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U.S. says Al-Jazeera putting troops at risk
USA Today ^ | 4/19/04 | Peter Johnson

Posted on 04/19/2004 7:55:47 AM PDT by SpinyNorman

U.S. says Al-Jazeera putting troops at risk

U.S. officials in Iraq expect a pro-Arab slant from Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite television network that is beamed to about 40 million Arab viewers. U.S. officials are documenting cases of what they consider to be incindiary stories by Al-Jazeera.

SNIP

"If somebody sees it a different way than we do, that's OK. If somebody's got a different editorial view, that's OK. But when they start telling intentional lies, that goes beyond the pale," says Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the authority's military spokesman in Baghdad.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called reports by Al-Jazeera that U.S. troops were terrorizing Iraqi civilians "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable. They are simply lying."

SNIP

This is not the first time the Bush administration has quarreled with Al-Jazeera, which it has at times branded as Osama bin Laden's "mouthpiece." But it is the most public stance yet against the network's reporting.

A provisional authority report shows 34 instances from April 8 to 13 in which officials said Al-Jazeera hyped, misreported or distorted events in Iraq. Those ranged from reports of a U.S. F-16 and a Chinook helicopter being shot down to U.S. soldiers killing and mutilating civilians, using cluster bombs and firing at Al-Jazeera reporters.

None of those reports was true, Kimmitt says, but the fallout can be deadly for U.S. forces.

SNIP

A spokesman for Al-Jazeera, Jihad Ballout, says "it is news to me" that the authority had begun a list of what it says are Al-Jazeera's journalistic offenses, but he has heard Rumsfeld's charge.

"I think the harsh criticism is unwarranted," Ballout says. "We are merely a news organization that tries to do its job as professionally as possible, that reports what's on the ground and tries to be as comprehensive as possible. We have never shied away from inviting comments and responses from American authorities."

Kimmitt and others say U.S. authorities have repeatedly complained to Al-Jazeera about its reports. As for Ballout's comment, Kimmitt says, "I fear he protests a bit too much."

(Excerpt) Read more at usatoday.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aljazeera; iraq; muslims; news; terrorists
Am I the only one to notice the telling coincidence of the name of the Al-Jizzera (my spelling) spokesman?

Any more coincidence, and the little ba$tard would be holding a RPG in his hands!

Sorry about the fact that I have to excerpt the article.

1 posted on 04/19/2004 7:55:47 AM PDT by SpinyNorman
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To: SpinyNorman
Why is Al-Jazeera still on air..... !!???

2 posted on 04/19/2004 7:58:26 AM PDT by traumer
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To: SpinyNorman
"If somebody sees it a different way than we do, that's OK. If somebody's got a different editorial view, that's OK. But when they start telling intentional lies, that goes beyond the pale," says Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the authority's military spokesman in Baghdad.

This poor general is going to have a heart attack when he returns and sees what the Democrat party does over here.

3 posted on 04/19/2004 7:59:06 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Mahmoud Zahar, step right up! You're the next contestant on "Who wants to field test a Hellfire?")
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To: SpinyNorman
that goes beyond the pale," says Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt,

See, he is using an expression that refers to the old Jewish homeland in central Europe. It is all part of the international zionist conspiracy

4 posted on 04/19/2004 8:03:44 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: SpinyNorman
AL Jazeera Satellite Channel
529 14th Street Northwest Suite 927
Washington, DC 20045
(202) 393-1333
5 posted on 04/19/2004 8:05:44 AM PDT by ASA Vet (I'm still waiting for the "overwhelming" response.)
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To: SpinyNorman
"U.S. says Al-Jazeera putting troops at risk"

Well, DUH!!! Al-Jazeera is nothing more than the propaganda wing of the Islamo-Facists and quite clearly is used to gather intelligence for them as well.

Far as I am concerned, they are no better than the insurgent terrorist. SHUT THEM DOWN AND SHIP THEIR ARSE OUT.

Hmmmmmm, now that I think about it, if they want the front page exclusives, let's put them with our Marines (isolated of course with no means of communicating) and let the Marines use THEM for human shields. Talk about some on the spot reporting.

6 posted on 04/19/2004 8:10:45 AM PDT by el_texicano (Liberals are the real Mind-Numbed Robots - No Brains, No Guts, No Character)
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To: el_texicano
Good idea.
7 posted on 04/19/2004 8:17:21 AM PDT by RobbyS (JMJ)
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To: traumer
Knock it off the air for a couple of months.

