Iraqi government on Sunday suspended the operating licenses of Al-Jazeera and nine Iraqi TV channels after
accusing them of escalating sectarian tension. The suspensions which took effect immediately, appeared to target
mainly Sunni channels known for criticizing Prime Minister Nouri
al-Malik’s government.
Although the decision will not banish the channels from the airwaves because satellite channels based abroad are beyond the reach of the Iraqi government but journalists within Iraq are prohibited from reporting. The government’s action comes as Baghdad tries to subdue rising unrest
in the country that erupted last week after Iraqi security forces
launched a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest site in the central city
of Hawija, killing 23 people, including three soldiers. More than 180 people have been killed in gunbattles with security
forces and other attacks.
The letter that was delivered by the media commission to the channels
stated that Iraqi security force has ordered them to do what’s necessary to stop all journalism
operations. Mr. Barazanji, of Baghdad TV, said he took
that as an implicit threat that his reporters would be arrested if they
continued to do their jobs. The commission also ordered local cellphone
companies to shut off any phone numbers registered to Baghdad TV.
In its statement, the media commission said the networks had broadcast misinformation, hype and exaggeration that had deepened sectarian divisions in Iraq. The other nine channels whose licenses were suspended by the Iraqi media
commission are al-Sharqiya, al-Sharqiya News, Salahuddin,
Fallujah, Taghyeer, Baghdad, Babiliya, Anwar 2 and al-Gharbiya
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