Iraqi council's ban on Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya condemned

Reporters Without Borders today strongly condemned the Iraqi Governing Council's two-week ban on the Arab TV stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya covering its activities and other official events for allegedly encouraging political violence and the murder of Council members and US and British troops. "This is a clear and blatant attack on press freedom," said the organisation's secretary-general, Robert Ménard. "When media such as these broadcast calls by terrorist groups or extremist political parties for armed violence, they are not themselves guilty of incitement to violence. They are doing their job of informing the public and dealing journalistically with the important subject of terrorism, a phenomenon they have not themselves created. "These sanctions are a bad omen of the Council's intentions concerning the speedy establishment of democracy in Iraq, which demands a more courageous approach than simply banning the expression of views that one can, quite legitimately, disagree with. Citing security and incitement to violence as an excuse does not alter this," Ménard said. The ban, announced on 23 September, followed an assassination attempt on Council member Akila Al-Hashimi. The Council's first president, Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, had said on 29 August he had no intention of shutting down the local offices of any Arab TV station. Al-Arabiya had two days earlier broadcast film showing armed and hooded men threatening to kill Council members and anyone who worked with them. Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya have since the US-British invasion broadcast several voice-only messages purportedly by ousted President Saddam Hussein calling on Iraqis to fight the US-British forces. US officials have strongly criticised the two Arab TV stations, accusing them of giving too much coverage to attacks on US forces in the country.