTC Finance Minister Ali al-Tarhouni, who expressed the council's desire to extend NATO's mission in the country for at least one more month. NATO had previously announced that they plan to end military operations in Libya on October 31. It wasn't clear whether the Libyan minister submitted an official request for NATO to extend its stay in the country.

Guest, Male #3 (Ali al-Tarhoun, NTC Finance Minister)
I'm asking NATO to stay for at least an additional month.

Reporter, Male #2
This is how Libya appears after Gaddafi. Libya wrapped up a dark chapter of its painful history, marking the beginning of a transitional period amid uncertainty.

Guest, Male #4
Everything is clear now in Libya; we are free. The Libyans are victorious and free. The tyrant lost. This is how it always ends.

Guest, Male #5
Tyranny ended in Libya, and a new era has begun. May God grant Libya glory and dignity!

Guest, Male #6
All Libyans know that the game has ended. Gaddafi and his son were buried after eight months of fighting.

Guest, Female #1
Our country will be a hundred times better than it was under Gaddafi's reign. Our situation will improve.

Reporter, Male #2
In his first response to the death of Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, US President Barack Obama said that Gaddafi's death sends a strong message to all authoritarian rulers around the world.

Guest, Male #7 (Barack Obama, US President)
This is somebody who for 40 years of terror has ruled his country. He supported terrorism, and he had a golden opportunity to hand over power to his people peacefully.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, Libyan medical teams and the Red Crescent have cleared the city of Sirte of the decaying bodies from battles. Human Rights Watch confirmed the transport of 300 bodies from the city, which is still overshadowed by horrific scenes of destruction, as many areas were turned into a ghost town with no residents in sight.

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Iranian workers rally in solidarity with 'Occupy Wall Street' [Press TV, Iran]

A group of Iranian workers gathered today to rally in the capital Tehran in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The protestors gathered outside the Swiss embassy, which also functions as the US interest section in Iran. They called on Washington and other European governments to head the demands of anti-corporatism protestors. The global movement against social inequality that began in the US more than one month ago has now spread to Europe.

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Egyptian officers sentenced to seven years for killing Khaled Said [Press TV, Iran]

To Egypt where a court there has jailed two police officers for the killing of an activist. The lawyer of Khaled Said says the court has sentenced the officers to seven years in prison. Witnesses say 28-year-old Khaled Sayed died in the port city of Alexandria in June of last year after two plain clothes police officers dragged him out of an internet café and beat him. Before he died, he posted an internet video purportedly showing two police officers sharing the spoils of a drug bust.

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Israel plans for more settlements in East Jerusalem [Press TV, Iran]

Israel intends to push ahead with plans to build over 4,000 settler units in an area south of Jerusalem al-Kuds. According to Israeli media, Israel plans to push ahead with plans to build over 4,000 settlement units in an area south of Jerusalem al-Kuds. The illegal Israeli settlments surrounding Jerusalem al-Kuds have cut off the city from the rest of the West Bank.

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Quartet renews attempt for Israeli, Palestinian peace talks [IBA, Israel]

Quartet officials are making another attempt to jumpstart the stalled Middle East peace talks, meeting separately in Jerusalem with Israeli and Palestinian representatives over the next few days. The Quartet officials met first with Palestinian negotiator Sayed Meerkat. PA officials have repeatedly insisted that they will not return to negotiations until Israel stops all settlement activity and recognizes the 1967 lines as the basis for talks. Ahead of the meeting, US State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland explains what Washington hopes to achieve.

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Heavy security detail to accompany Ilan Grapel prisoner swap [IBA, Israel]

Barring any last minute snafu, Ilan Grapel will be released tomorrow morning at nine o'clock at the Taba crossing at the Israeli-Egyptian border. The Egyptian al-Ahram newspaper today reported that heavy security preparations are already underway in the area ahead of the release. To protect against terrorist elements in the Sinai, Grapel will reportedly be transported to Taba by a heavily armored security detail, which will be used to take Egyptian prisoners freed by Israel back to Cairo.

