Baghdad Al-Jazeera Office Ordered Closed

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Ramo

"[What's the point in claiming something if you're not going to back it up?]"

I know that you're just being an ass, but I'll do it anyway.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1250526,00.html

You said, "We wanted Allawi. And we pressured Brahimi into going along with it." So your "addendum" claim does not supersede the "orignial" claim?

We did want Allawi. There's no doubt about that. After Chalabi fell through, he was the administration's favorite. The CIA (he was their boy after all), State love him, etc.

State is said to have loved Pachachi, and that didnt work out, the post went to Yawer who had the support of no US agency, AFAIK.

Yes Allawi has CIA support, but I see no evidence (other than the circular evidence that Allawi had CIA support) that CIA, rather than State or DoD was driving US policy in Iraq at the time. as far as i can tell Allawi had been politicing the IGC rather astutely for some time, and was a genuice IGC pick.

As for the Herch article, I dont trust Hersh or his anonymous sources, and Cannistaro has taken a stance fairly consistently opposed to the intervention in Iraq.

[lord of the mark]

Zeyad of Healingiraq:

"That was Al-Jazeera's description of the action of the Iraqi government after their office in Baghdad was closed recently. They organised a sit-in complete with banners and placards in which reporters from several Arab stations participated outside the office. The only Iraqis that condemned this act of 'censorship' was the haiy'at ulemma almuslimeen (Association of Muslim Scholars). Other parties from the Arab world that condemned the ban were Hamas, the Union of Egyptian Journalists, and The Association of Islamic Media (which I have not heard of before).

What made me smile was Al-Jazeera's request to the Iraqi government for an offical explanation. I don't recall Al-Jazeera asking Saddam's regime for an explanation why they were not allowed to operate in Iraq in his time, nor do I recall any such requests to Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Algiers, or Sudan, since all of these countries have banned Al-Jazeera from reporting within their borders, while other Arab countries place close restrictions on their movement or only allow them to parrot official state-sponsored local news.

Having said that, I do blame the Iraqi government for such an irresponsible act. What were they thinking? They should have kicked out every last one of their crew outside the border, not to allow them to stage pathetic demonstrations inside. Though it is ironic that the same 'free speech' in Iraq that Al-Jazeera is lamenting is allowing them that.

I don't see anything changing though. They continue to spit out their vile news and commentary and they continue to display tapes and messages from kidnappers on every news hour. Yesterday, for example, there was a video with hooded Mahdi militiamen who had taken an Iraqi police officer as hostage, and it seems that their offices elsewhere in Iraq are still operating regardless of the ban."

[Agathon]

I don't recall Al-Jazeera asking Saddam's regime for an explanation why they were not allowed to operate in Iraq in his time

Because the explanation was obvious: Saddam was an ass.

[Agathon]

I don't see anything changing though. They continue to spit out their vile news and commentary and they continue to display tapes and messages from kidnappers on every news hour

Meanwhile FOX and the other western outlets that were virtual cheerleaders for the war continue to broadcast from Baghdad. At least the Al Jazeera folks did more than live off military briefings.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by lord of the mark




Having said that, I do blame the Iraqi government for such an irresponsible act. What were they thinking? They should have kicked out every last one of their crew outside the border, not to allow them to stage pathetic demonstrations inside. Though it is ironic that the same 'free speech' in Iraq that Al-Jazeera is lamenting is allowing them that.

[Agathon]

Love that freedom of the press.

[Ted Striker]

Have you read ANY of the thread?


I am personally up in arms because they banned shouting "FIRE" in a crowded theatre.

WHo gives a damn that a bunch of people get trampled I want my right to speak dammit!!!!

[Agathon]

It's a political banning, pure and simple. Al Jazeera says things the Iraqi government don't like.

The press should be free to operate in war zones at their own risk.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1280565,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1280631,00.html

The war was a joke and the protesters have been proven right on almost every issue. Manners restrain me from posting gloat threads every couple of weeks.

Give it up Ted; we sank your battleship.

[Ted Striker]

Not really

Read Oerdin's thread
Read the blog from the Iraqi dentist

This goes beyond policitcal banning

By the way find a better source than the Guardian

[Dinner]

Agathon: Your opinion displays a very obvious lack on knowledge about the situation.

[Agathon]

And yours displays your total lack of political realism.

Just because you and some Iraqi dentist agree doesn't make it so.

[Stuie]

Censorship. [/sarcasm]

Note that all the trouble with Al-Sadr began when we shut down his newspaper. Hmm... wonder what's next...

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Agathon
And yours displays your total lack of political realism.

Just because you and some Iraqi dentist agree doesn't make it so.

They have first hand knowledge of the situation on the ground. Your source of knowledge of the situation? The Guardian? Misguided allegiance to a inflexible, out of context principle?


By the way guys, the Iraqis are all out in the street protesting like mad!

Bottom line is that they don't give a ****.

[Pekka]

Has anyone seen Outfoxed? It's a documentary about Fox News. If you think Fahrenheit is kind of tough stuff, it ain't nothing compared to this one. Except that this really is documentary where as Fahrenheit really isnt' a documentary and has a political agenda and other agendas, and kind of propaganda. But still, it's a lot lighter than Outfoxed.

If you're American and watch Fox, you should see this. In fact, they shouldn't even call it Fox News, they shouldn't be able to deliver News, because it's also propaganda. It's sick. Most know this alreadyt, but see Outfoxed. You should get outraged. Naturally, I give it 2% doubt because it also has an agenda, to make Fox look bad. But that's just because I give that doubt to every documentary by default, and I'm about 98% sure it's pure **** the whole news network. Frankly, I do not even understand why this is condoned in the bastion of freedom.

You say conservative news, I say propaganda. What the hell is that supposed to mean anyway. Conservative news, doesn't that mean news that are not exactly 100% balanced and fair? And that being so, it's not reall news thne, and since they claim to be news, it's nothing but propaganda. Doesn't mean if 2% of the news is actually correct and unbiased.

You say there can't be unbiased news. Yes there can be. Come here, we can teach you. Watch our news. Sure, they're a bit boring, but you don't hear opinions blending into FACTS, the REAL news. It's funny when I watch different channels, I watch our channels and then I see the same news in let's say CNN. It's a bit different on CNN, because they do it with more time. I don't mean it's better, where as we simply state the facts, and maybe interview few experts or locals on what ever the issue is, CNN has more talking about it, maybe opinions too. It's a bit different, however it's not too bad. CNN is pretty decent. When I was in the US and switched to FOX, it was so horrible my head hurted. I've never seen that kind of 'news'.

Al Jazeera sure is suspicious, and though claimed to be independent and very well might be, it sure is suspicious and biased. But I assure you, go see Outfoxed and get outraged. That's why I said in the beginning that I don't mind Al Jazeera being shut down, and that they should shut down Fox News too. Why do you condone propaganda on yourself and demand other ones propaganda shut down?

Outfoxed, go see it.

[Ted Striker]

Regarding Fox News

Nobody is claiming it's unbiased news, so all you guys can stop using it as a crutch

Iraq is free to shut down Fox News any time they want to