NEWS: Iraq Shuts Down Al Jazeera

POLITICS: Iraq Shuts Down Al Jazeera

The Arab news channel Al Jazeera has been shut down in Iraq for inciting violence.

This sort of thing is almost always a terrible idea. Free speech means putting up with speech you don't like.

But there really is a point where speech is no longer merely speech. Iraq is in a very unusual position, akin to Germany immedietly after the defeat of the Nazis. The Nazi Party and its symbols are still banned in Germany today because the threat was (and apparently still is) perceived as particularly salient. Everything else is fair game. We don't have anything like this in the United States, nor should we. And that is because we are not and never have been in a state of post-totalitarian chaos.

Think about it this way. If a foreign news channel were broadcasting into the United States and inciting mass terrorism at a time when suicide bombs and kidnappings were almost daily occurances, shutting down that foreign broadcast would make a lot more sense than if the US government were to shut down, say, CNN.

If Al Jazeera agrees to stop inciting violence, the Iraqi government would be wise to reinstate the news broadcast post-haste whether it approves of its overall message or not.

about time

I aggree for the most part, but there are instances where freedoms have to be supressed for the greater good. Iraq is in a state of Martial Law, like it or not. That being so, civil liberties are not extended as openly. Does that make shutting Al-Jazeera down right? I don't think so. However I don't see what the station puts out in Iraq, and I don't know what "propoganda" they might be distributing to the populace. The Iraqi Government has the right, and the obligation to quell the rights of a few in order to ensure peace in the situation they are in right now.

I know the liberals are going to try to thrash me on this, and that is ok. We have the luxury of not having to deal with a state of Martial Law where we are. Things are so much more simple way over here without the bullets flying, and bombs exploding. I don't absolutly agree with their decision, but I cannot outright condemn it either.

This is not unlike Germany arresting neo-nazi "skinhead" bands... Although I think that most of any outfit in the US who proposes such ideas of rascism tend to trip over their own ignorance regardless, I can understand Germany's ideals of trying to prevent even a spark of what scarred their country (along with the global conciousness) as no other event has...

It's that simple. It's not a matter of 'free speech', it's a matter of controling violence.

edit: ps. just to make this perfectly clear, I think it's very important that the nation's involved with the so called "coallition" troops be given exacting invormation about what THEY are doing...

Nothing like Abu Graeb should be occuring, nor, furthermore by the slipshod ad hoc government that was hastily put together in a pathetic attempt to show that things were 'running as planned'...

[Edited on Sep 04, 2004 by Sadistic_Miike]

It makes sense to take the station down, what with all the terrorist influence.

I just worry that somebody (read: opportunistic American companies) will step in and begin broadcasting increasingly western ideals into Iraqi homes.

There are many aspects of Iraqi culture that certainly should be preserved, and part of that may require a Muslim-run news station. Not right now, perhaps, but it shoudn't disappear forever.

[Edited on Sep 04, 2004 by pensquare]

Are they actually telling people to go out and stir shit up? Or are they just telling like it is? It's probably the same decision I'd make to keep order if I was in charge so I honestly can't argue against it without being a hypocrite.
I really don't think this situation is like Germany after WWII. It's not like Al-Jezzera has been boosting Saddam Hussein's regime. It's more like a riot than anything else with Sadr's forces emerging as a rallying point for anyone with grievances against the C.O.W's occupation.

Well, good or bad I think it comes down to manufacturing consent; something you can't do with an uncontrolled media source... There isn't any way of anticipating how people will to react to what is being aired.

It's not much different than the way that the media acts now, it's very much controlled by the people who advertise in it, and those people are taken care of by the government... It's not hyperbole, just look at who owns what papers and media outlets, and see where 'fair and ballanced' comes into play. Not many places.

They are telling it like the radicals like it.

They continually have "exclusive" video footage from known and wanted thugs. They never balance out those messages with messages from others in the Arab/Muslim world. They are qute biased.

And considering how much of a mouthpiece they are to people like Bin :Laden, fuck them. I understand the concept of journalistic integrity and not divulging sources, but this is too much. They are not telling it lke it is. They are simply the opposite of the western media.

Opposite does not equal truth. Counter culture does not equal correct culture.

Fox News should be next.

I always wondered how they always had "exclusive" footage of the beheading minutes after they took place.

Really came to only one conclusion:
It wasnt a Terrorist recording it, It was Al-Jazeera.

And yeah. Fuck em.

Im with royaljack

Dude, Lain... it was Al-Jazaeera... and Bin Laden and them other brown fellas.

We should definitely censor that evil Arab media outlet. Not only are they in league with Lucifer, they sometimes play the Rock music, which leads to Dancin' and Terrorism!

McCarran and McCarthy would be proud of ya boys! Keep up the good work.

Yo Joe!

That would be correct if Fox News had exclusive footage of American brutalities that no other network had and from sources they would never divulge.

The Pulitzer for most amount of "unsourced" terrorist videos and audio tapes goes to Al Jazeera.

if you shut someone up peaple are gonna wanna know what they have to say. Oh and by the way, Jornalists don't have to be unbiased.

I cannot bring myself to agree in any way to the supression of any type of free speech. Each and every day there are extremeist radicals spouting off rhetoric about how bad one group, party, or social subsect is. and each and every day there are acts of violence dont to people in the name of some justifiable moral.

