EXCLUSIVE: Al-Jazeera Buckles Under US Pressure

[Judi Lynn]

EXCLUSIVE: Al-Jazeera Buckles Under US Pressure
John R. Bradley, Managing Editor

JEDDAH, 3 October 2003 — Al-Jazeera bowed to pressure from the United States government last month by immediately pulling two cartoons deemed “inflammatory” by Washington from its websites, a senior source in the news organization has told Arab News.

The two cartoons were pulled “without any hesitation” from both the Arabic and English language websites after a US government official complained about them, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One cartoon was of so-called “green card soldiers”, young Latino men shown going through an immigration tunnel to emerge from the other side as US soldiers ready to leave for military service in Iraq. The other was of the Twin Towers imploding, and two giant fuel pumps rising to replace them from the ashes. Neither cartoon is now available in Al-Jazeera websites’ cartoon archive.

“The journalists on the Arabic language website didn’t give a damn,” the source said, “but those on the English site were furious. However, their complaints were dismissed.”
(snip/...)

http://www2.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=32944&d=3&m=10&y=2003

[Brucey]

1. But I thought we were fighting for freedom,

like freedom of expression?

[RC]

2. Only if it is cleared by Homeland Security first.

[saigon68]

4. Thought Control

Those smirking little mealy mouthed AWOL Bastards and Chicken Hawks are responsible for this.

Especially the one of the Green Card soldiers.

Its too late Chimpanzee. We know there are 86,000 people in the service who aren't citizens fighting for Halliburton (2LL's). Truly a low point in "Freedom of the Press". I guess if they didn't pull the cartoons-- Wolfie would have had them assassinated.

I'd bet little of what we say about these mother fuckers, would ever be reported in the US.

Especially about the War Criminal Chimpanzee (wonder how many kids he killed today?)

(1968 Redux hey, hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today??)

[saigon68]

5. Thought Control

Those smirking little mealy mouthed AWOL Bastards and Chicken Hawks are responsible for this.

Especially the one of the Green Card soldiers.

Its too late Chimpanzee. We know there are 86,000 people in the service who aren't citizens fighting for Halliburton (2LL's). Truly a low point in "Freedom of the Press". I guess if they didn't pull the cartoons-- Wolfie would have had them assassinated.

I'd bet little of what we say about these mother fuckers, would ever be reported in the US.

Especially about the War Criminal Chimpanzee (wonder how many kids he killed today?)

(1968 Redux hey, hey, LBJ, How many kids did you kill today??)

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. the bush regime has bombed Al Jaz twice, murdered 1 cameraman

and ordered their thugs in Spain to disappear one of their best reporters.

[donsu]

6. agree

and I can't picture A J backing down to the bushgang. there must be more to the story. (more death threats?)

[saigon68]

7. They will snatch their reporters and send them to CUBA

Amazing how a little Naked Thuggery works

[AndyTiedye]

8. Did Anybody Snatch the Cartoons in Question?