Al-Arabiya closed in Iraq

I'm intrigued by the reports that Prime Minister Maliki has ordered the closure of al-Arabiya's Baghdad office.  Al-Arabiya says that the basis for the order was that it was "fomenting communal strife."  This would seem to refer back to the Saudi government's general pushing of an anti-Shia line in recent months because of its hostility towards Hezbollah and Iran.  But I'm not sure of the proximate cause for a closure in Iraq - was it something al-Arabiya reported, or is it a way of striking at the Saudis for some reason?  I'm going to try to find out- particularly since al-Arabiya has relentlessly positioned itself as the moderate, pro-American alternative to al-Jazeera -  highlighting "moderate", pro-American, and often pro-regime voices, and downplaying coverage of populist issues like Palestine.  I'd  go so far as to say that it has emerged in the last few years as the de facto American broadcasting effort in the region (doing what al-Hurra was meant to do, but with an audience).  Certainly, it's the outlet of choice for those rare administration officials who want to reach a wide Arab audience but hate al-Jazeera and don't want to waste their time on al-Hurra (John Bolton is the latest American official to show up for an extended chat on al-Arabiya). 

Comments

[Ghurab al-Bain]

Seems to be related to internal bickering among the Iraqi political leadership, including between the PM's "media advisor" and his press secretary. Also infighting in the Iraqi parliament over the question of federalism played a role. In either case, it is an embarrasing self-inflicted wound by an Iraqi that seems to have plenty of problems already without picking up new ones (and Al-Arabiyya is actually the number one foreign station inside Iraq so it makes the Iraqi Government look foolish in front of its own people.

[Nur al-Cubicle]

David Kaiser has suggested that it is just a matter of time before a Shi'ite dictatorship takes over in Iraq. Step One is throwing out the Sunni press.

[John Burgess]

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I sure haven't seen the Saudi government (or media) taking an "anti-Shi'a line" of late.

Yes, they've got problems with a) Iran and b) Hezbollah (as agent of Iran, at least in part, but also as a troublesome member of the Lebanese parliament). But those are as readily seen as political problems as sectarian problems. And since the Saudi government is taking an active role in trying to integrate the their own Shi'a into social and political life in the kingdom, I think the political explanation is better.

The Saudis don't want a splintered Iraq; they've made that clear at least since 1990. Saudi media will carry that message. If that's offensive to the Iraqi gov't, then the Iraqi gov't is being over-sensitive.