This is no news agancy. It is a Goebbles style propaganda outfit for the terrorists.
8 posted on 04/19/2004 8:17:53 AM PDT by observer5
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To: SpinyNorman
Sounds like a "first warning" to me.
9 posted on 04/19/2004 8:18:08 AM PDT by billb
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To: SpinyNorman
Is there a Coalition media presence in the region?
10 posted on 04/19/2004 8:20:14 AM PDT by onedoug
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To: traumer
beat me to it.
11 posted on 04/19/2004 8:22:51 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: SpinyNorman
Ya think? AJ should have been closed down over a year ago.
12 posted on 04/19/2004 8:23:37 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: SpinyNorman
Ya think? AJ should have been closed down over a year ago.
13 posted on 04/19/2004 8:24:01 AM PDT by mtbopfuyn
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
:o)
14 posted on 04/19/2004 8:32:33 AM PDT by traumer
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To: SpinyNorman
It is not strange they are still on the air. Last year I have sent a complaint to the licensing body in UK complaining about Alarabia, Aljazira, and Abuthaby, three Arabic channels who after the Iraqi liberation where exitig violence in Iraq, and telling a lot of lies about Kurds. As we ( Kurds) understand their language we started a campaign so that these channels should adhere to professional standards without telling lies and encouraging violence and killing of any one in Iraq who does not have their mentality. Unfourtunatly the licensing body in UK, felt that these channels expresse the arabic world views and they have not found any irregularities, though they stated that Aljazera's license is from a french body, which I could not find. I think we have to start again a nother campaign as they only show the view of those people who are against the change in Iraq ang describes the rest as Traitors.
15 posted on 04/19/2004 8:47:30 AM PDT by Hewar
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To: SpinyNorman
Wonder if we could hone in on their signal and jam it?
16 posted on 04/19/2004 8:50:42 AM PDT by b4its2late (Hillary, it is bad to suppress laughter; it goes back down and spreads to your hips.)
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To: SpinyNorman
Al-Jazzera is nothing more than the enemy " Propaganda-Staffel "
Their " Reporters " should be shot on sight
17 posted on 04/19/2004 8:59:54 AM PDT by 1903A3
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To: traumer
Why are they even allowed into Iraq?
18 posted on 04/19/2004 9:17:41 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn't be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: traumer
Why is CNN still on the air ?

I suspect for the same reason ;-)

But I've long wondered about what you asked. Wouldn't be hard to locate the transmitters and send something destructive that way....
19 posted on 04/19/2004 9:52:41 AM PDT by festus
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To: SpinyNorman
See Also:


Al Jazeera: Friend of Foe in War on Terror ^
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On News/Activism ^ 04/20/2004 3:12:15 PM CDT with 1 comment


Fox News ^ | Tuesday, April 20, 2004 | Rick Leventhal
NEW YORK — Al Jazeera's (search) ubiquitous presence at news events in Iraq has some wondering whether the Arabic satellite news network is a willing or even enthusiastic partner in the anti-American campaign being waged by Iraqi insurgents. Said to be the most watched Arabic network, available in 53 million homes around the world, Al Jazeera promotes itself as independent and professional, with journalistic integrity. It often has the first video of hostages, including the Italian security guard who was killed on camera last week. The network also regularly airs footage of roadside bombs going off and other attacks on coalition forces, leading some...
     
 
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On News/Activism ^ 04/16/2004 10:07:19 AM CDT with 2 comments


WSJ ^ | April 16, 2004 | DANIEL HENNINGER
The First Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. Army in Iraq want to equip and upgrade seven defunct Iraqi-owned TV stations in Al Anbar province--west of Baghdad--so that average Iraqis have better televised information than the propaganda they get from the notorious Al-Jazeera. If Jim Hake can raise $100,000, his Spirit of America will buy the equipment in the U.S., ship it to the Marines in Iraq and get Iraqi-run TV on the air before the June 30 handover. Spirit of America's buy-list for the Marines' TV-stations project includes digital video camcorders, desktop PCs for video editing, video editing software, televisions,...
     
