U.S. protests threats to governing council
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The State Department is protesting the airing of threats against members of the Iraqi governing council by the Arab broadcast network Al-Arabiya.
This week the Dubai-based network aired terrorists calling for attacks against the "American-appointed Iraqi governing council" on one of its radio programs.
A State Department official said the speakers who delivered the threats were identified as being part of an Islamic Jihad movement, but it was unclear if they were associated with al Qaeda or with remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime.
State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said the department is instructing its embassies in countries whose citizens have interests in the network "to convey at the highest levels our outrage over the particular broadcast, and we would expect those responsible to take immediate steps to prevent that type of activity, prevent this sort of incitement to murder and terrorism."
The independent network is funded by mostly Saudi investors.
"We have to question why an organization claiming to be a legitimate news service would effectively provide this conduit for terrorists to communicate plans, tactics and incitement to murder, and to attempt to disrupt the peaceful aspirations of the Iraqi people," Reeker said.
"So this type of participation by an organization that claims to be a legitimate news organization and giving a platform for those types of groups, for terrorists, for murderers, to communicate their plans and to incite violence is simply unacceptable," he said.
During the war in Iraq the United States protested to the government of Qatar over broadcasts by the Al-Jazeera Arab television network of video of five U.S. soldiers being held captive by Iraqis, and in the months after the September 11 attacks for airing messages from Osama bin Laden.
