CNN's Reliable Sources: Al Jazeera English's Washington Bureau Chief Dispels The Myths About AJE

Turborama

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Mon Jan-31-11 04:44 AM
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CNN's Reliable Sources: Al Jazeera English's Washington Bureau Chief Dispels The Myths About AJE

Edited on Mon Jan-31-11 04:59 AM by Turborama

Run time: 05:56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqjx3g0ZuLY

Posted on YouTube: January 31, 2011
By YouTube Member: Naskeleng
Views on YouTube: 3

Posted on DU: January 31, 2011
By DU Member: Turborama
Views on DU: 1440

This to me shows that Al Jazeera English are FINALLY being shown the kind of respect they have long deserved!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6848728">Bushco Bombed 2 Foreign Offices of an Ally's TV News Channel & Planned to Bomb its Head Office!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x299989">Flashback: Beyond That Memo - Bush Wanted Al Jazeera Gone (Jeremy Scahill)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x307418">Even President Obama Is Watching Al Jazeera

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x309562">HuffPo: We Want Our Al Jazeera English *Now*

KURTZ: Since the crisis in Egypt erupted, one network has provided more exhaustive coverage than anyone else. That would be the Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera. That may be about to change, getting word this morning that Egyptian authorities trying to basically kick Al Jazeera out of the country, close its offices, yank its accreditation.

Here's some of what Al Jazeera's coverage has looked like on the air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN NOLAN, AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Down here, on the grounds of this compound, you can see that every vehicle in sight here has been set alight by protesters. They stormed this compound last night, they didn't spare any vehicle. There must be 50 vehicles in total. All of them have been torched by protesters furious with President Mubarak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KURTZ: That clip obviously from Al Jazeera English.

And joining us now to talk about these developments is the Washington bureau chief, Abderrahim Foukara.

Thank you very much for coming in.

ABDERRAHIM FOUKARA, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, AL JAZEERA: Nice to be with you.

KURTZ: Why was Al Jazeera singled out by Egyptian authorities? I mean, the BBC is there, CNN is there, there are other television operations there. And yet, they are trying to -- Egyptian authorities are trying to basically exclude you from any further coverage.

Well, Al Jazeera's coverage of these events is, as you said in your introduction, the most comprehensive in the region. We've seen a similar situation in Tunisia.

The coverage of recent events in Tunisia has really provided millions and millions of people around the region to see what was actually going on in Tunisia, and taking into consideration that what's going on in Egypt was actually, in some ways, sparked by what was going on -- what happened in Tunisia. And then you begin to get the picture of why the Egyptian government has done what it's done.

KURTZ: The state-run television in Egypt has said that Al Jazeera has been lying, exaggerating. The number of protesters, for example, that we're seeing this morning at Tahrir Square, they're saying there are really only hundreds there, though the CNN estimate was 10,000. So you're being attacked on journalistic grounds.

FOUKARA: Well, I mean, this is not a new situation with Al Jazeera. We've seen this in many different parts of the Arab world, where the governments of various countries go in one direction, but the viewers in that same country go in a different direction.

Al Jazeera has been accused of incitement, for example, in Iraq in 2004, and the U.S. offices were closed down. They continue to be closed down. Now we're seeing this in Egypt.

The fact of the situation remains that for Arabs, for more than any other viewership in the world, this is a crucial story. And for the Egyptian government, no matter what its grievances are with Al Jazeera, to shut down its operations in Egypt, it's something to seriously think about.

KURTZ: You talk about incitement. Bill O'Reilly, on Fox News the other day, said that Al Jazeera is spurring on this revolt and encouraging uprisings all over the Muslim world.

Your response?

FOUKARA: Well, look, what's -- the coverage of Al Jazeera is being criticized by some governments, it's being criticized by people outside of the United States. But to the people who are actually demonstrating, whether in Tunis or in Cairo or in Yemen or in Jordan, is a source of reliable information not only if what goes on in their own countries, but what goes on in the neighborhood.

So we may differ with certain governments on the definition of what trustworthy coverage is. The fact of the situation is that the viewership, the people who are directly involved in these events, they come to Al Jazeera because that's where they feel with some trust they can air their grievances and their aspirations.

KURTZ: Ironically, one of the reasons that Al Jazeera is barely a presence on the airwaves in the United States is because of criticism that it's been pro-Arab and anti-American. I'm sure you would reject that, but, of course, the Arab position is not always uniform, as we're seeing in Egypt.

Is it fair to say your journalists are not only better connected with, say, those involved in this Egyptian protest, but are sympathetic to those who are trying to topple what has been an authoritarian regime for nearly three decades?

FOUKARA: Well, the viewership, but certainly the protesters -- look, Al Jazeera has invested in gaining the trust of its viewers around the Middle East for over a decade.

KURTZ: You're there all the time, not just --

(CROSSTALK)

FOUKARA: We're there all the time. In times of crisis, I mean, even in Egypt, you would see that local television stations can compete and have been able to compete with Al Jazeera in normal times. But in times of crisis, whether it's the situation in Tunisia, or in Gaza, or in Iraq, most of them flock to Al Jazeera.

KURTZ: What about my question about whether your journalists are sympathetic to people who are trying to gain some measure of freedom?

FOUKARA: Well, the message of Al Jazeera has been that we are actually going to provide a platform for people who want to air their grievances and their aspirations right across the spectrum. Al Jazeera would tell you -- and the coverage shows, too, whatever extent you want to determine it -- that they also give a platform to people who want to criticize it; namely, governments in the region.

KURTZ: And these are people who often don't have a platform, which is why folks like the authorities in Egypt seem angry at Al Jazeera.

FOUKARA: Absolutely. I mean, it's just a question of who do you trust? Obviously, governments do not trust Al Jazeera much. But the people, the viewership, and now, especially, the protesters, they certainly do see in it a way of getting the message across not to their fellow citizens -- not just to their fellow citizens, but to Arabs elsewhere in the region.

KURTZ: I'm coming up on a break. But I've got to ask you, to what extent will Al Jazeera be able to continue to cover this crisis in Egypt if the offices are closed, the phone lines are cut, if the satellite privileges are denied?

FOUKARA: It is a problem, but it's -- as I said earlier, it's a problem that Al Jazeera has experienced in the past, and it learned to adapt to it. Al Jazeera will continue to cover events in Egypt either by inviting people from outside of Egypt to come and give their opinions on what's going on, but it's also through its network of contacts inside Egypt who may not necessarily provide information on air, but they will provide it off air.

KURTZ: Abderrahim Foukara, thank you very much for coming in this morning. We appreciate it.