Bashar al-Assad defends Syria as last stronghold of secularism in region [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
With the backing of the international community, an extensive meeting was held by the Syrian opposition in Doha to unify its fronts. The Syrian National Council elected 40 new members. Al-Arabi said the only way to end the conflict in Syria is through a political solution, and al-Assad declared that he will live and die in Syria.

Reporter, Female #1
The opposition Syrian National Council elected a new leadership consisting of 40 members, with Islamists constituting a third of the members, including five from the Muslim Brotherhood. The secretariat members will choose 11 members for the executive office, which then elects the president.

Reporter, Female #1
The process was postponed until Friday, so an additional four members can be chosen for the general secretariat that would represent women and minorities. Outgoing president Abdel Basset Sayda remained a member in the new general secretariat. However, prominent opponents such as Burhan Ghalioun, George Sabra and Riad Seif left, so they cannot preside over the council on principle.

Guest, Male #2 (Abdel Basset Sayda, Outgoing SNC President)
We will look into the different issues, including forming an authority, commission, or government. The name is not important, but it is the work that is essential, and aims to administer the liberated areas and address the current tasks.

Guest, Male #3 (Burhan Ghalioun, Leader in the Syrian National Council)
Unifying the opposition is not a concession that can be offered for a price for this state or the friends of Syria. Unifying the opposition is a duty for all spectrums of the Syrian opposition, and we are continuing until the opposition is unified, despite the reactions and the demands of other countries.

Reporter, Female #1
During a closed meeting, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim al-Thani called on the Syrian opposition to unite its fronts. The Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil al-Arabi announced that the regime in Syria will not last long.

Guest, Male #4 (Nabil al-Arabi, Secretary-General of the Arab League)
The military solution will not end the problem. So we must look for a political solution that is able to achieve the desired outcome. The political solution comes through Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League. He is seeking to establish the means to reaching a political solution. He still has not settled on a specific way. Consultations with influential parties are important, and he is talking with all sides; then at the right time, he will make a decision.

Reporter, Female #1
On the other hand, the spokesman for the Syrian Foreign Ministry Jihad Maqdesi responded to al-Arabi by saying it is not surprising for al-Arabi to repeat his anti-Syria statements, in which he fantasizes about changing the political system of a founder of the Arab League, an organization al-Arabi works for as an employee for its member states.

Reporter, Female #1
In an unrelated matter, following the Russian and Armenian planes, another Armenian plane was heading to Syria in less than a month; it was loaded with humanitarian aid but was forced to land by Turkey on Thursday morning at Erzurum Airport in the northeastern part of the country to be searched. After a thorough inspection, sources noted that Turkish authorities did not find weapons on the plane, and did not find anything except for 15 tons of food supplies and humanitarian aid.

Reporter, Female #1
Politically, in an interview with TV channel Russia Today, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned that if it were to happen, the cost of a foreign invasion of Syria will be greater than what the entire world can handle. He compared its impact to a domino effect that will involve the world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Guest, Male #5 (Bashar al-Assad, Syrian President)
I strongly reject the idea of leaving Syria, or going to any other country. I'm not a puppet, and I was not made by the West to go to the West, or to any other country. I am Syrian. I was made in Syria, and I will live and die in Syria.

Reporter, Female #1
Internationally, Russia announced that the situation in Syria is worrisome. The official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Lukashevich, said the number of those in need of humanitarian aid in Syria will increase to four million people at the end of the year. He confirmed that his country will continue its efforts on all levels to stop the violence in the country.

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Turkey's Erdogan steps up war rhetoric against Syria during Bali forum [Syria TV, Syria]

Presenter, Male #1
Erdogan is continuing his weeping over the Syrian people, while ignoring that he's a main player in their bloodshed.

Presenter, Female #1
Today he's touring the north, south, east, and west in an attempt to save face before the Turkish people, after the United States pulled the rug from under him.

Reporter, Female #2
Once again, Erdogan appoints himself emperor of the Middle East through the gateway of the Syrian crisis. He continues escalating and intimidating the country by going to Bali in Indonesia to attend the Global Forum on Democracy. He rose to the podium to give advice about his supposed democracy, forgetting that his house is made of glass. Erdogan's democracy forced him and his government to lead the world's championship in silencing opposition journalists and arresting them, as reported by international organizations.

Reporter, Female #2
The democracy he boasts before the world also forced him to arrest Kurdish politicians and deputies who are on a hunger strike in his prisons. His democracy, which he wishes for the Syrian people and cries for, speaks for itself through the suppression of protests and the closure of cities facing demonstrators rebelling against his hostile policy toward Syria and the countries of the regions.

Reporter, Female #2
Erdogan has reached a point of no return. So he went on a quest with rhetoric that conflicts with his actions, claiming concern for the Syrian people while ignoring the fact that he's one of the most important figures responsible for the bloodshed of the Syrians. He did so after turning Turkey into the biggest base cultivating terrorism and exporting it to Syria.

