Still not really here, but reports that the United States is now intensely pressuring Qatar over al Jazeera's television coverage are just driving me batty. Colin Powell has warned Qatar that al Jazeera has become a "difficult issue that intrude in [the US-Qatari] relationship."
What better way to signal a real commitment to democratic reform and openness in the region than to put pressure on a friendly government to censor and repress the most independent and free media voice in the region? I just don't have time to write much more about this, but if you want to know why I think this is such a bad idea, just go to the "Arab Media" index to your right and scroll down, and read pretty much anything you find!
I'm starting to think that not only is American not doing anything remotely like exporting America-style democracy to the Middle East, it is in fact importing Middle East-style governance to America.
We've got the blatant disregard for facts, the second-generation administration...
Posted by: Tom Scudder | April 28, 2004 at 08:38 AM
From everything I've seen, Al Jazeera is "fairer and balanceder" than Fox or CNN.
If the U.S. military doesn't like what the videos are showing, change the reality.
No WMD, NO Al-Queda, NO second term.
Posted by: George Missonis | April 28, 2004 at 11:28 AM