Apparently, according to the BBC, AJ went private November 2001.
link
skip that
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.
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.
Known terrorists raved about American flight schools, but that doesn’t mean they should be shut down. Same diff.
Nope, I find it decidedly moronic.
What a childish act.
Besides, now the Arabs are more convinced than ever that the US is the Great Satan.
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.
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 
One free upgrade to the Jeering section of the BBQ Pit, coming up.
oop… that was pretty easy
Finn - thats a good cite. Thanx
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.
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.
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.