Post by Gorf on Aug 10, 2004 8:35:45 GMT -5
BAGHDAD - The caretaker Iraqi government ordered pan-Arab television channel Al-Jazeera to close its offices in Baghdad for 30 days following charges it is inciting violence.
Images later broadcast by Al-Jazeera showed Iraqi police issuing the closure order although the channel vowed to continue its Iraq coverage.
Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib announced the news at a Baghdad press conference following an order from the national security committee.
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi added: "We have asked an independent committee to monitor Al-Jazeera for the last four weeks... to see what kind of violence they are advocating, inciting hatred and problems and racial tensions."
"This is a decision taken by the national security committee to protect the people of Iraq, in the interests of the Iraqi people," he said.
The Iraqi government move was earlier reported by the Doha-based channel, which did not air the live news conference in Baghdad.
"Iraqi authorities decide to close the Al-Jazeera office in Baghdad for a month," read an urgent banner on the television which gave no more details on the reasons for the closure.
The news was followed by a report on US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accusing Al-Jazeera and the other main Arab news channel Al-Arabiya of harming the image of the United States in the Arab world.
Rumsfeld made the remarks at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, said Al-Jazeera.
Al-Jazeera later issued a statement on its website expressing "regret for the unjustified move," which it argued "was contrary to pledges made by the Iraqi government to start a new era of free speech and openness."
"Al-Jazeera has vowed to continue its Iraq coverage despite the one month closure of its Baghdad office announced by the Iraqi interim government on Saturday," according to the website.
Iraqi police officers arrived in the evening at the Baghdad office to shut the operation down, although the channel complained the officers did not provide a legal document from an Iraqi court.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also criticised Al-Jazeera, the Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya and other Arab and Iranian stations for their coverage of Iraq and threatened to close their Baghdad offices.
Zebari said Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim radical Hezbollah's Al-Manar television and Iran's Al-Alam were "channels of incitement working against the interests, security and stability of the Iraqi people".
"We will no longer tolerate this in the future," said Zebari.
Al-Jazeera has frequently been accused by US and Iraqi authorities of inciting violence by screening "exclusive" video tapes from Muslim extremists, including Al-Qaeda terror network mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Images later broadcast by Al-Jazeera showed Iraqi police issuing the closure order although the channel vowed to continue its Iraq coverage.
Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib announced the news at a Baghdad press conference following an order from the national security committee.
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi added: "We have asked an independent committee to monitor Al-Jazeera for the last four weeks... to see what kind of violence they are advocating, inciting hatred and problems and racial tensions."
"This is a decision taken by the national security committee to protect the people of Iraq, in the interests of the Iraqi people," he said.
The Iraqi government move was earlier reported by the Doha-based channel, which did not air the live news conference in Baghdad.
"Iraqi authorities decide to close the Al-Jazeera office in Baghdad for a month," read an urgent banner on the television which gave no more details on the reasons for the closure.
The news was followed by a report on US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accusing Al-Jazeera and the other main Arab news channel Al-Arabiya of harming the image of the United States in the Arab world.
Rumsfeld made the remarks at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, said Al-Jazeera.
Al-Jazeera later issued a statement on its website expressing "regret for the unjustified move," which it argued "was contrary to pledges made by the Iraqi government to start a new era of free speech and openness."
"Al-Jazeera has vowed to continue its Iraq coverage despite the one month closure of its Baghdad office announced by the Iraqi interim government on Saturday," according to the website.
Iraqi police officers arrived in the evening at the Baghdad office to shut the operation down, although the channel complained the officers did not provide a legal document from an Iraqi court.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also criticised Al-Jazeera, the Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya and other Arab and Iranian stations for their coverage of Iraq and threatened to close their Baghdad offices.
Zebari said Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim radical Hezbollah's Al-Manar television and Iran's Al-Alam were "channels of incitement working against the interests, security and stability of the Iraqi people".
"We will no longer tolerate this in the future," said Zebari.
Al-Jazeera has frequently been accused by US and Iraqi authorities of inciting violence by screening "exclusive" video tapes from Muslim extremists, including Al-Qaeda terror network mastermind Osama bin Laden.
