Iraq pulls licenses of Al-Jazeera, other channels

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi authorities announced Sunday that they had revoked the operating licenses of pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera and nine other satellite TV channels, alleging that they are promoting a sectarian agenda as the country grapples with a wave of violence.

The move, effective immediately, comes as Baghdad tries to quell rising unrest in the country following clashes at a protest camp last week.

More than 180 people have been killed in gunbattles with security forces and other attacks since the unrest began Tuesday. The violence follows more than four months of largely peaceful protests by Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority against the Shiite-dominated government.

Al-Jazeera, based in the small, energy-rich Gulf nation of Qatar, had no immediate comment.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/iraq-pulls-jazeera-other-tv-licenses-amid-unrest

[kelliekat44]

1. Those photos of the affects of depleted uranium (DU) on Iraqi births no doubt?

I am sure the west is behind this but can't be identified as the source of this anti-democracy move.

[grahamhgreen]

10. Can't have picture of the horrors committed by the hoarding class.

[leveymg]

2. The Saudis/GCC have targeted Iraq along with Syria for regime change and civil war. AJ is owned by

Qatar which is the Arab state most visibly involved in fueling the Syrian opposition.

[John2]

3. If I was to sum this up,

this appears to be a religious War among Islamic factions. I wouldn't take either side as an American. Both sides want superior weapons for an advantage. As long as they are fighting among each other, that is good for Israel and apparently the West is taking advantage of it. That is what I see about the negatives of religion. It happened in Europe and it is happening here. Religious intolerance just seems to spurn hatred and Wars. It is the opposite of Peace because too many people believe they speak for God.And that is why our Country did not promote any religion. Europeans fled Europe because of it. That lesson seems to have been forgotten in this Country. It is alright to practice one's religion but it needs to be personal and not forced on others. That is why it is not in schools or Government. All you have to do is look at the Middle East for a reminder.

[kelliekat44]

4. I agree mostly with your comments except that may not be ALL of the story. nt

[John2]

5. I can't think of any other

reason even if it has to do with control of resources and land. It still goes back to religion. Even with Israel's claims. They believed the land was promised to them by God. If there is a God, all people are his children.

[daleo]

9. Religion, as practiced, is all about power

That and money.

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. Good first steps!

The pernicious influence of the Wahhabi-Zionist axis needs to be resisted, startung with the propaganda apparatus that the US is using to bring war to Syria now, and ultimately, Iran and Lebanon. Iraq is learning that it cannot stay neutral in this very violent and blatant campaign with the surge of salafist terrorism in the west and north. This is closely tied to to the jihadi factions supported in the NATO aggression in Syria.

[David__77]

13. I don't think this is a matter of Zionism at all.

In fact, the smart Zionists recognize that salafism is the greatest danger to Israel strategically, certainly not Assad, Iraq, or Iran.

[EC]

7. I guess they're not

really "getting" what a democracy is. I would think that they would want the media to be more sectarian and not pick sides, but that's just me.

[Bosonic]

8. Umm... Sectarian is synonymous with picking a side

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sectarian

[Sunlei]

11. what does Iraq have left? one tv and one radio station? we should hand out free phones with global

sat. media to everyone

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. Here ya go:

From Wikipedia:

The Iraqi Media Landscape Today

The Iraqi News Agency, which operated as a mouthpiece of the government under the regime of Saddam Hussein continued to operate post 2003, but it was challenged by the independent news agency Aswat al-Iraq, which is backed by the United Nations; major foreign news agencies with offices in Iraq are the Anadolu Ajansı of Turkey, the Associated Press of the United States, the Deutsche Presse-Agentur of Germany, the Informatsionnoye Telegrafnoye Agenstvo Rossii–Telegrafnoye Agenstvo Suverennykh Stran (ITAR-TASS) of the Russian Federation, Reuters of Britain, and Xinhua News Agency of the People's Republic of China.[2]

The United States spent hundreds of millions of dollars on strategic communication in Iraq, and is believed responsible for such anonymously written newspapers as Baghdad Now and a variety of posters, billboard messages and radio and television spots. However, Iraqis have largely dismissed such media as obvious propaganda and some note that they are as clumsily written as that used under President Hussein.[3]

