# Seems Al-Jazeera got Hacked! Excuse my laughter... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788 "2003-03-28T15:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/21 "2003-03-28T18:29:05Z")
Apparently, according to the BBC, AJ went private November 2001. [link](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1579929.stm) ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/22 "2003-03-28T18:30:46Z")
skip that > [@](#): > > However, although state subsidies are expected to end next month, analysts predict that Qatar will continue bankrolling the channel… ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/23 "2003-03-28T19:46:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*In the past it has been speculated that Al-Jazeera was used as a tool by terrorists to give important information to people in the field - sleeper cells if you will. \*\* In which case you need to know the whole argument. US intelligence groups speculated that video of Osama bin Laden provided to al-Jazeera by Al Qaeda could be used to pass on information to sleeper cells, which is why the US govt asked CNN and other US-based TV stations not to air the Al Qaeda videos unedited. This speculation has pretty much been dismissed as groundless. al-Jazeera is the closest thing to a free press the middle East has got, and it’s a damn sight less likely to kowtow to government whims than any of the American networks currently operating. As for the POWs and dead soldiers-- Western networks are airing just as much video of Iraqis as al-Jazeera is of US troops, although they are being more tasteful in terms of showing pictures that can identify the dead. If you disagree with what they are showing (and for myself, it’s mostly a matter of not identifying the dead on TV), write them an email-- but don’t shut down their site. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/24 "2003-03-28T23:42:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Isn’t Al-Jazeera the ones that were showing the bodies of dead soldiers? Were they not the ones interviewing POWs? Yes, they did show footage claimed by Iraq to be of dead US soldiers. No, they did not interview POWs, although they did run footage of US POWs being questioned by the Iraqi military. In both cases, the footage was shot and supplied by an Iraqi agency. I said in the Pit thread on this subject, and I’ll say it here: the hacking of Al-Jazeera’s site is suppression of an independent press source and the persons who did it should be found and prosecuted. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/25 "2003-03-29T08:48:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\ ***OUCH!!** - Am I missing something or do people on these boards really care about an organization endorsed by known terroroists. \*\* Known terrorists raved about American flight schools, but that doesn’t mean they should be shut down. Same diff. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/26 "2003-03-29T13:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Rock-on American Hackers I find this decidedly funny, that a hacker would take it upon him or herself and express their opinion in this way. Anyone else? Nope, I find it decidedly moronic. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/27 "2003-03-29T14:24:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > Rock-on American Hackers I find this decidedly funny, that a hacker would take it upon him or herself and express their opinion in this way. Anyone else? What a childish act. Besides, now the Arabs are more convinced than ever that the US is the Great Satan. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/28 "2003-03-29T15:43:25Z")
**Urban Ranger and Gex** - did you read the entire thread? Or just my OP. I recanted on my original thought, as being hastily posted. Read the OP before blindly calling the remark childish. Geez.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![finn1911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d78d45/32.png) [@finn1911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/finn1911)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/29 "2003-03-29T15:48:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SimonX \* > \*\*[It has consistently topped viewer ratings in the Middle East and claims 35m viewers.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1579929.stm) > > **Ash** , > The point is that this is a popular ME media outlet. > **I’m** curious about what they are reporting. > My interest isn’t related to their relative accuracy or bias but to their popularity. What info are people over there being presented with? \*\* I agree, I would sure like to see what news is actually being presented by this network, then I can decide for myself if I want to believe it or not. They seem to have some pretty good access, and i’d like to hear what they have to say in addition to just seeing their footage with overlayed english network logos. I’d also be interested in getting some news from the abudahbi network (forgive me if that’s spelled wrong). Is there an english version of abudahbi?.. the aljazeera english site doesn’t appear to be english at this point 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/30 "2003-03-29T15:50:35Z")
One free upgrade to the Jeering section of the BBQ Pit, coming up. ---
**Author:** ![finn1911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d78d45/32.png) [@finn1911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/finn1911)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/31 "2003-03-29T15:50:35Z")
oop… that was pretty easy [http://www.abudhabi.com/](http://www.abudhabi.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/32 "2003-03-29T16:05:14Z")
**Finn** - thats a good cite. Thanx ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/33 "2003-03-29T18:13:34Z")
**I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.** (Voltaire) I’m dismayed by the thinking that it is okay for “us” to act in immoral or unethical ways, but it is not okay for “them” to do so. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tropical\_Warlord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Tropical\_Warlord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tropical_Warlord)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/34 "2003-03-29T18:34:10Z")
So if an organization doesn’t share your point of view, you condone the destruction of their property, and the supression of their free speech by a fanatical posse of thugs? How enlightened. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788/35 "2003-03-29T20:47:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\ ***Urban Ranger and Gex** - did you read the entire thread? Or just my OP. I recanted on my original thought, as being hastily posted. > > Read the OP before blindly calling the remark childish. Geez.🆒 \*\* You did NOT recant it, you explained it – as being reactionary. No where did you retract your statement, until your last post, which I’ve quoted, when you insisted you had ALREADY retracted it. It’s very important that we in the West have access to information and opinion about the war that is not spoon-fed to us through various media by the US and UK goverments. Frankly I consider CNN as biased as Al Jazeera. They are so afraid of losing their “access” if they say something offensive, that they may as well jst be reading DoD press releases. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seems-al-jazeera-got-hacked-excuse-my-laughter/164788.md?page=1)