Unfriendly Views on U.S.-Backed Arabic TV

[SWJED]

17 May NY Times - Unfriendly Views on U.S.-Backed Arabic TV by Helene Cooper.

... In recent weeks both conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats have attacked Al Hurra for, in the words of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page last week, providing “friendly coverage of camera-ready extremists from Al Qaeda, Hamas and other terrorist groups.”

In particular, critics of the network, which was founded in 2003 as an Arabic-language, American-financed counter to Al Jazeera, are particularly annoyed that the network broadcast a 30-minute speech by the Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, in December.

Mr. Ackerman also complained during the hearing that the network gave extensive coverage to Iran’s conference in December on denying the Holocaust and, more recently, showed Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian prime minister (and Hamas leader), discussing the faltering Palestinian unity government.

“How does it happen that terrorists take over? Is there no supervision?” Mr. Ackerman asked...

[tequila]

Abu Aardvark, who does speak Arabic, posted his take on the controversy awhile back.