Online media has become a significant source of news in Iraq as print newspaper consumption has decreased dramatically. The online news outlets with the most prominent online presence are IraqiNews.com, AK News, a Kurdish source published in English and Arabic as well, Al Sumaria, Baghdadia, Al Iraq News, Iraq Hurr (US-funded), and Dar adDustour. As a general rule, online sources publish mainly political news. Any news pertaining to the activities of government officials is prioritized; rarely does any other type of headline appear front-and-center. Economy and oil-related news comes in a clear second place, often announcing whenever new contracts are signed and with which companies to develop which oil fields. Other prominent areas of coverage in Iraq's online news outlets are security events, the activities of the US that concern Iraq, parliamentary proceedings and the stalling legislative process, and to a lesser extent, media and education issues. The area that gets the least coverage while deserving more by far is that of Iraq's youth. Considering three factors, the recent revolutions in the region, ongoing protests in Iraq, and the large percentage of the Iraqi population that is under the age of 35, youth issues should be given a high level of attention in Iraq's press. However, they rarely make the news, with the exception of through the sports section which offers details on the Iraqi national soccer team.

Aside from traditional media, there exists a new form of journalism in Iraq – citizen journalism. Blogging has become a major source of information for people in Iraq and around the world on popular opinion. Since 2003, the Iraqi blogosphere grew to include many people who either previously had no background in journalism or means to make their voices heard. One prominent Iraqi blogger is a dentist who lives in London, for example, and runs his own personal blog as well as a forum for English-speaking Iraqis.[4] Iraq has had a long history of outward migration of its citizens for both political and economic reasons, beginning most heavily in the 1940s. So, engaging the Iraqi exile and refugee community in dialogues about developments on the ground in Iraq brings back in a large portion of the Iraqi citizenry that has previously been unable to join in the debates. Youth in particular are participating in this mechanism for communication, feeling that they finally have a way to project their opinions. Not only are formerly silenced voices now reverberating throughout the world, but they are actually providing a much-needed service in an environment where traditional media is so clearly falling short of delivering sufficient information about events and sentiments on the ground. During the 2005 referendum on the Iraqi Constitution, bloggers were instrumental in conveying the opinions and recommendations of everyday Iraqis.

It is important to keep in mind that Iraqi bloggers are predominantly male and under the age of 35. However, while it is inaccurate to assume that bloggers evenly represent the Iraqi public, over half of the Iraqi population is under the age of 35.

Television in Iraq

The most popular television stations were the independent Al Sharqiya, Al Baghdadia TV and state-owned Al Iraqiya.

Al Iraqiya (Arabic: العراقيّة? al-ʿIrāqiyyä) is a terrestrial television network in Iraq that was set up after the fall of Sadaam Hussein.
Ishtar TV (Syriac:ܥܫܬܪ, is an Assyrian broadcasting channel which has its headquarters in Erbil, Iraq.[5] The channel was launched in the summer of 2005 and is funded by the Kurdistan Regional Government.[6] The network broadcasts mostly in Assyrian (Ashuri), but Arabic and Kurdish are heard as well.
Kanal4 is an entertainment television channel, targeting Kurdish people living in North Iraq and surrounding areas.
Al-Zawraa TV was an anti-American TV network.[7] The station appeared to close down in July 2007 after its transmissions via the Arabsat satellite were jammed.[8]
Al Sharqiya, Iraq's first privately owned satellite TV station
Al Sumaria, an independent Iraqi satellite TV network
Nawa TV, an Iraqi TV station broadcasting in Arabic and Kurdish
Al Forat, the SIIC TV station from Baghdad
Ashur TV- is affiliated with the Assyrian Democratic Movement.
Biladi TV
Baghdad TV
Al-Ifaq TV, channel of Nuri al-Maliki
Al-Rasheed TV
Ahlulbayt TV
Al Masar
Al Fayha
Arabic-language satellite broadcasts from neighboring countries were increasingly popular:

Al-Baghdadia TV is an independent Iraqi-owned[9] Arabic-language satellite channel based in Cairo, Egypt.[10] Recently, the station became best known for journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush.[11]

List of newspapers in Iraq

The daily papers with the largest circulation, all published in Baghdad, are al Mada, al Mutamar, al Sabah, and al Zaman (also published in London).

