|
|
|
|
Iraqi Government Shuts Down Al-Jazeera Office Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty7 August 2004 -- Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi told a news conference that the Baghdad offices of Al-Jazeera -- a Qatar-based Arabic-language satellite news channel -- have been ordered closed for one month. He said a government commission monitoring Al-Jazeera concluded that it was inciting hatred and violence. Allawi also announced an amnesty today for Iraqi insurgents who committed minor crimes such as weapons possession. However, the 30-day amnesty will not apply to insurgents who have engaged in serious offenses, such as murder. Allawi also said emergency laws are not needed to stabilize the country and that a national conference set for 15 August to choose a council to oversee the interim government will go ahead on schedule, followed by elections in January.
Copyright © 2004 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org © 2004 TruthNews. All Rights Reserved. |