ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 12 January 2013 30 Safar 1434 - Volume 17 Number 5577 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Chilly winds to bring mercury down further DOHA: Winter has finally arrived in Qatar, and weather forecasters have pre- dicted a chiller day today with winds con- tinuing and getting stronger at places. High pressure over the Arabian Gulf is causing the windy weather, and north-west- erly winds blowing from Europe will bring in more chill, according to the forecasters. There will be slight dust and high seas offshore. The minimum temperature in Doha is expected to be 13 degrees Celsius, while day temperatures are forecast to be around 20 degrees Celsius. Abu Samra is to witness the coldest day so far today with the maximum tempera- ture forecast at 17 degrees Celsius, while the night is to be colder with the mercury dropping to 11 degrees Celsius. Winds will be strong with dust in the coastal area compared to other parts of the country because of the high pressure pre- vailing over the Gulf. The winds will cause the sea to be high and rough, a forecaster said. The haze caused by strong winds and clouds at places would reduce visibility to a moderate level of three to seven kilometres. The wind will continue to blow from the north-westerly direction with a speed of 15 to 25 knots onshore and up to 25 to 35 knots offshore. Strong winds in the coastal areas will affect open places, leading to dust in the air and affecting visibility. Waves are likely to reach a height of two to four feet near the shore and nine to 13 feet offshore. People welcomed the cold spell yesterday while strong winds played havoc in some places. The glass door of a newly-opened res- taurant near the Corniche was damaged by winds on Friday night. The restaurant had to function yesterday without a door as it needs to be replaced. EXISTENCE “Something carried by wind hit the door and damaged it. We need to replace it,” said a restaurant staff. THE ISSUE THE PENINSULA US, Karzai support opening The Doha Centre for Media The DCMF is, additionally, coordinating with “We will continue with our training pro- Abraham Augusthy Doha office for Taliban talks Freedom (DCMF) estimates that advocates of media freedom and is in touch with gramme in Pakistan and plan to hold six more various United Nations organisations as also workshops,” Bardawil said. WASHINGTON: The White House and more than 80 citizen-journalists Syrian opposition leaders on the issue. “Their Prominent Qatari journalist Abdullah Al Design: Afghan President Hamid Karzai yes- have been killed in Syria in the 22 response is positive…The situation in Syria is Attbah said that since journalists were not terday said they supported opening an months since the uprising began in critical.” protected in Syria, he didn’t want to venture office in Doha for negotiations between The DCMF gets requests from citizen-jour- there. “The problem is related to the double the Kabul regime and authorised repre- the country. nalists in Syria for financial assistance for med- standards of the West. They don’t want to end sentatives of the Taliban. After a meet- ical treatment in cases of injuries and provides violence in Syria, while they are taking action ing with Karzai, President Barack Obama it readily so that the beneficiaries recover fast in Mali”. said Nato troops would speed up transfer hat is close to the total number of and get back to work. “This kind of crucial suc- Attbah told this newspaper yesterday: of lead security responsibility to Afghan journalists (88) who perished last cour is provided both inside and outside Syria,” Journalists must be defended, respected and forces this spring, in a sign the pace of US year covering armed conflicts, revo- said Bardawil. spared like medical and aid workers are. The troop withdrawals could quicken. Tlutions and other events across the “We don’t have representatives in Syria and international community must ensure this.” See also page 12 world, including the Arab Spring countries, the instead boast a network of friends. Divulging Aside from the protective gear that can be deadliest of which was Syria. details can, obviously, be dangerous.” given to scribes covering war zones or revo- Women get one-fifth of seats A genre of citizen-journalists had emerged in Gaza and Pakistan are among the almost per- lutions, what is more important is that they Syria after the uprising began and the repres- ennially dangerous territories for journalists to should enjoy legal protection. in Saudi Shura Council sive regime started relentlessly targeting peace- do their work. In Gaza, two scribes were killed “Qatar’s existing media law is old and archaic, RIYADH: The Custodian of the Two Holy ful protesters and, later, began using military and several were left injured during the recent yet no incident has so far been reported that Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz force against civilians. These