Iraq extends al-Jazeera ban and raids offices

Luke Harding in Baghdad
Monday September 6, 2004
The Guardian

Iraqi security officers stormed al-Jazeera's Baghdad offices and sealed the newsroom with red wax at the weekend after the US- backed interim government banned the Arabic television station from broadcasting in the country. The raid followed a decision by the prime minister, Ayad Allawi, to close the station temporarily in August because of its apparent failure to support the US occupation. Officials said al-Jazeera had now been shut indefinitely because it had ignored the original ban. Several armed police officers were posted outside and in the lobby of Baghdad's Swan Lake Hotel, where al-Jazeera has its offices, yesterday.

"We have been told not to let anyone in; we are just following orders," Captain Abu Jibal told the Guardian. "If you take any photos we'll arrest you," he said.

Robert Menard of Reporters Without Borders said the ban contradicted "Iraqi officials' statements on democracy". Other media groups, including the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, have criticised the earlier ban.

Al-Jazeera said the decision was "reminiscent of the way certain other regimes have behaved".

Last month Iraqi police seized around 60 journalists from a hotel in Najaf, including reporters from the BBC, Guardian, Independent, Times and Telegraph, and took them to the police station at gunpoint. Asked later whether he condemned the incident, Mr Allawi refused to answer.

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