Iraq shuts down Al-Jazeera

[Spoiled]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9C888134-9481-485A-A675-DD3C50DA224D.htm
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1091902016419_18/?hub=CTVNewsAt11


In a nutshell Al Jazeera has been put on hold for 30 days in Iraq... So they can re-think their coverage (which according to iraq govt has been engative) of the Iraq issue... Im not sure if that means they are still broadcasting into iraq, given the people have cable, satelite or antenae...


My question is how do you feel?
I feel it is a decent move, they tell them to clean up their act in 30 days... Then let em come back, if its not clean then they get shut down again... Once the country becomes more established then loosen the grip, allow them to have 'free press'... Until then they should do equal coverage... "You do 30 minutes of corpses, then you do 30 minutes of happy people in schools" or something....

 

[sleuth]

I agree that they need to clean up their act...
although I am uncomfortable with the government not allowing free press...

if this is allowed...what did we go over there for anyway?

 

[Spoiled]

Originally posted by sleuth
I agree that they need to clean up their act...
although I am uncomfortable with the government not allowing free press...

if this is allowed...what did we go over there for anyway?

Thats the prediciment, up until the past 20 years (i think?) we had some sort of equal coverage law, when it came to radio, or tv or something... am i correct?

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by Spoiled
they tell them to clean up their act in 30 days... Then let em come back, if its not clean then they get shut down again... Once the country becomes more established then loosen the grip, allow them to have 'free press'... Until then they should do equal coverage... "You do 30 minutes of corpses, then you do 30 minutes of happy people in schools" or something....

Hell, I think they should do that with CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and the rest of our own little home grown Al Jazeeras :shrug:

 

[FromTexas]

Since when did we promise Iraqi's free press? That's not the USA. The government there can do as they like to regain order.

Just because the U.S. was involved doesn't mean they agreed to our Constitution. Typical liberalite red herring.

BTW - Do you think we would allow a station over here broadcasting terrorist propaganda and beheadings for everyone to see or do you think the FCC would shut it down?

 

[SmallTown]

Originally posted by sleuth

if this is allowed...what did we go over there for anyway?

run up a lot of frequent flier miles?

 

[vraiblonde]

Here's the thing: they're trying to build a new nation over there and the last thing they need is the "media" thwarting their efforts. Even in America you can't just do anything you want on public airwaves - for example, Aryan Nation isn't going to have their own news channel regardless of how much money they shell out. Is that squelching of free speech? You bet it is, but it's for the common good.

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by sleuth
I agree that they need to clean up their act...
although I am uncomfortable with the government not allowing free press...

if this is allowed...what did we go over there for anyway?

Should they allow those that incite violence amongst the population to continue to spread their message? I think not, from what I have seen over the years with Al-Jazeera is that they do this regularly and in my mind have been providing aide and comfort to terrorists.

 

[sleuth]

Originally posted by Ken King
Should they allow those that incite violence amongst the population to continue to spread their message? I think not, from what I have seen over the years with Al-Jazeera is that they do this regularly and in my mind have been providing aide and comfort to terrorists.

I agree that their act needs to be cleaned up. But what rules does a free press, if Iraq was to have one, abide by?

Honestly, I don't know what rules our own press has to abide by, if any... so I'm just curious as to whether action will be seen as an attempt to take away freedom from the "newly freed" Iraqi people.

Why not just cut their power.. ..and say... "well, we'll fix it as soon as we can".

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by sleuth
I agree that their act needs to be cleaned up. But what rules does a free press, if Iraq was to have one, abide by?

Honestly, I don't know what rules our own press has to abide by, if any... so I'm just curious as to whether action will be seen as an attempt to take away freedom from the "newly freed" Iraqi people.

Why not just cut their power.. ..and say... "well, we'll fix it as soon as we can".

Well Article 25 (G) of the provisional government's constitution says, "The Iraqi Transitional Government shall have exclusive competence in the following matters:

(G) Regulating telecommunications policy."

So it seems within the rights of the Coalition Provisional Authority to shut them down.

http://www.cpa-iraq.org/government/TAL.html