A Day to Bare Our Souls - and Find Ourselves

ACTION Alert: US Funded Network Broadcasts Terrorist Propaganda & Holocaust Denial

Joel Mowbray's two investigative columns in the Wall Street Journal expose highly irresponsible reporting taking place on Al-Hurra, the Arab language TV network funded by the U.S. government. Launched in February of 2004, the network's mission is to foster in the Arab world a respect for human rights and government accountability, to showcase the American political process, and to counter the pernicious anti-western propaganda so rampant in other Arab media. According to Mowbray, the network was adhering to its mission until last November, when former CNN executive Larry Register was hired to lead Al-Hurra, and it has now degenerated into a platform for Muslim supremacists, anti-western terrorists, Israel-haters and Holocaust deniers.

Mowbray notes:

"Within weeks of becoming news director, Mr. Register put his own stamp on the network...Investigations into Arab government wrongdoing or oppression were no longer in vogue, and the ban on turning the airwaves over to terrorists was lifted... Perhaps it is because Mr. Register is so casual in his attitude to terrorists that interviewers now toss softball questions to fiery anti-Western guests, while also taking digs at one of America's closest Middle Eastern allies, Israel. The new Al-Hurra was on full display Feb. 9, ...In roughly two hours of breathless live 'breaking news' coverage--which outdistanced al-Jazeera by 30 minutes--Al-Hurra's Muslim guests vilified Israel, and one spun conspiracy theories about the Jewish state's 'plans' to destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque...This powder keg of a panel included Ikrima Sabri, imam of the Al Aqsa Mosque...[who] accused Israel of firing guns and throwing bombs into the mosque, then refusing to allow medical care for the wounded."

Other Al-Hurra programs included a 68-minute speech by Hezbollah terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, as well as reports showing deference to Holocaust deniers. Since Larry Register does not speak Arabic and the shows are only translated upon infrequent requests, it's not clear whether Register is fully aware of the counterproductive messages his network is broadcasting, but it does point to either incompetence or a lack of understanding of the mission of Al-Hurra

What changes can be made to make the network more accountable? Mowbray relates the ideas of Rep. Steve Rothman (D, NJ), who is a member of the panel that funds Al-Hurra. Rothman has "proposed live Internet streaming of the network, full online digital archives, and English transcripts for all programs." And "Reps. Dan Burton (R., Ind.) and Robert Wexler (D., Fla.) are circulating to fellow House Foreign Affairs Committee members a letter which asks [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice for an investigation into Al-Hurra."

Mowbray also suggests a whistleblower system, so that Al-Hurra employees can safely communicate with the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the government panel which has oversight of Al-Hurra. Furthermore, he (and Rep. Steve Rothman) calls for Larry Register to be fired.

Please read his columns below.

Mad TV; U.S. taxpayers subsidize terrorist propaganda and Holocaust denial in the Arab world.
by Joel Mowbray, Opinion Journal, May 1, 2007
http://www.opinionjournal.com/forms/printThis.html?id=110010011

Television Takeover; U.S.-financed Al-Hurra is becoming a platform for terrorists.
by Joel Mowbray, Opinion Journal, March 18, 2007
http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009801

Blog Update: Steve Rothman calls for Larry Register to be Fired.

ACTION ITEMS

Demand better oversight of Al-Hurra. Insist that all broadcasts be promptly archived online, along with their English translations, so that the public and those who have oversight of the taxpayer funded network can properly assess what they are paying for. Ask for Larry Register to be replaced with someone more competent who will adhere to Al-Hurra's important mission.

* Write to your local newspaper about the issue.

* Call in to a talk radio station to inform the public about the issue.

* Contact House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Nita M. Lowey (NY), Chair
Nisha Desai, Subcommittee Clerk
Room HB-26 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2041

For members of this subcommittee, go to:
http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_sfo.shtml
To contact these members, go to www.house.gov and search under their name.

Thank Steven Rothman (D, NJ) for calling for live Internet streaming of the network, full online digital archives, and English transcripts for all Al-Hurra programs. Ask other members to work for these changes.

* Contact Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/members.asp?committee=full&subnav=subcommittees

Thank Reps. Dan Burton (R., Ind.) and Robert Wexler (D., Fla.) for circulating to fellow House Foreign Affairs Committee members a letter which asks Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for an investigation into Al-Hurra. Encourage other members to ask for the changes mentioned above at Al-Hurra as well.

* Contact Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

* Thank Joel Mowbray for his work and encourage him to continue to investigate this issue. Post an online comment about his article here:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/forms/respond_Article.html?id=110010011

* Please send CAMERA blind copies of your letters and let us know if you made phonecalls: letters@camera.org

With thanks,

Lee Green
Director, National Letter-Writing Group
www.camera.org

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