Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau in Cairo

[News_Editor]

Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau in Cairo

2011-01-30 19:32:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- The Egyptian government on Sunday forced Al Jazeera's Cairo offices to close and has suspended its correspondents' accreditations as the channel continues to cover nationwide protests.

Egypt plunged into chaos on Friday when tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Cairo and other major cities to demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. Some of them clashed with security forces, killing scores of people and injuring thousands more. Protests continued on Saturday and Sunday.

The government's decision to prevent Al Jazeera from reporting from Egypt was first announced on state-run Nile Television. It comes as the network is being praised around the world for its extensive coverage of events in Egypt.

"Packing our equipment. We've been kicked out of the office," said Al Jazeera correspondent Dan Nolan. "Government agents say they've been watching our coverage but also listening to our phone calls. Would this be those 'legitimate freedoms'?"

"My story from [a] Cairo morgue yesterday seems to have played a role in all of this," Nolan added, referring to an Al Jazeera TV report in which some victims could be seen inside a morgue. "We were just asked why we're [the] only network to show these victims?"

Sunday's crackdown on Al Jazeera is not the first attack on journalists in Egypt since the street protests began, forcing Mubarak to fire his Cabinet but so far refusing to resign himself. In recent days, several foreign journalists have been arrested and/or beaten by plain-clothed forces.

In response to the government's decision, Al Jazeera said it strongly denounced and condemned the closure of its bureau in Cairo. "Al Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists," a spokesman for the network said.

"In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people," the spokesman added. "Al Jazeera assures its audiences in Egypt and across the world that it will continue its in-depth and comprehensive reporting on the events unfolding in Egypt."

Residents in some parts of Egypt said they were unable to get a signal to watch Al Jazeera. "Al Jazeera Network is appalled at this latest attack by the Egyptian regime to strike at its freedom to report independently on the unprecedented events in Egypt," the spokesman added.

As of Sunday afternoon, at least 150 people have been killed in protests since earlier this week. In addition, more than 4,000 people have been injured. The total number of casualties is believed to be higher.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-30

[elcent]

no way they have stopped AlJazeera it's still available with live video streams. Those guys got guts. CNN doesn't have any live coverage since over two days now.

watch it live

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/2007829161423657345.html

[elcent]

it was reported that it was Mubarak's security police which were sent to loot and even released extremists from the Muslim brotherhood who were jailed in order to intimate the people.

[geriatrickid]

it was reported that it was Mubarak's security police which were sent to loot and even released extremists from the Muslim brotherhood who were jailed in order to intimate the people.

Thank you for spreading unsubstantiated rumour. I do not think members of the Muslim Brotherhood, are focused upon INTIMIDATING the people as the group renounced terrorism and has some support from Egypt's "elites". The MB is perceived as a threat to the Egyptian government, hence its banning.

FYI CNN is reporting from Egypt. It's staffers are sending back reports. Nic Robertson & Ben Wedeman are doing live reports via their phones. Yesterday, Nic said on air that he was updating his Twitter account via telephone reports to his wife. The journalists are able to send emails via Blackberry despite their being an internet service disruption. Housam Ahmed is in Egypt and sending back report. CNN is also supported by its regional news partners just like the other US news outlets, BBC, CBC and ABC etc.

[koheesti]

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- The Egyptian government on Sunday forced Al Jazeera's Cairo offices to close and has suspended its correspondents' accreditations as the channel continues to cover nationwide protests.

I think the Egyptian people have suspended its own government's accreditations.

AJ English is the channel I mostly watch for news on Egypt. Apparently the Arabic version is full of USA and Israel bashing (kinda like TV ). The other day, they were interviewing an Egyptian protester in Los Angeles who said that the next Egyptian gov't would be friendly to the USA. After that back in the studio they were interviewing someone over the telephone. The person disagreed that the gov't would be friendly with the USA and went on an anti-US, anti-Israel rant. The talking head was obviously uncomfortable and trying to cut the guy off, "yeah, yeah, ok, ok, ok, and, but, ok, ok...". I guess they might be a little sensitive to how their English speaking audience perceives the channel.

[Ulysses G.]

Al Jazeera in English does plenty of Israel-bashing, but much more subtly than the Arabic version.

[LaoPo]

it was reported that it was Mubarak's security police which were sent to loot and even released extremists from the Muslim brotherhood who were jailed in order to intimate the people.

Thank you for spreading unsubstantiated rumour. I do not think members of the Muslim Brotherhood, are focused upon INTIMIDATING the people as the group renounced terrorism and has some support from Egypt's "elites". The MB is perceived as a threat to the Egyptian government, hence its banning.