 
Rumsfeld: Al-Jazeera is disgraceful... "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable" ^
      Posted by dennisw
On News/Activism ^ 04/15/2004 5:54:55 PM CDT with 56 comments


JPOST ^ | Updated Apr. 15, 2004 21:58 | By MATTHEW GUTMAN
Rumsfeld: Al-Jazeera is disgraceful By MATTHEW GUTMAN US Secretary of Defense called the pan-Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable" for reporting that US and coalition troops were killing and terrorizing Iraqi citizens. Rumsfeld, speaking to reports at a Pentagon press conference Thursday, was reacting to a question posed as to the accuracy of Al-Jazeera reports saying hundreds of Iraqis have been killed in the fighting in Falluja. "Its disgraceful what that station is doing," Rumsfeld said, adding, "They are simply lying." Al-Jazeera is by far the most widely watched news network in the Arab world. The US-led...
     
 
Al Jazeera says U.S. "threatening" media in Iraq  ^
      Posted by kattracks
On News/Activism ^ 04/13/2004 10:04:17 AM CDT with 34 comments


Reuters ^ | 4/13/04
DUBAI, April 13 (Reuters) - Arabic-language satellite TV channel Al Jazeera on Tuesday accused U.S.-led coalition officials in Iraq of threatening the media over their coverage of U.S. troops battling Iraqi rebels. U.S. Army chief spokesman, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, on Monday called Qatar-based Al Jazeera, Dubai-based Al Arabiya and other Arab media outlets the "anti-coalition media" and advised viewers to "change the channel". "Al Jazeera rejects these accusations and considers them a threat to the right of the media to cover the reality in Iraq amid a difficult and complex situation on the ground," Al Jazeera said in a...
     
 
Iraqi Council, US slam al-Jazeera, al-Arabiyeh ^
      Posted by Valin
On News/Activism ^ 04/13/2004 8:50:09 AM CDT with 2 comments


The Jerusalem Post ^ | 4/13/04 | MATTHEW GUTMAN
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...
     
 
US Forces Want Al Jazeera out of Fallujah ('Bout Time!) ^
      Posted by threat matrix
On News/Activism ^ 04/09/2004 7:16:25 PM CDT with 44 comments


Islam Online.net & Al Jazeera Director General ^ | April 9, 2004 | Mustafa Abdel Halim
The United States asked the Al Jazeera news team to leave Fallujah as one of the conditions of reaching a cease fire settlement to the bloody stand off in the besieged western Baghdad town Friday April 9.'American forces declared al Jazeera must leave before any progress is made to settle the Fallujah stand off,' al Jazeera director general Wadah Khanfar told Islam Online.Net, citing sources close to the Iraqi Governing Council. Khanfar, the former Baghdad bureau chairman of the station, declined to speculate on reasons for putting Al Jazeera's departure as 'part of solving the crisis.' Khanfar also dismissed charges...
     
 
Al-Jazeera, Al-Manar reporters aided terrorists ^
      Posted by yonif
On News/Activism ^ 04/08/2004 12:43:23 PM CDT with 10 comments


Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 8, 2004 | MARGOT DUDKEVITCH
The Samaria Military Court on Thursday indicted Daib Abu Zeid, a reporter for Hizbullah's al-Manar television for transferring funds on behalf of the Hizbullah to Palestinian terror cells in the West Bank and recruiting Israeli Arabs to Hizbullah's ranks. Also on Thursday, security services arrested a correspondent of the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite television network suspected of aiding Palestinian terrorists. Dib Abu Zayad, 38, from Jenin, was arrested three months ago in Nablus. According to the Shin Bet, Zayad supplied terrorists with weapons, money, clothes and modes of transportation. Zayad served as a liaison between a Fatah leader in Lebanon and...
     
 
Al Jazeera Praises Kerry (Are we not surprised) ^
      Posted by april15Bendovr
On News/Activism ^ 03/18/2004 12:21:20 PM CST with 11 comments


Newsmax ^ | Tuesday, March 16, 2004 1:24 p.m. EST
Reprinted from NewsMax.com Tuesday, March 16, 2004 1:24 p.m. EST Al Jazeera Praises Kerry Al Jazeera, the Arab news network considered by Westerners to be the voice of al-Qaida, is praising likely Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry as "a popular mainstream Democrat with liberal tendencies, [who] has been widely seen as a good compromise candidate in a divided party." "A decorated war hero, Kerry supported the attack on Iraq and wants to see a strong U.S. military," notes al Jazeera in a candidate profile on its Web site. "But that hawkish stance is balanced by his promotion of healthcare coverage,...

20 posted on 04/20/2004 1:43:31 PM PDT by Stultis
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