A sit in in Baghdad in protest of closing al-Jazeera office
Iraq-Qatar, Politics, 8/9/2004

Workers in al-Jazeera office in Baghdad observed a sit in yesterday in protest of the decision taken by the Interim Iraqi government to close the al-Jazeera office for one month. The sit in was attended also by Iraqi journalists and representatives for several Arab TV channels and political and social organizations in Baghdad.

The observers of the sit in carried banners deploring what they called the policy of "shutting mouth" pursued by the Iraqi government.

Al-Jazeera journalists in Baghdad evacuated the channel's office after it was closed by the Iraqi police which was carrying no judicial order to this effect. Al-Jazeera administration expressed its regret and strongly deplored the decision of the Iraqi government to close its office in Baghdad.

Despite the closure al-Jazeera administration stressed cling to professional principles reflected in maintaining " balance, objectivity and the care on the right of our audience to know facts." Al-Jazeera also stressed determination to continue covering what is taking place on the Iraqi arena according to the same principles and on the ground of its belief that " development of conditions in Iraq is of concern to the Iraqi people in the first place and the Arab nation and the world as a whole." The Interim Iraqi government announced the closure of al-Jazeera office in Baghdad as from Saturday and for one month under the charge of provoking unrest in the country.

The Interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi alleged that a committee he had formed to monitor al-Jazeera performance reached the conclusion that it had provoked several problems in Iraq and because of that the committee decided to close al-Jazeera office " in preservation of the security of the Iraqis." The Iraqi minister of the interior Falah al-Naqib accused al-Jazeera of misrepresenting the Iraqi reality and accepting to be the " tongue of terrorism."

However, the closing down of al-Jazeera office came after the accusation raised by the US defense secretary of al-Jazeera and Arabia channels of " distorting the image of the American presence in Iraq."

Previous Stories:
  Zeibari threatens to close al-Jazeera office in Baghdad   (7/27/2004)
  Iraq calls on the donor states to draw a realistic programs for rebuilding   (5/26/2004)
  One worker at al-Jazeera TV team in Iraq killed by the American forces   (5/22/2004)

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