Al Jazeera is tilted towards the islamic fundamentalists way of thinking, but let us look at FOX, one of the most radical, biased, dishonest channels on the air.

I wish fox would get shut down, but they have the right to say what they want reguardless of their irresponsible comments, or the negative impact it has on society.

Iraq is a volitile environment, but to blame a broadcast network for insiting violence is wrong. in truth a statement from sheik Al-Sadr is as legit as a release from the us appointed head of interrim government. hell i would say more valid, for he has soverign rights to steer national politics and behaiviors.

This is nothing more than the current administration trying to restrict the iraqi people in ways that fit into the US agenda for iraq.

The behedding footage i believe(if i remember correctly) was transmitted to them via internet if i remember correctly. from a mobile single use phone and cellular modem. cant blame them for not editing the news the way our government does.

New, from Americo!

Coming so to a war of aggression near you:

Operation Iraqi Freeeeeeeeeeedom!"*






*Not all freedoms available in all areas. Check local listings
Void where prohibited or not in the interest of hand picked pro-west plenipotentates.
No warranty is expressed or implied. This offer does not guarantee any fundamental liberties.
Batteries not included.

[Edited on Sep 04, 2004 by reprobate]

Interesting that nothing at all has been said on how Al-Jazeera is "inciting violence" which leads to suppose that it's the usual bunch of bullshit.

The U.S. has been on their ass from the beginning for showing footage of the victims of war. Bloodied children, screaming mothers, war-ravaged regions, etc. Why the fuck shouldn't Arabs be able to see this? Is it going to make them angrier? Sure.

So what are you going to do? Pretend these scenes aren't happening? Obviously that's been the Bush policy all along. A policy that lead to brilliant decisions like banning the photographing of U.S. solders' coffins. Wouldn't want that, it might "incite anti-war resistance." The fact is that an exponentially more powerful but spineless American media is willing to make ridiculous concessions while a tiny station like Al-Jazeera has managed to stay alive while being actively opposed not just by the U.S. but by just about every totalitarian regime in the Middle East. I would consider this something for American media to be ashamed of.

I also wouldn't call silencing the most watched and most western liberal voice in the Arab media a smart move.

[Edited on Sep 04, 2004 by Pav]

Remember kids: Questioning authority can only lead to evil-doing.

Knowing is half the battle!

Could we please shut up with the constant FOX comparison? This is more akin to what happened in Japan and Germant after World War II. Technically speaking, blocking talk of Nazis and the Japanese Imperial Government was done to allow the country to get over their whole messes and not plant the seeds for a future uprising of support for these political concepts.

In the case of Al-Jazeera, they clear have a bias towards the militant factions in the reason. And they somehow have an amazing ability to get up close and personal with some of the biggest thugs in the region. Who else has such a vast collection of decapotions and "The Best of Bin Laden".

Fuck them... For now... Let Iraq settle down a bit. And then allow them back in. But for now, fuck them. Unless of course they will open up their address book and share info on where Bin Laden and others are. Now THAT would be useful.

well, the confederate flag seems to have a little bit of a stigma attached to it...

And people are fighting to get it removed from state flags in the south.

I mention fox only bexcause i have a genuine hate for rupert murdoch and his media machine.

Correct the supression of Al-Jazeera is more akin to the censorship of the axis nations post surrender. However, if that were to be the case we would be limiting merely the political publishing of pro Baath party concepts, for let us not forget that is who Saddam served. the current media repression is much broader and restrictive than was ever in place in post ww2 environments comparatively.

Furthermore Al -Jazeera is equal in its coverage of islamic issues, some of those are issues that radicals put forthy. but they do give time to moderates as well. I wach Al-Jzeera on-line and am suprised the ammount of reasonable op-ed pieces that come from them.
we are shutting them down because they are willing to let the opposition to us interests have airtime and that runs contrary to what our goals in another nation are.

the confederate flag was a flag of another nation that nolonger exists that waged war against the United States. it should be seen as a piece of antiquated foolishness. i rather wish we woul have let the damn south succeed anyways. than florida wouldnt have ruined the last election and dienfranchised the will of the national majority. anyways that was kind of off topic, sorry.

Very true.

Al Jazeera was not shut down because of "bias." The Communist Party newspaper is still freely circulating. In fact, it was one of the first newspaper to appear post-Saddam and no one shut it down, not the US and not the Iraqis.

Yeah, damn Iraq for banning a news source that is disturbingly closeley connected to people who chop the heads off of innocent truck drivers! Boo!!! Hiss!!!!!

If Al-Jazeera wants to be respected, here's an idea. How about sharing some information on the militant loons in the region. Including Bin Laden! Yes, that might not sound journalistically sound, but if they are truly there to help the region grow and thrive you'd think they'd want to help get rid of disruptive elements in the region.

And you know what, now that I think of it, journalists handing over evidence to aid authories capture people is non unprecendented. The "Son of Sam" was caught partially on the letters he wrote to columnist Jimmy Breslin who shared them with the NYPD. Similar things have happened in other cases across the globe.

Al-Jazzeera wants to go on the air in Iraq? Help regional authorities track down these thugs and kick them off the planet.

So then, please do tell us Michael why it is being shut down. You seem to have omitted that in your apologia for totalitarianism.