Al-Qaida in Iraq Criticizes Al-Jazeera for Wrongly Reporting Its Statement
The Associated Press
Feb 12, 2005
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - A statement in the name of the al-Qaida in Iraq terror group posted Saturday on the Internet accused Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera of trying to win U.S. favor by reporting false information about an attack the group had claimed responsibility for.
The statement, which could not be immediately verified, related to a Friday bombing outside a Shiite mosque in Balad Ruz, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad, that killed 12 people as worshippers left prayer services.
News reports suggested the mosque was targeted. But the group led by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed the target was actually a nearby Iraqi National Guard convoy.
"After we posted a statement (claiming responsibility) ... we found that Al-Jazeera tried to alter the facts and attributed to us (something) we didn't say," said the statement that appeared on an Internet site used as a clearing house for extremist Islamic material.
"We didn't say in our statement that we targeted the mosque, but that we targeted the infidel guards, and we hit them directly."
It also accused Qatar-based Al-Jazeera of falsifying the report in a bid to "flatter the Americans" and interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's government.
U.S. officials have been critical of Al-Jazeera's coverage of the war in Iraq, and Iraq's interim government closed the station's offices in August after accusing it of inciting violence.
Al-Jazeera editor-in-chief Ayman Gaballah defended his station, saying it relied on reports from news agencies operating inside Iraq.
"No one will issue a statement saying they are happy with our reporting," he said.
The station has tense relations with most Arab governments and the United States over its coverage, which is often described as biased or inflammatory. As the Arab world's first private, independent satellite station, Al-Jazeera has a wide viewership across the Middle East.
AP-ES-02-12-05 2109EST
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