thedrifter
03-12-03, 06:09 AM
March 11, 2003
U.S. units exclude Arab news agency’s reporters
By John Bebow
The Detroit News
MANGAF, KUWAIT — Conspicuously absent from the group of 160 journalists being placed Monday with U.S. Marine forces were those most talked about when the military touted plans to put media with troops.
Two journalists from Al Jazeera, one of most controversial and popular satellite news channels in the Arab world, did not gain entry to their assigned Marine units because the network was kicked out of pro-American Kuwait three months ago, according to the network’s top editor.
“Kuwait claims we are working against their interests and told us we caused discontent in the country,” said Ibrahim Helal, Al Jazeera’s editor-in-chief.
Known by some critics as a leading anti-American voice used by Osama bin Laden, Al Jazeera had approval to place four journalists with U.S. forces prepared to invade Iraq, Helal said.
“We have talked to the U.S. military about this, and they say we have to work it out with Kuwait,” Helal said Monday from the network’s headquarters in Qatar. “We have tried in vain.”
The Kuwait Ministry of Information confirmed that Al Jazeera is banned from Kuwait, but declined to provide more details.
Helal said the network had a bureau in Kuwait for more than five years, but Kuwaiti officials closed it three months ago because the network had aired interviews with dissidents in the oil-rich nation run for generations by the Al Sabah family.
Al Jazeera still hopes to join U.S. troops from Iraq, where several of the network’s correspondents are based, Helal said. Marines handling the placement of journalists said Al Jazeera would be accommodated in Iraq, but front-line access will be limited to journalists not currently being placed with fighting units.
Sempers,
Roger
U.S. units exclude Arab news agency’s reporters
By John Bebow
The Detroit News
MANGAF, KUWAIT — Conspicuously absent from the group of 160 journalists being placed Monday with U.S. Marine forces were those most talked about when the military touted plans to put media with troops.
Two journalists from Al Jazeera, one of most controversial and popular satellite news channels in the Arab world, did not gain entry to their assigned Marine units because the network was kicked out of pro-American Kuwait three months ago, according to the network’s top editor.
“Kuwait claims we are working against their interests and told us we caused discontent in the country,” said Ibrahim Helal, Al Jazeera’s editor-in-chief.
Known by some critics as a leading anti-American voice used by Osama bin Laden, Al Jazeera had approval to place four journalists with U.S. forces prepared to invade Iraq, Helal said.
“We have talked to the U.S. military about this, and they say we have to work it out with Kuwait,” Helal said Monday from the network’s headquarters in Qatar. “We have tried in vain.”
The Kuwait Ministry of Information confirmed that Al Jazeera is banned from Kuwait, but declined to provide more details.
Helal said the network had a bureau in Kuwait for more than five years, but Kuwaiti officials closed it three months ago because the network had aired interviews with dissidents in the oil-rich nation run for generations by the Al Sabah family.
Al Jazeera still hopes to join U.S. troops from Iraq, where several of the network’s correspondents are based, Helal said. Marines handling the placement of journalists said Al Jazeera would be accommodated in Iraq, but front-line access will be limited to journalists not currently being placed with fighting units.
Sempers,
Roger