FYI CNN is reporting from Egypt. It's staffers are sending back reports. Nic Robertson & Ben Wedeman are doing live reports via their phones. Yesterday, Nic said on air that he was updating his Twitter account via telephone reports to his wife. The journalists are able to send emails via Blackberry despite their being an internet service disruption. Housam Ahmed is in Egypt and sending back report. CNN is also supported by its regional news partners just like the other US news outlets, BBC, CBC and ABC etc.

Maybe it's not so unsubstantiated as we think.

Quite a few Egypt foreign specialist have said the same as it would benefit Mubarak to send in the (much hated) Police forces again who have been in hiding since 2 days now, leaving it to the military to calm the demonstrators.

It would suit Mubarak very well as he could say that the police is needed again to arrest MB's and looters and take control of the crowds; the situation is still very scary and dangerous but the military (Generals*) and the U.S. are likely working together to "smoothly" remove Mubarak to avoid a gap in governing the country.

And, as far as Al Jazeera is concerned; the reports say that they are blocked in Egypt by means of blocking their access they have via a Satellite channel within Egypt.

The same as internet is totally blocked.

On Sunday, filming reporter teams from Europe were stopped my the military (not police) and forced to hand over their tapes; cameras were smashed and journalists, cameramen and tutors theatened and beaten up.

Hotel lobbies are guarded with hotel-staff with sticks and iron bars to defend the hotels from possible looters and thieves.

* The Generals are apparantly very rich/wealthy and won't easily give up their powers but "thank" their positions to the present Mubarak regime; but it's doubted now that they will back Mubarak any longer but will probably support a slow removal of Mubarak, avoiding to have him loose too much face in the Arab world.

They too are no supporters of the MB's and will soon capture most of them again, with or without the cooperation of the police forces.

A sign of their power was that Mubarak went out on Sunday to meet the Generals....in normal circumstances Mubarak would have ordered the Generals to come to HIS offices...no more!

If you read and see the reporting from Egypt it's hard to believe that "normal" protesters would have freed thousands of prisoners; amongst them many MB's so it's very likely they were "freed" by Government undercover groups in order to create more unrest, enabling Mubarak to call in the police forces again.

If those police guys are very happy to go into the streets...remains to be seen.

Egypt also controls a lifeline to Europe: the Suez Canal.....it's of the utmost interest for peace in the Middle East that a solution is found now as soon as possible but there is little doubt that Mubarak has to leave soon...with a plane full of money.

LaoPo

[hammered]

Interestingly Israeli news organs are still free to report in Egypt and that point isnt missed by demonstrators chanting your plane to Tel Aviv is waiting.

Al Jazeera has done a pretty good job of the reporting too,

[hammered]

Al Jazeera in English does plenty of Israel-bashing, but much more subtly than the Arabic version.

Good it balances out the multitude of Israeli cheering news organs to a very small degree. Many states are picked on by by different media because of their own biases or the political leanings of their owners. Take Murdochs propaganda pieces for example. All news reporting is propaganda (psyops 101)

[elcent]

it was reported that it was Mubarak's security police which were sent to loot and even released extremists from the Muslim brotherhood who were jailed in order to intimate the people.

Thank you for spreading unsubstantiated rumour. I do not think members of the Muslim Brotherhood, are focused upon INTIMIDATING the people as the group renounced terrorism and has some support from Egypt's "elites". The MB is perceived as a threat to the Egyptian government, hence its banning.

FYI CNN is reporting from Egypt. It's staffers are sending back reports. Nic Robertson & Ben Wedeman are doing live reports via their phones. Yesterday, Nic said on air that he was updating his Twitter account via telephone reports to his wife. The journalists are able to send emails via Blackberry despite their being an internet service disruption. Housam Ahmed is in Egypt and sending back report. CNN is also supported by its regional news partners just like the other US news outlets, BBC, CBC and ABC etc.

yesterday CNN only showed one live channel from the Egypt State TV. Showing empty roads to give an impression as if everything were under control whilst at the same time ElBaradei was mingling with thousands of people at Tahrir.

Over 6000 prisoners were released, amongst them the extreme muslim brotherhood inmates. They carried IDs from the ministry of Interior and were exposed by the crowds and army personal in various places.

CNN looked to me as if it was deliberately not mentioning all these BREAKING NEWS. In fact I was a bit disappointed.

[astral]

Banned for showing what is really happening??

All credit to them.

Egypt trying to cut off Al Jezeerah is like King Canute trying to stop the tide coming in.

As of Sunday Al Jezeerah was still broadcasting the demonstrations on satellite

via Hotbird 13E, Nilesat 7W and ArabSat 26E