citizen-journalists conflict with Israel. involved harassment of journalists,” he said. of Saudi Arabia yesterday appointed were using social media to tell their stories. The DCMF has lined up at least three work- A new media law is waiting to be imple- women to a fifth of the seats in the Shura “Anyone using any kind of social media to shops on safety of journalists in Gaza in the mented here and it would accord journalists the Council, which advises the government tell the story of what’s happening inside Syria coming days. “We are going to hold training status of public servants in the case of attack on new legislation. The council has had 12 is a citizen-journalist,” said Ayman Bardawil, sessions on safety so journalists are better or assault. women “advisers” since 2006. In two royal programmes manager of DCMF. “We are con- prepared when they cover war zones,” said “That would protect us scribes immensely decrees, King Abdullah reconstituted PAGEtinuously monitoring 6 the situation of citizen- Bardawil. against any assault or attack as also encour- the council for a new four-year term and journalists in Syria.” In Pakistan, the Centre, in association with age fellow Qatari citizens to join journalism in ordered that women should always hold at He told The Peninsula yesterday: “Our web- a local organisation, conducted a number of increasing numbers,” he said. least 20 percent of the seats. site team is monitoring casualties among citi- workshops for journalists that partly focused THE PENINSULA See also page 8 zen-journalists there.” on safety. See also page 2 AGENCIES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 JANUARY 12, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home On dangerous assignments The Arab Spring was about journalists spoke about was the issue international conference organised freedom, dignity and of impunity for killers of journalists, by the National Human Rights democracy, but it also drew and this is something we are work- Committee (NHRC) earlier in January international attention to the ing on following our participation in to discuss protection of journalists in risks journalists covering the UNESCO meeting in Vienna in dangerous situations , which brought revolutions and armed November,” he added. together delegates from international conflicts are exposed to “The issue of safety of journalists organisations, including the UN, sev- under the watchful eyes of in the Arab region is frightening. As eral press freedom groups and govern- oppressive regimes and in the well as monitoring the situation, we ment officials. midst of gunshots, bombings are trying to do something about it. We “Although the United Nations and and fierce battles. have found that training for journalists its agencies have a wide range of tools in the Arab world is either incomplete, and instruments which can address sporadic or irrelevant to the needs and the issue of safety, scores of journal- BY MOHAMMED IQBAL Al Jazeera dangers journalists face,” said Mafkhi ists and media workers continue to cameraman adding “that is why we are trying to be killed every year while carrying li Hassan Al Jaber, a Qatari Ali Hassan Al Jaber, introduce a programme that covers all out their professional responsibilities. cameraman working for Al who was killed in aspects of safety.” Many such abuses are not investigated Jazeera who was killed in Libya in 2011 In January 2012, DCMF organised and remain unpunished,” said a state- ALibya in March 2011 became a meeting of experts on “supporting ment issued after the conference. a symbol of media freedom, his death Arab media in transitional and post- The meeting called on the UN to triggering heated debate in the Qatari conflict contexts” in Doha. During develop new tools to bind all states to community about the safety of citi- the meeting, fifteen representatives acknowledging and accepting a stand- zens working as journalists in conflict of media development organisations, ing obligation to provide safeguards zones. “The reason for the unprecedented to journalists working in such places. news organisations and academic and protection to journalists beyond Al Jaber was killed in an ambush number of journalists killed in 2012 With this in view, the Doha Center for institutions based in the Middle East the provisions of the UN Security near the city of Benghazi in eastern is mainly the war in Syria, the chaos Media Freedom (DCMF) launched the and Europe exchanged their opinions Council resolution reminding states Libya. He was returning to Benghazi in Somalia and Taliban violence in Ali Hassan Al Jaber Safety Training and experiences on the subject. of their obligations to give journalists from a nearby town after filing a Pakistan,” says Reporters Without Programme for journalists, named The closed door discussions protection as civilians in situations of report from an opposition protest Borders secretary-general Christophe after the slain Qatari cameraman.