Reporter, Female #2
In a trip aspiring to resurrect the extinct empire of his Ottoman ancestors, Erdogan is still far away from reality, disobeying history with flimsy dreams at times. Dreams of imposing a different presidential system on Turkey through a new constitution that aims to create an Ottoman empire and a monopoly on power. And at times, he demands changes to the United Nations and the Security Council.

Reporter, Female #2
Occasionally, he attempts to work in the service of the Americans in hopes of receiving a share of the region. But he hasn't woken up from these dreams despite the repeated slaps he receives from his American master. The latest was denying the Erdogan government's attempt to dispatch Patriot missiles on the border with Syria after Ankara submitted a request, as reported by the MTV channel quoting Erdogan's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.

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World groups organize global day of action in support of Myanmar's Rohingyas [Press TV, Iran]

Rohingya organizations around the world have declared November 8 a global day of action to draw attention to the plight of Rohingyas in their country. Rallies are being held in London to support Rohingyas. Press TV speaks with Noor al-Islam, the president of Arakan Rohingya National Organization, who criticizes the poor international response to the situation. He also slams Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi's silence on the Rohingyas, adding that if Rakhine's Buddhists were in the same situation, she would "definitely speak up."

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US Supreme Court dismisses Muslim charity case [Press TV, Iran]

Press TV reports that the American Muslim charity organization, the Holy Land Foundation has been denied a hearing by the US Supreme Court with no explanation. The foundation was once the largest Islamic charity in the United States, and focused on helping Palestinian refugees. During the Bush administration, in 2008, its offices were raided, and five of its members were convicted to 65-year prison sentences on charges of supporting terrorism.

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Bombings kill several people in Iraq [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Two people were killed and another five were injured in two explosions in the district of al-Mahmoudiya south of Baghdad. Security sources said the first explosion was the result of an explosive canister, while the other, which occurred five minutes later, was the result of a car bomb detonated near a crowd of citizens in one of al-Mahmoudiya's neighborhoods. The city of al-Halla also witnessed a car bombing that led to the killing of four people and injury of 20 others.

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One killed, 10 injured in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured after a truck packed with explosives was blown up. The bombing targeted a compound housing a paramilitary force in the city of Karachi in western Pakistan.

Reporter, Male #2
Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and its financial capital. Some people said they saw a small truck, loaded with vegetables, explode into bits near an office of the paramilitary force. It killed and injured people, and devastated the police building and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Guest, Male #3
The truck was a Mazda. I think it was loaded with vegetables. It crashed into the building's main entrance then exploded, and flames started to rise. We were far from the building, but we were injured. I don't know what happened after that.

Guest, Male #4
I was lying down in an alleyway near my house when I saw a truck speeding toward the main entrance of the paramilitary force building. Then I heard a large explosion, so I ran to check on my family, who lives in a building nearby.

Reporter, Male #2
The duties of the paramilitary force that use this building as their headquarters is to support the Pakistani police in ensuring the security of the residents of the city, which is inhabited by 18 million people. While no side has claimed responsibility for the incident, the city of Karachi occasionally witnesses attacks by extremist organizations that target both police officers and civilians.

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Israel's Netanyahu takes heat after Obama victory [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
Israeli media outlets reported a wide gap in the future relations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Barack Obama. This comes a day after disappointment was expressed by Likud party government ministers.

Reporter, Male #2
The future of the relationship between American President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the most prominent headline in Israeli media outlets. The consensus was that Netanyahu was hasty, and made a major mistake by what was described as a blatant intervention in favor of the Republican candidate Romney, that was done without assessing the possibility of Obama's return to the White House.

Reporter, Male #2
Netanyahu tried to rectify the situation and issued strict orders to all his ministers, their advisors, and Likud members in the Knesset not to speak about Obama's victory without coordinating with his office. This came following Likud party members' negative reaction towards Obama who they described as "not good for Israel," and unreliable.

Reporter, Male #2
However, others described the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv as at its best. Columnist Akiva Eldar wrote an article published in the Israel Today newspaper saying that Obama will repay the Jewish community that voted for him.

Reporter, Male #2
International media also commented on the issue, but that reaction mostly differed from the Israeli analysis. The Guardian newspaper said Obama's reelection makes him more able, less confined, and more free to deal with Israel, suggesting that Obama will pressure Netanyahu to stop settlement construction, especially in East Jerusalem. The British newspaper recalled Netanyahu's disappointment by saying that the person who regretted most Obama's victory after Romney was the Israeli prime minister, who not only opposed Obama, but also publicly mocked him in the corridors of the United Nations when he lectured him on Jewish history.

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Did Israeli PM's support for Mitt Romney hurt ties with Obama administration? [IBA, Israel]

In Israel, the meaning of US President Barack Obama's reelection victory has been a main topic of discussion, reports IBA. They wonder whether it will impact US-Israel relations, and whether it will affect Israel's own elections in January. Pundits in Israel are saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's implicit backing of Mitt Romney may have severely damaged Tel Aviv's relations with Washington. However, in a meeting yesterday with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro, Netanyahu seemed eager to offer congratulations to Obama. In a later panel discussing the election, Ambassador Shapiro insisted that there would be no change in the US-Israel relationship, while former Israeli ambassador to the US Salai Meridor suggested that Obama may indeed hold a grudge.

