good article....
January 21, 2006
Al-Qaida's network of choice says it is unfairly criticized by U.S. and others for doing its
By Jim Krane
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- When bad news from the Middle East comes to America, one station seems to bring it most often: Al-Jazeera. This week, the satellite network got two exclusives from militants: a video of a kidnapped American and an audiotape from Osama bin Laden.
Does that make Al-Jazeera a mouthpiece for terrorists?
"This is news," says editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Sheikh. "Any other station would jump at this. Why label us?"
Two weeks ago, the Arab network carried another goading address from bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who said a limited U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq represented "the victory of Islam."
Analysts say Al-Jazeera, which is based in and bankrolled by Qatar and has not turned a profit in its 10 years on the air, has carved out a niche for itself by channeling al-Qaida's statements to the world.
That makes the network controversial. The statements become huge news events, getting picked up by every major news agency and being vetted for authenticity by the CIA.
"They're just like any other news organization. Based on their viewership, they make news choices," said Ben Venzke, a Washington-based U.S. government contractor who analyzes al-Qaida tapes. "The thing that makes them stand apart is that they're the first recipient of the overwhelming majority of releases from bin Laden and al-Zawahri."
That fact hasn't escaped notice in Washington, where President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld criticized the station, accusing it of fueling anti-American sentiment and giving terrorists a podium.
Al-Jazeera says it deals with tapes on the basis of news value.
When tapes come in -- the network rarely says how it gets them -- Al-Jazeera's editors wrangle over what portions, if any, they can air, al-Sheikh said.
In the case of the bin Laden message broadcast Thursday, the station played only a few minutes of the 10-minute tape, based on what it considered important, he said. The entire tape was transcribed and posted on Al-Jazeera's Web site.
Tapes of kidnap victims are the most problematic. When they arrive, the station gets in touch with the hostage's embassy and asks a representative to view the tape and contact the family. Only when the family is notified does Al-Jazeera air any footage, al-Sheikh said.
Even then, it airs only parts that show the victim in "the most humane light possible," he said. Al-Jazeera's editorial policies now prohibit it from carrying the voices of kidnappers or their victims.
Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials have accused Al-Jazeera of airing videos of hostages being beheaded. But in fact the station has never done so. The gory videos have appeared on Web forums used by Islamic militants.
Militant groups choose to send messages to Al-Jazeera for a variety of reasons, analysts say.
First, bin Laden and al-Zawahri are thought to be most interested in influencing Arab public opinion, and Al-Jazeera may be the best way to reach that audience.
"Al-Qaida's real target isn't the United States or the West, it's Arab public opinion," said Jon Alterman, who heads the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
January 21, 2006
Al-Qaida's network of choice says it is unfairly criticized by U.S. and others for doing its
By Jim Krane
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- When bad news from the Middle East comes to America, one station seems to bring it most often: Al-Jazeera. This week, the satellite network got two exclusives from militants: a video of a kidnapped American and an audiotape from Osama bin Laden.
Does that make Al-Jazeera a mouthpiece for terrorists?
"This is news," says editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Sheikh. "Any other station would jump at this. Why label us?"
Two weeks ago, the Arab network carried another goading address from bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who said a limited U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq represented "the victory of Islam."
Analysts say Al-Jazeera, which is based in and bankrolled by Qatar and has not turned a profit in its 10 years on the air, has carved out a niche for itself by channeling al-Qaida's statements to the world.
That makes the network controversial. The statements become huge news events, getting picked up by every major news agency and being vetted for authenticity by the CIA.
"They're just like any other news organization. Based on their viewership, they make news choices," said Ben Venzke, a Washington-based U.S. government contractor who analyzes al-Qaida tapes. "The thing that makes them stand apart is that they're the first recipient of the overwhelming majority of releases from bin Laden and al-Zawahri."
That fact hasn't escaped notice in Washington, where President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld criticized the station, accusing it of fueling anti-American sentiment and giving terrorists a podium.
Al-Jazeera says it deals with tapes on the basis of news value.
When tapes come in -- the network rarely says how it gets them -- Al-Jazeera's editors wrangle over what portions, if any, they can air, al-Sheikh said.
In the case of the bin Laden message broadcast Thursday, the station played only a few minutes of the 10-minute tape, based on what it considered important, he said. The entire tape was transcribed and posted on Al-Jazeera's Web site.
Tapes of kidnap victims are the most problematic. When they arrive, the station gets in touch with the hostage's embassy and asks a representative to view the tape and contact the family. Only when the family is notified does Al-Jazeera air any footage, al-Sheikh said.
Even then, it airs only parts that show the victim in "the most humane light possible," he said. Al-Jazeera's editorial policies now prohibit it from carrying the voices of kidnappers or their victims.
Rumsfeld and other U.S. officials have accused Al-Jazeera of airing videos of hostages being beheaded. But in fact the station has never done so. The gory videos have appeared on Web forums used by Islamic militants.
Militant groups choose to send messages to Al-Jazeera for a variety of reasons, analysts say.
First, bin Laden and al-Zawahri are thought to be most interested in influencing Arab public opinion, and Al-Jazeera may be the best way to reach that audience.
"Al-Qaida's real target isn't the United States or the West, it's Arab public opinion," said Jon Alterman, who heads the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
