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Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

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Opinion - Leader Page Articles

The other side of the story

By Amit Baruah

If the U.S. goal is really democracy and dignity in Iraq and the rest of West Asia, it should have the appetite to listen to those who disagree with it.

A YEAR after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, do you think the United States was right to lead the invasion of Iraq? `Yes' 29 per cent, `No' 67 per cent, `Unsure' 5 per cent. Total number of "pollers" 83,428. Should United Nations peacekeepers be deployed in Iraq? `Yes' 66 per cent, `No' 28 per cent, `Unsure' 6 per cent. Total number of "pollers" 33,007.

These are the results of two "polls" on the English website of Al Jazeera, the popular Qatar-based satellite television channel, that has caught the imagination of the Arab world and emerged as an alternative source of news to the rest of the world.

The large number of voters would reflect that the English website of Al Jazeera is now providing an independent source of news from inside Iraq to non-Arabic speakers — in fact, the channel was one of the few news organisations reporting the recent fighting in Falluja from "inside." Interestingly, a good 29 per cent of those who cast their votes in the first poll, felt that the U.S. was right to lead the invasion of Iraq. A far cry from those who believe that only the faithful and the anti-American watch Al Jazeera or log on to its website.

The Reuters news agency reported on April 13 that the U.S. Army's chief spokesperson in Iraq, Brigadier-General Mark Kimmit, had described both Al Jazeera and the Dubai-based Al Arabiya network as "anti-coalition media."

For its part, the Qatar-based channel reacted angrily to the latest comments from American officials. "Al Jazeera rejects these accusations and considers them a threat to the right of the media to cover the reality in Iraq amid a difficult and complex situation on the ground ... this is unjustified pressure on the media," the channel said in a statement.

Who can forget that during the invasion of Iraq last year, several Western television networks were showing Al Jazeera footage for long stretches while using their own anchors to describe events? One of the channel's reporters, Tariq Ayoub, was killed on April 8 in Baghdad. Its success lies in its reach and ability to report events that many Western channels have chosen not to focus on. Not only has Al Jazeera emerged as a credible source of news, it has consistently been "breaking news" — whether it related to interviews of Osama bin Laden — or providing details of the fate of hostages taken by Iraqi insurgents.

The Qatar-based television channel, launched in November 1996, with a start-up grant of $140 million from the Qatari Government and a news team mostly from a failed BBC Arabic television network, has also seen the likes of the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, being interviewed. By the way, the U.S. is not the only country that has taken offence at Al Jazeera coverage. At one point or the other, the Governments of Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have withdrawn their envoys from Qatar, as a mark of protest against the coverage of Al Jazeera.

At a time when managing the media is a fine art, channels like Al Jazeera have contested the notion that controls can be placed on news coverage. The U.S. can have its own media "embedded" as the invasion of Iraq unfolded, but its Government is loath to see independent coverage of events in Iraq.

The other problem for the U.S. is that much of the Arab world probably believes what channels such as Al Jazeera and its new counterparts are reporting. In that sense, rubbishing the credibility of such popular channels will have the effect of reinforcing their image as suppliers of extra and different information. And, given the news hunger around the world for the different , an English version of Al Jazeera television would probably be welcome in other parts of the world.For the U.S., tolerance of Al Jazeera, as opposed to direct opposition, would probably be a good idea. But, the tenor of recent American statements would indicate exactly the opposite. Al Jazeera has challenged the worldview held by America. It has voiced the feelings of a large number of Arabs who feel slighted and marginalised by the U.S. and its policies in that part of the world. If the U.S. goal is really democracy and dignity in Iraq and the rest of West Asia, then Washington should have the appetite to listen to those who disagree with it.

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