Al-Jazeera Launches English Web Site

AP | 9/01/03

[kattracks]

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Sept. 1 — The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera launched an English-language Web site Monday, five months after hackers brought down a temporary site at the height of the Iraq war.

Susi Sirri, news coordinator and spokeswoman, said the site aims "to fill a niche for English speakers who want to get the other side of the story, the Arab perspective."

"We are following Al-Jazeera's model: opinion and counter-opinion. That is the motto of the (organization)," Sirri told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Qatar.

The English site works closely with the television station and its Arabic Web site, launched in 2001, but also has its own staff of nearly 50 Western and Arab journalists, Sirri said.

A temporary version of English.aljazeera.net went online March 24 to cover the war but was soon brought down by hackers. The Arabic site also was unavailable for long periods during the war.

The hacker, John William Racine II, 24, of Norco, Calif., pleaded guilty in June to felony charges of wire fraud and unlawful interception of an electronic communication. He had intercepted e-mail and content from Al-Jazeera and rerouted users to another site showing the American flag and the phrase "Let Freedom Ring."

U.S., British and even Arab officials have criticized Al-Jazeera's coverage of events in the Middle East and its airing of al-Qaida statements, accusing the station of sensationalism, bias, and incitement. Others in the region view it as a courageous addition to the Arab world's mostly state-run media.

[kattracks]

Susi Sirri, news coordinator and spokeswoman, said the site aims "to fill a niche for English speakers who want to get the other side of the story, the Arab perspective."

Reuters, AP and numerous other sources are filled with "the other side of the story" What is needed is a news source which will honestly and accurately report the US side of the story.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Al-Jazeera Launches English Web Site

This isn't news. Democratic Underground has been around for years, already. :)

[dighton]

Al-Jazeera Launches English Web Site

The BBC.

[EBITDA]

"The hacker, John William Racine II, 24, of Norco, Calif., pleaded guilty in June to felony charges of wire fraud and unlawful interception of an electronic communication. He had intercepted e-mail and content from Al-Jazeera and rerouted users to another site showing the American flag and the phrase "Let Freedom Ring."

No good deed goes unpunished.

[Migraine]

Al-Jazeera's model: opinion and counter-opinion.

Good. Maybe if they get called what they are, LIARS, enough times, with evidence to back it up, they might change their ways. NOT!!!

[jimbo123]

Al-Jazeera US Edition

[liberallarry]

What's the URL of the Website?

[lilylangtree]

These creeps should be sent an unknown virus downing them for awhile again.

[liberallarry]

Thanks.

[liberallarry]

Oh...a joke. Too bad.

[tet68]

cute.

[armymarinemom]

English Radical Islamic Voice

[tsali1927]

This new site will give the DemocRATS in Congress more lies to use to try and topple Bush

[mtbopfuyn]

Hey, they've got a poll that needs freeping, lol.

[liberallarry]

Thanks a bunch. Now we need a version of NRO's "Krugman truth squad". Perhaps MEMRI will do. Too bad I can't read Arabic.

[xm177e2]

The BBC.

I think most of Al-Jazeera's original employees came from the BBC's Arabic service.

[freekitty]

I agree.

[idkfa]

"We are following Al-Jazeera's model: opinion and counter-opinion."

I only saw one of those.

[Righty1]

He did what our pionhead government should have but, couldn't.