IRAQ: GOVERNING COUNCIL ISSUES DECREE TO CLOSE DOWN AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA TELEVISION STATIONS

Record ID: 646892

  • Title: IRAQ: GOVERNING COUNCIL ISSUES DECREE TO CLOSE DOWN AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA TELEVISION STATIONS
  • Date: 24th September 2003
  • Summary: (W5) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (SEPTEMBER 23, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV NEWS CONFERENCE WITH ROTATING GOVERNING COUNCIL PRESIDENT AHMED CHALABI'S SPOKESMAN INTIFADH QANBAR (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ROTATING GOVERNING COUNCIL PRESIDENT AHMED CHALABI'S SPOKESMAN INTIFADH QANBAR SAYING "Yesterday the Governing Council issued a resolution or a decree to close Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya satellite stations for violations and promoting sectarian differences in Iraq promoting, political violence, promoting the killing of members of governing council, promoting killing of members of coalition, putting on their screens video tapes of terrorists terrorising Iraqis and trying to intimidate the Iraqi people and the coalition and the governing council." 0.51 3. SLV REPORTERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE 0.56 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QANBAR REPEATING WHAT HE SAID ABOVE 1.39 5. MV REPORTERS 1.43 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) QANBAR SAYING "Everywhere there is an explosion you will find Al Jazeera, Arabiya right away there as if they were informed before the explosion. I mean there is a great deal of suspicion about their activities. A lot of Iraqis have been outraged by their activities. I have talked to some of the Al Jazeera employees. One time they told me wherever we go the people want to beat us because they have been promoting violence, promoting sectarianism promoting divisions among Iraqis." 2.17 7. MV MEDIA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE 2.23 8. SLV EXTERIOR AL JAZEERA STUDIOS 2.31 9. SLV INTERIORS AL JAZEERA STUDIOS (7 SHOTS) 3.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA5741Z003PKT0ZK2MYO4QIQA58
  • Story Text: Iraq's governing council has said it has issued a
    decree to close down Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya accusing it
    of inciting violence.

    Iraq's Governing Council denounced Arabic satellite
    stations Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya on Tuesday (September
    23) for inciting violence and said they had issued a decree
    to close them down inside Iraq.

    The Governing Council of Iraq does not have the power
    to introduce laws as of yet since it is only an interim
    government and Intifadh Qanbar, the spokesman for Governing
    Council President Ahmed Chalabi said he was in talks with
    the Coalition to find out what the procedures were for
    closing down the two satellite stations.

    "Yesterday the Governing Council issued a resolution or
    a decree to close Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya satellite
    stations for violations and promoting sectarian differences
    in Iraq promoting, political violence, promoting the
    killing of members of governing council, promoting killing
    of members of coalition, putting on their screens video
    tapes of terrorists terrorising Iraqis and trying to
    intimidate the Iraqi people and the coalition and the
    governing council," Qanbar said.

    He said that Al Jazeera had a bad reputation within
    Iraq because it broadcast messages from al Qaeda leader
    Osama Bin Laden and audio purporting to be that of deposed
    Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

    Qanbar suggested that Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya may
    have information about planned attacks on the Coalition
    forces and members of the Governing Council.

    "Everywhere there is an explosion you will find Al
    Jazeera, Arabiya right away there as if they were informed
    before the explosion. I mean there is a great deal of
    suspicion about their activities. A lot of Iraqis have been
    outraged by their activities. I have talked to some of the
    Al jazeera employees, one time they told me wherever we go
    the people want to beat us because they have been promoting
    violence, promoting sectarianism promoting divisions among
    Iraqis," he said.

    He added that the Arabic stations employed many former
    members of the Saddam Hussein's Baathist party.


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