Al-Jazeera to probe whether Iraqi agents infiltrated staff
Report: Three tried to influence network's coverage
From Eden Pontz
CNN
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Al-Jazeera will investigate whether Iraqi agents infiltrated its staff in an attempt to "subvert its coverage" but has no evidence the allegations made in a published report are true, a spokesman for the Arabic-language satellite television network said Sunday.
"The network is unaware of any member of al-Jazeera who is working for any foreign intelligence organization," said Jihad Ballout, a spokesman for the Qatar-based network.
"We are still in the realm of allegations now," he said. "We were told that there were documents, we were presented with documents, but we have not ascertained their authenticity."
Ballout's comments followed a report by the Sunday Times in Britain that three Iraqi intelligence agents infiltrated the most popular television station in the Arab world in an attempt to "subvert its coverage."
The Times article presented as evidence documents uncovered by opponents of Saddam Hussein after a U.S.-led invasion force ousted him as Iraqi president last month.
"The identities of these three people have been passed along to us; their positions do not in any way allow them to interfere or impact our editorial policy, irrespective as to whether the documents are true or not," Ballout said.
The documents allege that one agent passed along two letters written by Osama bin Laden, blamed for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to his Iraqi handlers, and that two of the network's cameramen were also Iraqi agents.
"This remains an allegation until proven otherwise," Ballout added. "Criticism, allegations and innuendos will not prevent us from continuing our work."