As for the Jewish vote in the US election, exit polls released yesterday said that 70 percent of the Jewish electorate voted for Obama, while 30 percent said they voted for Romney. In 2008, Obama took 78 percent of the Jewish vote, while Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee, won 22 percent. Additionally, while Jews make up only two percent of the US population, it will now have 10 members in the Senate and 22 members in the House of Representatives, all but one of whom are Democrats. It's an overall decline from 2010, when 12 Jews were elected to the Senate and 27 to the House.

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Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell seeks Iran sanctions workaround via grain barter [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Reuters news agency sources revealed that Royal Dutch Shell Company aims to circumvent international sanctions imposed on Iran by concluding a swap deal through which it would pay its debt to the Iranian national oil company.

Reporter, Female #2
In an attempt to tighten the noose on Iran so it gives up its nuclear program, early this year the European Union added its voice to that of the United States by imposing sanctions on the government of Tehran that include prohibiting the import of Iranian oil.

Reporter, Female #2
European countries granted their oil companies a six-month grace period to adhere to the sanctions. During the grace period, these companies worked on gradually decreasing their dependence on Iranian oil.

Reporter, Female #2
As large companies stopped buying Tehran's oil, sources revealed to Reuters agency that the Royal Dutch Shell company, Tehran's second largest customer that imports 100,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day, continued to purchase oil until the sanctions went into effect on July 1st.

Reporter, Female #2
As the scope of the sanctions was expanded to prohibiting financial transactions with Iranian banks and companies, Shell was unable to pay its dues, amounting to 1.4 billion dollars, to the Iranian national oil company, especially after the British government refused to give the company permission to pay off this debt through bank transfers.

Reporter, Female #2
These sanctions forced Royal Dutch Shell to look for other means to settle its debt. According to Reuters, the company is currently trying to arrange a grain barter deal through the American agribusiness Cargill.

Reporter, Female #2
Through this deal, Shell would deliver grains to Iran worth 1.4 billion dollars, or what amounts to nearly 80 percent of Iran's yearly import of grains. Shell hopes the deal receives the approval of the American, British, and Dutch authorities, since the export of grains, food products, and essential supplies to Iran is permitted on humanitarian grounds, despite the sanctions.

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Darfur's rebel group joins Qatar-sponsored talks with Khartoum [Sudan TV, Sudan]

Presenter, Male #1
The participants in Darfur's peace process are undertaking serious efforts to continue the process by communicating with movements that reject peace. These efforts continued after the Justice and Equality Movement accepted the Doha charter following consultations conducted with the government in the Qatari capital Doha.

Presenter, Female #1
On the other hand, the regional police in Darfur formed a communication committee to invite the remaining movements to the peaceful settlement process that was adopted in the Doha charter, and which has positively reflected on most issues in Darfur.

Reporter, Male #2
Between July 2011, the date the Doha charter was signed between the government and the Liberation and Equality movement, and November 2012, many issues have been tackled. Following the agreement, a new reality started to take shape, a reality that is headed toward an entrenched and expanding peace, while popular optimism is growing daily as the impact of the charter is being felt.

Reporter, Male #2
Since signing the Doha charter, Darfur no longer makes headlines on international media outlets the way it did before. The hectic actions of some parties have slowed down, aons that were mostly escalating the conflict and were seen as one-sided. On the regional front, some countries have shifted their stance in favor of peace in Darfur. At the same time, regimes that have long enflamed the struggle there are now gone, and the international community's stance seems more clear in its supports for calming the situation and rejecting war.

Reporter, Male #2
The international position was clarified when it broadly endorsed the Doha agreement and the formation of a mechanism to follow up on its implementation, including a number of African and Arab countries and the member states at the Security Council. The Organization of Islamic Conference and the European Union also supported the initiative. In the states of Darfur, the positive impact of the Doha Document has started to be felt. The displaced are now thinking about their future, and considering returning to their homes and lands.

Reporter, Male #2
According to reports by organizations working in Sudan, all indicators point to an improvement in the humanitarian and security conditions. The people of Darfur started to realize the negative role the Western media machine played due to its desire to turn the area into a stage for ethnic strife. For this reason, tribal committees for reconciliation are active now, and special courts were formed to prosecute those committing crimes against civilians.

Reporter, Male #2
Communication with armed groups was also reestablished, contact that led the Justice and Equality Movement to join the peace march in accordance with the Doha agreement. The agreement was centered on seven items based on Darfur's essential needs, for which armed movements had established themselves. According to arms control monitors, the time to lay down arms has come since there is no longer a reason for an armed struggle. The contact committee dealing with weapon bearers, which was recently formed by the regional authority, needs regional and international support to successfully accomplish its mission.