Al Mutamar is the official organ of the Iraqi National Congress
Al Sabaah often reflects the positions of the government. An offshoot of Al Sabaah, called al Sabah al Jadeed, has taken a more independent position.
Al Mada is a well-respected independent daily.
Iraqi News
Baghdad Now
Rozhnama (Iraqi Kurdistan)
Al Hawza
Al Mustaqilla (Baghdad)
Al Mutamar
Babel
The Hewler Globe (Erbil)
Azzaman
Al-Sabah Al-Jadid
Al-Mashriq
Al Anbaa (Fallujah)
Bashira (Fallujah - out of print)
Iraq World (Baghdad)
Kitabat
Karbala News (Karbala)
Sotal Iraq
Destur
Hawlati (Iraqi Kurdistan)
Awene (Iraqi Kurdistan)
Hawler
Renwen(Iraqi Kurdistan/Xaneqin)
Xebat (Kurdistan)
Shock Magazine (Kurdistan)

Radio

During the 2003 occupation of Iraq, AFN Iraq ("Freedom Radio&quot broadcast news and entertainment within Baghdad, among other locations. There is also a private radio station called "Dijlah" (named after the Arabic word for the Tigris River) that was created in 2004 as Iraq's first independent talk radio station. Radio Dijlah offices, in the Jamia neighborhood of Baghdad, have been attacked on several occasions.[12]

The stations in Baghdad are as follows:[13]

[edit] AM RADIO594 - Radio Annas (Al-Nass) - Radio Annas (Al-Nass) - Baghdad
999 - Al-Bilad - Al-Bilad - Baghdad
1179 - Voice of Iraq - Voice of Iraq - Baghdad
1593 - Radio Free Iraq - - Radio Free Iraq|on FM - Baghdad
(AM) - Al Rashid Radio - Al Rashid Radio
[edit] FM RADIO88.0 - Monte Carlo Doualiya - - Monte Carlo Doualiya- - Baghdad news/info French
88.2 - Radio Dijla - - Radio Dijla - Baghdad
89.0 - BBC Arabic Service - BBC Arabic Service - Baghdad news/info English/Arabic
89.9 - Radio Nawa Kurdish - - Radio Nawa Kurdish|rep - Baghdad Kurdish
91.0 - Dar Al Salam - Dar Al Salam - Baghdad talk
91.5 - Al-Rasheed - - Al-Rasheed - Baghdad
92.8 - Al Huda Radio - Al Huda Radio - Baghdad
95.5 - Al-Rasheed - - Al-Rasheed|rep - Baghdad
96.9 - BBC World Service - BBC World Service- - Baghdad news/info English/Arabic
97.8 - Al-Hurriya FM - Al-Hurriya FM - Baghdad news
98.8 - Ur FM - Ur FM - Baghdad pop (Arabic)
99.8 - Sumer FM - - Sumer FM - Baghdad
100.4 - Radio Sawa Iraq - - Radio Sawa Iraq - Baghdad
102.0 - Shafaq - Shafaq - Baghdad
102.4 - Radio Free Iraq - - Radio Free Iraq - Baghdad
104.1 - Freedom Radio (AFN Iraq) - Freedom Radio (AFN Iraq) - Baghdad
106.9 - BFBS Radio 1 (Middle East) - - BFBS Radio 1 (Middle East) - Baghdad news/music English
107.7 - Freedom Radio (AFN Iraq) - Freedom Radio (AFN Iraq)|rep - Baghdad
[edit] References

[Sunlei]

15. "The United States spent hundreds of millions of dollars on strategic communication in Iraq"

Of course, more Federal funds spent outside of America rebuilding Iraq.

no rock and roll, no movie channels... they need to be exposed to the world.

[David__77]

12. If Iraq wants peace and security, it better coordinate with Syria.

The same al Qaeda elements are working in both Iraq and Syria to overthrow the existing governments and install theocratic rule. Safe havens for terror would have to be eliminated on both sides of the border for both countries to enjoy peace.