Iraq Minister Brands Al-Jazeera A Terror Channel

CYBER WARS

Al-Jazeera TV to launch English service late 2005
Doha, Qatar (AFP) Nov 24, 2004- Al-Jazeera television announced that it would launch an English-language satellite channel in late 2005 to rival established 24-hour international news stations.

"Our target now is to launch Al-Jazeera International by November 2005," said managing director Nigel Parsons of the service that, like its Arabic-language service, would be based in the Qatari capital, Doha.

"The HQ will be in Doha, the Asian bureau in Kuala Lumpur, the European bureau in London and the American bureau in Washington," he added.

Initial staff would number "around 300" he said, and would be recruited for their professional experience and mastery of English, with no consideration for ethnicity or nationality.

Parsons refused to comment on the budget, which he said had not yet been drawn up, but said the channel would be totally independent of Al-Jazeera's Arabic service.

Dubai, UAE (AFP) Nov 23, 2004
Iraqi Defence Minister Hazem Shaalan branded the popular Arabic-language satellite television Al-Jazeera a "channel of terrorism", in a newspaper interview. That brought a sharp reaction from the broadcaster, which expressed its "utter outrage" at what it said was an "unsubstantiated allegation".

"Al-Jazeera is a channel of terrorism. That is clear and we say openly and without hesitation: Al-Jazeera is a channel of terrorism," Shaalan was quoted by the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat as saying.

The Qatar-based station, which has been banned from reporting in Iraq since early August, has frequently been accused by US and Iraqi authorities of inciting violence by screening "exclusive" videotapes from Islamic militants, including Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Despite the ban, the 24-hour news channel is often first to announce breaking news from the war-ravaged country, including kidnappings and beheadings of foreign hostages as well as statements from militant groups.

Shaalan charged that Iraqi "terrorist" Omar Hadeed, who he alleged has links to Al-Qaeda, is a brother of Al-Jazeera's office director in Iraq, Hamed Hadeed.

He also said the journalist was receiving videos showing beheadings in the restive Iraqi city of Fallujah from his brother.

Al-Jazeera has denied that its Iraq director has any relationship with Omar Hadeed.

Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Friday that Omar Hadeed is a former bodyguard of Saddam Hussein and a top aide to Iraq's most wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and that he led the battle against US and Iraqi forces in Fallujah.

"We consider him a terrorist for attacking and killing national guard forces as well as multinational forces," said Shaalan.

Some 10,000 US troops, backed by 2,000 Iraqi forces, launched an assault on Fallujah on November 8 to wrest control of the city from rebels.

"Let God curse all those who terrorise Iraqi citizens and children of Iraq, be they journalists or others. The day will come when we will take (measures) against Al-Jazeera other than by words," the minister warned.

He said the channel continues to operate in Iraq "secretly, in contravention of the law."

In its response Tuesday, Al-Jazeera expressed its "deep concern about these allegations that are tantamount to inciting violence against the channel's employees.

"Consequently, the channel has initiated a process in which these claims are looked at from a legal perspective, with a view to ensuring the safety of its people, in addition to safeguarding its reputation.

"While Al-Jazeera channel is dismayed with this smear campaign, it nevertheless asserts that the only judge of its professional integrity is the millions of people around the world who look upon it as the news source of choice.

Al-Jazeera, which vies for the Arab audience with its Dubai-based rival Al-Arabiya, is highly popular among viewers but has irked many governments in the region for tackling political, social and at times sexual issues, previously regarded as taboo.

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CYBER WARS

The Web: Hacker turf war raging online

Chicago (UPI) March 17, 2004
A battle for the control of cyberspace by computer criminals -- similar in intensity to a turf war between rival mob families -- is underway on the Internet. Computer security experts question how prepared the United States is to stop the conflict online, and wonder if nefarious criminal and Islamic terrorist elements are covertly involved in the battle.

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