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Turkey finally requests aid from Israel [IBA, Israel]

Turkey has finally accepted earthquake aid from Israel and other countries as thousands of Turks remain without shelter. The first shipment of mobile homes from Israel is due to arrive in the quake ravaged area later today. The first Israeli aid package including portable homes and buildings will arrive in the quake-ravaged area in eastern Turkey his afternoon after Ankara officially asked Jerusalem for help.

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Heavy fighting continues in Yemen despite truce [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male # 1
Violent clashes erupted in the northern neighborhoods of the Yemeni city Taiz and many areas of the capital Sanaa. The shelling came only one hour after a ceasefire was reached between the Yemeni army and forces loyal to tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar.

Reporter, Female # 1
Heavy shelling targeted most northern neighborhoods of the Yemeni city of Taiz. The shelling came after a truce was reached between the Yemeni army and tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar. But it only lasted one hour as clashes were renewed in the neighborhoods of al-Hasba and Sufan of the Yemeni capital. The mediation committee that was set up to negotiate the ceasefire was assigned by President Saleh and his deputy. The committee announced the ceasefire in anticipation of ending armed clashes, removing checkpoints and barricades, evacuating gunmen from buildings and facilities, and removing all militias and armed elements from the capital. However, these hopes were dashed as clashes were renewed. Sheikh Hemyar al-Ahmar, brother of Sadeq al-Ahmar, clarified that the truce was not respected, not even for a single moment, referring to the shelling of houses in northern Sanaa. Eyewitnesses confirmed that machinegun fire and mortar shells were uninterrupted in the capital. In Taiz, an opposition stronghold, eight people were killed including a seven-year-old child, a woman, and a police officer. According to medical sources, 33 civilians were injured in the shelling and confrontations between tribesmen who joined the opposition and Saleh's forces. In Washington, the US State Department said Saleh called US Ambassador Gerald Feierstein to inform him of the truce and his intention to sign the Gulf Cooperation Council's power-transfer plan. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US views these developments as positive as President Saleh is recommitting to the Gulf Cooperation Gulf's agreement.

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Taliban boasts it is being trained by Pakistan [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
New evidence has surfaced that Pakistan is providing support to the Taliban in Afghanistan. A Taliban leader told the BBC that unofficial Pakistani forces are training members of the movement. In another development, a former officer of the US Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, said that the American drone attacks on Taliban leaders in Pakistan became more effective after the CIA stopped providing early warnings to Pakistani officials. In response, Pakistan denied supporting the Taliban.

Reporter, Male #2
For the first time, the mask concealing the Pakistani government-Taliban relations was removed. These fighters gained military and combatant experience from the Pakistani intelligence service. A Taliban fighter said that members of Pakistani security forces are training them in territories along the Afghan borders before fighting the Americans.

Guest, Male #3 (Najeeb, Taliban Fighter)
Pakistani intelligence agents used to come in their own cars at 8am and leave at 4pm. They trained us on using advanced weapons, and how to fire shells from various areas and positions.

Reporter, Male #2
In the summer of 2008, Taliban activity reached its peak as its fighters launch a series of operations against various targets. Najeeb talked about using his skills, which he acquired from the Pakistani intelligence agency, in the fight against Americans.

Guest, Male #3 (Najeeb, Taliban Fighter, back)
The tanks arrived. We set up an ambush. After the first and the second tanks passed, I opened fire on the third tank. The tank erupted in flames then exploded, killing everyone onboard. We were able to flee.

Reporter, Male #2
This Taliban fighter's assertion supports the suspicions and claims cited by the US against Islamabad. Washington expressed confidence that Pakistani security agencies harbored the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. The US also accused Pakistan of adopting a double-standard policy in Afghanistan.

Guest, Male #4 (Bruce Riedel, CIA officer)
Our own intelligence was unequivocal in Afghanistan. The Pakistani intelligence agency not only turned a blind eye to the insurgency there, but provides support to the insurgents. At the beginning of drone operations, we gave Pakistan an advance tip-off of where we were going, and every single time the target wasn't there anymore.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite statements issued by former Pakistani security officials on the importance of collaboration along the border, Islamabad has rejected the accusations. Islamabad is fighting the Taliban on its soil in an attempt to limit its influence and restrain its activities aimed at expanding Taliban control of territories along the Afghan border.

Guest, Male #5
All the facts and evidence on the ground refute the claims against Pakistan and its intelligence agency, which are being accused of providing material support, arms, and a safe haven to armed groups.

Reporter, Male #2
The Americans also held the Pakistanis responsible for the recent attack on the US embassy in Kabul. The US has demanded that Pakistan adopt a more rigid strategy in dealing with the Taliban. They accused the Pakistani army of protecting armed Taliban fighters along the Pakistan-Afghan border as well as providing the fighters with instructions to cross the borders while evading the international forces. Here, the US is faced with a dilemma of supporting its allies in the so called "the war on terror," while the allies are supposedly supporting those accused of committing acts of terror against Americans and their interests.

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US troops withdrawal may cause information void in Iraq [Al-Forat TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Male #1
Media sources announced the departure of the last US soldier from the Wasit and Diyala provinces, as stipulated by the Framework withdrawal Agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington. The sources quoted military leaders in Wasit saying that the Iraqi Air Force Command Center received all security installations of the Delta military base from the US military, which completed transporting its personnel and equipment outside the country. In another development, Diyala Governor Abed Naser al-Mahdawi announced the withdrawal of the last US soldiers deployed in the Baladruz, Khalis, and Miqdadiyah counties. Al-Mahdawi confirmed that plans were being drafted to counter the security challenges in the upcoming phase.

Presenter, Female #1
With the year-end US troop withdrawal approaching, fears are mounting over the possibility that the withdrawal may cause a logistical and information void in the country. However, Iraqi parliamentarians have stressed the importance of implementing the withdrawal as planned, saying it's a popular decision and that Iraqis are capable of facing the upcoming challenges. Meanwhile, observers confirmed that the American side is mandated by the security agreements signed with Baghdad to help protect Iraq and its airspace. Ahmad al-Zaidi has the details.

Reporter, Male #2
Four hundred and eighty-five US bases have been handed over to the Iraqi forces, leaving 20 bases scattered across the country to be handed over by the end of the year. However, fears are mounting that the long-awaited withdrawal may likely leave behind a logistic and information void in the country. Iraqi members of parliament stressed the importance of implementing the withdrawal, saying that the Iraqi people are capable of facing the upcoming challenges.

Guest, Male #3
The US forces' overstay in Iraq doesn't mean security. It means deterioration and indicates that the Iraqi forces are not ready. The withdrawal of the occupied forces from Iraq means the Iraqi forces are ready and capable of taking over the security file.

Reporter, Male #2
Political analysts confirmed that the US government is mandated to provide logistical and intelligence support as well as to help protect Iraq's borders and airspace, in accordance with the security agreement signed with Iraq.

Guest, Male #4
I believe the agreement or articles of the Framework Agreement made reference to these points. The Framework Agreement doesn't only address the military issue. Yes, there will be forces remaining for training purposes as stipulated by articles of the agreement but there are security benchmarks that the American side is responsible for, which will help both sides maintain relations after the withdrawal. The Framework Agreement also addresses other political, economic, and cultural aspects, including the logistical support for the political process, as specified by the agreement's articles.

Reporter, Male #2
Fears are mounting over the Iraqi forces' readiness and capability of maintaining security and infiltrating terror networks. This is what's on everyone's mind. By interpreting the political and security status quo in the country, one can conclude that the Iraqi government will face logistical and informational challenges, pending the implementation of the security agreement. For Forat Channel, Ahmad al-Zaidi, Baghdad.