[AP] The U.S. government is concerned that a television channel backed by Hizbullah is using an Indonesian satellite to broadcast to the Asia-Pacific region, an American Embassy spokesman said Thursday. Al-Manar TV has rented Indonesia's Palapa C2 satellite through operator PT Indosat. "Al-Manar and its partners and affiliates form a recognized arm of Hizbullah," said Tristram Perry, a public diplomacy officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Perry said the U.S. has informally "shared concerns" with authorities in Jakarta about Al-Manar broadcasting from Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population. In January, a Thai satellite company stopped airing Al-Manar broadcasts after learning it was tied to Hizbullah.
2008-08-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive