Posted on 07/25/2004 4:14:04 PM PDT by foreshadowed at waco
DUBAI, July 25 (Reuters) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari accused regional satellite channels of inciting violence and hinted Iraq might stop Al Jazeera operating in the country.
"Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, al-Manar and al-Alam have all become channels of incitement and opposed to the interests, security and stability of the Iraqi people," Zebari told Al Jazeera television.
"There is strong talk from some Iraqi government officials about closing Al Jazeera. Unfortunately it is being manipulated by terrorist groups and we will not tolerate this biased coverage," he said.
Al Manar, is owned by Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbollah, al-Alam is Iran's Arabic-language television channel and Dubai-based Al Arabiya is mostly Saudi owned.
Al Jazeera, which together with Al Arabiya gained popularity among Arab viewers for its graphic coverage of the 2003 war in Iraq, denounced the allegations and said it would continue to cover news in Iraq.
"Al Jazeera condemns this method of dealing with the press and considers the allegations and threats as tantamount to incitement against the channel and its staff working in Iraq," the television said in a statement faxed to Reuters.
Dubai-based Al Arabiya could not be immediately reached for comment.
Al Jazeera unveiled a code of ethics earlier this month, pledging to adhere to honesty, fairness and balance.
Iraqi officials have previously temporarily limited operations of the Qatar-based channel and its competitor, Dubai-based Al Arabiya, accusing them of inciting violence.
The U.S. administration has repeatedly criticised Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya's coverage of Iraq claiming they were biased. Both channels have repeatedly aired footage of anti-U.S. attacks and statements from Iraqi insurgents and from kidnappers of hostages in Iraq.
Hey they left CNN and BBC off the list. :)
Thanks for posting. Al Jazeera remains obstinant in lying and defending insurgents to New Iraq. I hope Iraq PM shuts them down. They didn't learn from the last time they were shut down. Print your news; but STOP RABBLE-rousing. (leave that the US Universities to do...)
Better get it off the air before Al Jazeera airs the Dem Convention and really incites violence.
Iraq says satellite channels incite violence (Iraq may ban al Jazeera!)
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