Iraqi Council, US slam al-Jazeera, al-Arabiyeh

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 4/13/04 | MATTHEW GUTMAN

[Valin]

Baghdad: The US-led coalition in Iraq and the Iraqi Governing Council threatened Monday to ban the Arab world's leading satellite news channels al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyeh reporters from Iraq for ratcheting up sectarian strife in this war-torn country, according to a leading government official.

For almost a week, until the Marines began to take on embedded reporters, the two channels were among the handful transmitting news from the battleground town of Falluja.

Their frequent use of the term "massacre" and their ongoing use of images of bloodied women and children has led US officials in Iraq to question the balance of their reporting.

"There is no doubt that if al-Jazeera and al-Arabiyeh continue to incite violence and sectarian rifts in this country... they will be closed down here," said Iraqi National Security Adviser Dr. Muafak Rube'i. In a press conference with Western and Arab journalists, he slammed the Arab world's leading satellite news channels for stirring up both the Shi'ite rebels in the center and south of the country and insurgents in the so-called Sunni Triangle.

The campaign against the two stations has gained momentum in recent days as thousands of Iraqis heeded the calls of mosques to send aid to Falluja and "resist American occupation."

Several Arab journalists walked out of the press conference as Rube'i answered questions. Some Arab journalists commented that the new Iraqi Governing Council's limits on freedom of speech were too fast approaching those of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Still, Rube'i battled back, adding in both English and Arabic, that "false reporting will not be permitted in this country." Al Jazeera editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Sheikh denied claims of bias and incitement. "Those [Iraqi] people were killed. How were they killed? Who killed them? We were showing scenes on the ground, from hospitals and so forth. We are a news organization and we must follow news wherever it is," Al-Sheikh said on CNN. "We are not biased, people trust us," he added.

US Deputy Operations Commander in Iraq Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt also accused Arab media of biased reporting, going as far as accusing Al-Jazeera and others of "spreading lies." When asked Sunday how Iraqis should respond to the disturbing images on TV, Kimmitt snapped: "change the channel. Change it to a legitimate honest news station. Showing American soldiers killing only women and children is lies."

The proliferation of satellite dishes in Iraq has lent powerhouses Al Jazeera and Arabiyeh greater influence among Iraqis in the past year. The coalition allotted a $96 million grant to the indigenous Al Iraqiyeh which airs only 40 minutes of news a day. Most of its programming consists of home-improvement shows for housewives, Iraqi national team football games, and local features.

Increasing numbers of Iraqi leaders and even some viewers doubt the veracity of the two stations' version of events. "Al Jazeera broadcasts lies," said Dr. Mahmud Othman, a Kurdish Governing Council member over the weekend. "Their reporting is simply not accurate."

Some feel that Al Jazeera has overstepped its role. According to Yasou Ohnuki of the Japanese Broadcasting Company, the Qatar-based station has been acting as an intermediary between the kidnappers of three Japanese and Japanese officials.

[JasonC]

Long overdue. But the poor timing of when to do something about it calls for another step. Put western embeds back in the Marine units around Fallujah. You can't let them say you had to turn off the cameras before attacking. You have to instead show truth in place of their propaganda.

[mtbopfuyn]

Shutting them down does not make for a democratic nation. Surely there are other news outlets besides AJ that would love to pull in more viewers. Instruct the other news sources in FNC v. CNN. AJ does coincidently seem to be Ali on the spot with cameras rolling at every incident.