large scale condemnation for the American campaign against al-Jazeera TV, Qatar denies pressures
Qatar-USA, Politics, 5/1/2004

Qatar's first deputy prime minister of the foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jaber al-Thani denied pressures to be practiced on his country over al-Jazeera satellite tv channel.

In statements to the press in Washington, he said that the channel reflects the Arab public opinion, stressing the independence of al-Jazeera in its media coverage.

The Qatari official did not deny the American official discussion of al-Jazeera to the events in Iraq and the Middle East area. He indicated he had explained the view point of the government of Qatar concerning this issue, in particular.

He said " I can not say that what came from al-Jazeera was positive or professional, but we have accepted a free media and such a matter will have its positives and negatives."

On Tuesday, the US secretary of state Colin Powell said after his meeting with his Qatari counterpart that he had discussed with the Qatari official the coverage of al-Jazeera TV of news and the American criticism on that, but he did not explain what his country wants from Qatar to carry out this mission.

American officials alleged that al-Jazeera fabricated stories on violations carried out by the occupation forces in Iraq and this flared up an Arab anger against these forces.

However, the American campaign against al-Jazeera pushed several sides and trade unions to call for guaranteeing the freedom of the media and deplore the American campaign against al-Jazeera channel in its coverage of events taking place in Iraq and the Middle east region.

The Egyptian journalists union condemned what it described the flagrant American occupation against Arab press and space stations, noting the statements made by American officials against al-Jazeera channel.

The Arab human rights committee called on the American administration for halting its pressures against the Arab space stations and expressed in a statement its support for al-Jazeera.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry in a statement called on the US for the need to ensure freedoms for the media not only in Iraq, only but in all parts of the world. It expressed its concern over the campaign against al-Jazeera in the USA.

Previous Stories:
  Powell meets with Qatar's peer, complains against al-Jazeera TV   (4/28/2004)
  Armitaj in Qatar to discuss conditions in Iraq   (4/21/2004)
  Abizaid's headquarters staff in qatar to be increased   (11/15/2003)

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