Al Jazeera-gate - Break-in at offices of delayed English language version of controversial TV station
Released on = April 28, 2006, 7:40 am
Press Release Author = Deronda
Industry = Media
Press Release Summary = According to the London Independent, the
conspiracy theories have begun after an Easter break-in
at the UK offices of the English language version of Al Jazeera.
Press Release Body = Hard drives were stolen and The Independent\'s
Guy Adams says that valuable goods were left untouched, leading
to speculation of foul
play. Details of itineraries for Sir David Frost who recently
celebrated the Balfour Declaration in Israel were also taken.
The break-in comes as the new channel faces disquiet amongst Al
Jazeera\'s Arab staff in Doha according to the site Friends of Al
Jazeera. The English station has been delayed and has made a series
of controversial
appointments not least a head of news that used to produce anti-Palestinian
journalist, Richard Littlejohn. It is now under the over all control
of Al-Jazeera Satellite Network director general Waddah Khanfar.
The only official comment according to the Independent was that
an investigation was under way. However, the break-in is already
being talked about as if it were something from a John Le Carre
Novel or the new novel by former Al Jazeera journalist, Afshin Rattansi
whose \"Dream of the Decade\" novel is attracting attention in the
U.S.
At the end of 2005, the British tabloid Daily Mirror, citing a top
secret Downing Street memorandum, reported that U.S. President George
W. Bush discussed bombing the Arabic-language channel but was dissuaded
by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
In Hugh Miles\' \"Al-Jazeera: The Inside Story of the Arab News
Channel That is Challenging the West\", the only conspiracy theories
were the ones spread against Jazeera about who was secretly backing
it. It now seems that we will have to wait for the investigation
to find out whether, as The Independent says, \"the dark rumours
of industrial
espionage\" point to an \"inside job\".
Web Site = http://openpr.com/news/8016.html
Contact Details = The Independent Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS
t: 020 7005 2000
w: www.independent.co.uk
Al Jazeera International, 1 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LY
2009
