Al-Jazeera boss to quit after Iraqi spies claim
The Daily Telegraph ^ | May 28, 2003 | Anton La Guardia
Al-Jazeera boss to quit after Iraqi spies claim By Anton La Guardia, Diplomatic Editor (Filed: 28/05/2003)
The head of al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite television station, will step down after criticism of its reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan and claims that it was infiltrated by Saddam Hussein's agents.
A spokesman for the network said the departure of Mohammed Jassem al-Ali, its director-general, was not because of political pressure and he would remain on the governing board.
Mohammed Jassem al-Ali He was "seconded from Qatar Television to set up and run al-Jazeera and what has been decided is that this be ceased," said Jihad Ballout. "These rumours and allegations about al-Jazeera are not taken at face value."
The Sunday Times, citing documents it said were seized in Baghdad by the Iraqi National Congress, reported this month that Iraqi intelligence officials claimed to have infiltrated the network. It said there was no evidence that Iraq had recruited al-Ali, but the documents purported to give details of contacts with Iraqi agents in which he made clear that coverage would favour Baghdad.
Al-Jazeera, launched in 1996, is the trailblazer for a new generation of Arab satellite TV channels. It began as a beacon of political openness in a region of dominated by tightly controlled and dull state broadcasters.
But in recent years, as it upset one Arab regime after another, the network has been accused by America and Britain of becoming Osama bin Laden's favourite outlet and promoting anti-western nationalism.
It was heavily criticised for broadcasting exclusive material from Iraqi officials showing dead or captured coalition soldiers.
Pro-western Arabs who at first welcomed al-Jazeera's democratising influence are increasingly worried. "It began as an experiment in breaking the taboos, but it quickly ran out of control and began a competition with other channels over who could incite more against the usual suspects," said a Qatari source....
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Governing Council said Tuesday it planned to suspend the Iraqi operations of two Arab satellite channels it accused of inciting violence against U.S.-led occupation forces.
Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for council chairman Ahmed Chalabi, said the move against Qatar-based Al Jazeera and Dubai- based Al Arabiya was intended as a clear message to other channels that might stir unrest among the Iraqi population.
U.S. forces face daily attacks from guerrilla fighters seeking to drive them from Iraq. Dissatisfaction with the occupation is aggravated by grave shortcomings in many basic services such as water and electricity.
"Yesterday the council issued a resolution...to close Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya satellite stations for violations (of rules) and promoting sectarian differences in Iraq," Qanbar told a news conference in Baghdad.
"For promoting political violence, promoting killing of members of the Governing Council, promoting killing of members of the U.S. coalition, putting on their screens videotapes of terrorists."
Local staff of the two channels in Baghdad told Reuters they had been informed their operations would be shut down for two weeks, and that they planned to appeal to the U.S.-led administration in Iraq.
The administration has promised media freedom in Iraq, and says it will close media outlets only if they are guilty of inciting violence.
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In Dubai, Arabiya said it had received no official notification and was still operating normally.
"We are trying to cover all aspects of the situation in Iraq as objectively as possible and that includes allowing our channel to be a forum for everyone in Iraqi society, be they opposition, the Americans or the government," Abdul Sattar Ellaz, program editor for Al Arabiya, told Reuters.
Both stations are widely watched in Iraq by satellite. Both have aired videotapes of ex-president Saddam Hussein encouraging Iraqis to fight the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Qanbar said the council, after a short ban, would issue regulations for the stations to follow, and punishments to be applied if they did not.
"Our belief is that Iraq, in such a critical situation, cannot afford to sustain such attacks and promotion of sectarianism and political violence," he said.
Qanbar said the Governing Council was meeting with the U.S. civil administration to discuss how to pursue the matter legally.
US troops arrested a CBS cameraman - a locally hired Iraqi- on suspicions he was working in tandem with the insurgents. Amazing how some in the press manage to have cameramen alongside an insurgent ready for the perfect shot when the insurgents are trying to set up an ambush.
Notice that the media in this case didn't pass along their tip to US forces but instead went along with the insurgent plan:
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