(Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Powell met Tuesday with Qatar's foreign minister for "intense discussions" about the government-funded Al Jazeera satellite TV station, the world's most popular Arabic-language station. The administration has become increasingly incensed at the station's coverage, which it contends incites Arab audiences to violence against U.S. troops and their allies in the Iraqi government. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has denounced its reporting as "vicious, inaccurate, and inexcusable." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday that Al Jazeera had incorrectly reported April 9 that "children are being killed, and women cut to pieces in Falluja." Al Jazeera has also repeatedly broadcast unedited tapes by bin Laden and al-Qaeda deputies at length.
2004-04-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive