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U.S. Seeks to Curb Al-Jazeera's Freedom of Speech
WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The emir of Qatar said that he had been asked by the U.S. to exert his influence over the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television station because of its airing of "anti-American sentiments", a BBC online report said Thursday.
After a meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sheikh Hamad Khalifa al-Thani confirmed that he had been asked to "rein in" the independent and influential station, which is available nearly worldwide, the BBC said.
U.S. officials said after the meeting that they had expressed concern about allegedly biased reporting on the network, which is partially owned by the Qatari government, in its coverage of the September 11th attacks, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The officials said they wanted to see more balanced programming and encouraged Doha to use its influence with al-Jazeera to ensure that.
Al-Jazeera, a widely respected news agency with often-acclaimed reporting and an independent editorial policy that is rare in the region, is known for broadcasting not-widely-available statements by Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be in Afghanistan under the protection of the ruling Taliban militia there.
Bin Laden has been blamed by the U.S. for last month's terror attacks on New York and Washington, which left more than 6,000 people dead or missing and presumed dead.
The Taliban has refused to hand him over, saying that they need convincing evidence of his guilt, and bin Laden has proffered more than one statement - through al-Jazeera and Pakistani media - since the September 11 attacks, claiming that he was not responsible for them.
The BBC report said that the statement al-Jazeera carried from bin Laden also called upon Muslims worldwide to fight against the United States, and that the station has repeatedly re-transmitted a three-year-old exclusive interview with the Saudi dissident.
Its talk shows often feature anti-American analysts, the BBC reported, and its exclusive footage of the Taliban's notorious destruction of the ancient Buddha statues in March was among a number of controversial reports and "scoops" that have earned the network worldwide commendations.
The BBC said that al-Jazeera's coverage of political dissidents has angered not only the U.S., but also Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt, and that BBC correspondents complain that its treatment of the Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, is potentially damaging to a region-wide sense of the possibility of peace there.
Sheikh Hamad, who acknowledges that some concerns had been raised, said Qatar would consider it "friendly advice", emphasized the need for "free and credible media" and said - in an interview with al-Jazeera - that while his country pledged full cooperation with Washington, the U.S. should focus very carefully in pinpointing terrorists and their groups.
"What happened in the United States has indubitably harmed the reputation of the Arabs," he said in the interview. "But the American people must understand that terrorism is not confined to the Arabs."
He stressed that Qatar was rapidly evolving into a parliamentary democracy that embraced a whole scope of human and civil rights, AFP said.
"Within two years [Qatar] will have a parliamentary life with a democracy that dictates that freedom of the press should be granted and that press should enjoy credibility," he said.
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