New York Stock Exchange Bars Al-Jazeera Reporter

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | March 24, 2003 | Reuters

[Servant of the Nine]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Stock Exchange banned an al Jazeera reporter from its trading floor on Monday, saying it was restricting access to "responsible" networks, as the Arab satellite television channel faces criticism in the United States for its coverage of the war in Iraq.

"We've had to focus our efforts on networks that focus on responsible business coverage," said NYSE spokesman Ray Pellecchia, declining to comment further.

He described the Al-Jazeera ban as "indefinite."

Several other news organizations have also been denied entry to the exchange's downtown Manhattan trading floor in the past few weeks, Pellecchia said, though he declined to name them.

"Because of current security precautions, we have had to decline recent requests from broadcasters," Pellecchia said. Before Monday's ban, Al-Jazeera reported regularly from the world's largest stock exchange.

Al-Jazeera could not immediately be reached for comment.

The TV station, based in Qatar, has come under criticism for using Iraqi TV footage in its coverage of the war, including pictures of U.S. prisoners of war and Iraqi casualties. It has angered many in the United States before by broadcasting tapes of statements from Osama bin Laden.

"We believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the media," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told Reuters. "It (the ban) would set a bad precedent, merely because of which area of the world they cover."

[Servant of the Nine]

Way to Go !!

So9

[Enemy Of The State]

BUMP!!

[Keith in Iowa]

>>"We believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the media," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told Reuters. "It (the ban) would set a bad precedent, merely because of which area of the world they cover."

Wrong. Mr. Hooper only believes that when you agree with him. Disagree, and you are committing a hate crime.

[EaglesUpForever]

Finally, some GOOD NEWS!

[Enemy Of The State]

"Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations"

Apparently The NYSE believes in their right to tell you to get the hell out!

[Constitution Day]

EXCELLENT! BTTT.

[Ed_NYC]

"it was restricting access to "responsible" networks" So FNC is going to be the only network allowed in exchange!

[teletech]

GOOD FOR THE NYSE! This all Iraq all the time network wouldn't know responsible if it bit 'em in the a$$!

[Calpernia]

And yet, because of the coverage they have been getting, France sent out RFPs for their own network. Lovely role model!

France better reevaluate role models.

[Constitution Day]

Ibrahim Hooper...

... is an a$$ clown of the first order. A pox on him!

[Bobby777]

finally somebody recognizes that Al-Jazeera is nothing but the voice of Islam ... nothing ... its favorite topics are Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Yasser Arafat and any other thug they can find sympathetic to their cause ... good riddance ...

[Arkinsaw]

"We've had to focus our efforts on networks that focus on responsible business coverage,"

Dang, that eliminates almost all of them!

[rs79bm]

"We believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the media," Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told Reuters. "It (the ban) would set a bad precedent, merely because of which area of the world they cover."

Go ta' hell Mr. Hooper.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

bttt and bravo to the NYSE.

[Bobby777]

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told Reuters. "It (the ban) would set a bad precedent"

has anybody cursed his mustache yet?

[FairOpinion]

That is VERY sensible. Not just to boycott Al Jazeera, but as a security measure, considering that the opposition leader in Afghanistan as well as in Iraq (Kurd leader) was killed by terrorists masquarading as reporters and camaramen.

[yooper]

"Al-Jazeera could not immediately be reached for comment."

Kinda sucks when your communications infrastructure is a smoking hole in the ground....

[ChadGore]

*Applause* NYSE

[FRgal4u]

go go go...

oooo'rah...

bye bye al jazerra...american capitialism does not need the blood money from your people...

i heard the al jazeera website was hacked earlier today...again, way to go..i hope there are true patriots out there to hijack their sites and broadcast tapes of saddam's human rights violations...and let the tape play loop after loop after loop - 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a yr...