U.S., Saudis at Odds Over TV Station

[Los Angeles Times] Paul Richter - Outraged by video footage of bloody attacks on American troops, U.S. officials have worked for about half a year to close down a satellite television station that promotes the cause of Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgents to millions of viewers in the region. Yet Al Zawraa is still beaming calls for violent resistance - thanks to Saudi Arabia. U.S. and Iraqi troops chased Al Zawraa television's staff out of Iraq last year, and this year Washington pressured the Egyptians and Europeans to stop bouncing the station's signal from their satellites. But despite pleas from Washington, the Saudi government has declined to use its influence as a major stakeholder in the satellite company Arabsat to stop the transmissions, U.S. officials say.


2007-06-01 01:00:00

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