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TechnoratiJournalist Says US Target was Al-Jazeera
After more than six years as a prisoner of the United States, former TV cameraman Sami al-Hajj is back at work with Al-Jazeera, the largest broadcaster in the Arab world, a thorn in the side of most Arab governments - and, by most indications, a target of deep hostility from the Bush administration.
Al-Hajj, 39, was the longest-held journalist in U.S. custody at the time of his release in May, and the only one ever held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Military authorities repeatedly accused him of being a terrorist in league with al Qaeda, then released him without charges.
His case is emblematic of the poisoned relationship between the U.S. government and a television network with 40 million viewers in the Middle East.
Since 2001, Bush administration officials have regularly denounced Al-Jazeera as an anti-American propaganda organ and a mouthpiece for terrorists, and have periodically urged its chief patron, the emir of Qatar, to rein it in.
The United States even founded a rival Arab-language network, Al Hurra, in 2004, but commentators on the region generally agree it hasn't made a dent in Al-Jazeera's popularity.
Al-Jazeera has also been hit twice by U.S. artillery fire. One shelling destroyed its Kabul bureau in November 2001. The second struck a Baghdad office in April 2003, killing correspondent Tareq Ayoub. The U.S. military concluded both shellings were accidents.
According to the Defense Department, al-Hajj was just another suspected terrorist among the 780 who have been held as enemy combatants since January 2002 at Guantanamo. But his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, says al-Hajj's imprisonment was all about Al-Jazeera.
"We calculated about 135 times he'd been interrogated, and about the first 120 the only interest they had was Al-Jazeera," Smith said. "They told him that they thought Al-Jazeera was an al Qaeda front.
"They were trying to get him to finger a number of well-known Al-Jazeera journalists as being in the Muslim Brotherhood," an Islamist organization based in Egypt. "They offered to let him go if he'd spy."
Al-Hajj's response, Smith said, was that "he'd rather stay in Guantanamo for another 10 years."
Al-Hajj gave a similar account to a gathering of supporters in his native Sudan in late May.
"They wanted me to betray the principles of my job and to turn me into a spy," he said, according to an Al-Jazeera account.
Smith, who heads a London-based legal organization called Reprieve, which has represented about 80 inmates at Guantanamo, took on al-Hajj's case in 2005 after the prisoner's brother contacted him.
His information about the case, he said, comes from speaking with his client and from investigating the government's varying allegations against him - all of which, Smith said, proved baseless.
The Defense Department declined to provide anyone to speak for attribution about the case, but denied pressuring al-Hajj to denounce Al-Jazeera or offering to free him if he agreed to spy on the network.
No deals
"We don't make deals with detainees," said a department official, speaking anonymously.
The official said the U.S. military doesn't target journalists in general or Al-Jazeera in particular.
"If we were going to try to silence Al-Jazeera, it would be at a higher level of personnel than some cameraman trainee," the official said of al-Hajj, who - according to the network - was a full-fledged cameraman when he was arrested.
An exception to state-run broadcasting in much of the Arab region, Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and quickly became the most-watched channel in Arab nations while angering many of their governments with its coverage, which included appearances by political dissidents.
The U.S. government has criticized Al-Jazeera for its coverage of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which has included footage of dead and wounded civilians as well as U.S. military casualties that is seldom shown in the United States.
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the network has carried videotaped messages from Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders.
Smith said one of the reasons U.S. military authorities first gave for imprisoning al-Hajj was a suspicion - which proved unfounded - that he had taken part in Al-Jazeera's interview of bin Laden in October 2001.
Born in Sudan
Al-Hajj, born and raised in Sudan, studied English at a college in India, then worked at a beverage company in the United Arab Emirates in the early 1990s before turning to journalism, according to biographical information from Al-Jazeera.
He got his first news media job with Al-Jazeera in 2001 and was assigned to Afghanistan to cover the war in October of that year. He entered Pakistan after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and was arrested by Pakistani authorities when he tried to re-enter Afghanistan in December 2001.
Al-Hajj was turned over to U.S. authorities at the military base in Bagram in January 2002, was transferred to the base at Kandahar a month later and was flown to Guantanamo in June 2002.
In describing al-Hajj as an enemy combatant and suspected terrorist, military authorities offered a variety of allegations that mostly had a common theme, Smith said: that he was using his journalistic credentials to promote terrorism.
They accused him at different times of filming bin Laden and other al Qaeda figures for Al-Jazeera and of maintaining a Web site to contact the terrorist group, Smith said.
Military officials also alleged for a time that al-Hajj had smuggled Stinger missiles to Chechen rebels.
Trained in use of cameras
A final assessment by a military panel at Guantanamo in October 2007, accusing al-Hajj of working to facilitate "terrorist acts," cited as evidence the fact that he "was trained by Al-Jazeera in the use of cameras," Smith said, quoting the report.
Smith said al-Hajj was subjected to physical and psychological abuse throughout his captivity. The Pentagon disputes his description, and it can't be verified independently. But it is consistent with human-rights groups' assessments of conditions at the U.S. detention facilities.
Al-Hajj still bears the scars of some of his treatment, his lawyer said - a broken kneecap that was stomped on by guards at Bagram, and marks on his knees from being forced to kneel on cold concrete for long periods at Kandahar. U.S. military police at Kandahar also beat him regularly and pulled out the hairs of his beard one by one, Smith said.
At Guantanamo, Smith said, the worst injuries were psychological - the isolation and hopelessness that led al-Hajj to begin a hunger strike in January 2007.
After three weeks, Smith said, al-Hajj, like other hunger-strikers at the base, was force-fed twice a day for the rest of his imprisonment, strapped to a restraint chair while a 43-inch-long tube was inserted in one nostril to carry high-protein liquid to his stomach.
Pressure from reporters
Throughout his captivity, Al-Jazeera and Reporters Without Borders, a free-press organization that monitors governments' treatment of journalists, pressed for al-Hajj's release.
They were eventually joined by the government of Sudan and by the BBC, whose correspondent Alan Johnston was kidnapped and held for nearly four months in Gaza last year.
But Smith said U.S. authorities insisted to the end that al-Hajj denounce Al-Jazeera and also tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Sudanese government to restrict his travel and prevent him from working for the network.
His release was as abrupt and unexplained as his imprisonment, Smith said.
Al-Hajj was blindfolded, shackled and chained to the floor of the plane that took him back to Sudan, Smith said. He said al-Hajj collapsed when he landed, was hospitalized for a few days and then returned to his wife and their son, now 7.
Two months after his release, the former cameraman was given a new job, as news producer for human rights at Al-Jazeera's headquarters in Doha, the capital of Qatar. In a statement released by the network, al-Hajj said he hopes to use his position "as a vehicle to show the world that human rights abuses still occur all over the globe."
© 2008 Hearst Communications Inc.
29 Comments so far
Show AllI'm tired of knowing stuff and being right. And telling only others who are right how right we are, (on the left).
I think we, (here in the blogs), understand a bit more what's going on, (probably because we search for info. and question the status-quo more than Joe Blow on the street or watching the old TV.)
It seems that we are mostly in agreement, probably about many things. Herein lies the quandary. How do we turn this blogging energy into counter action that is effective at making a difference? So how do we spread this knowledge, direct this energy to effect change?
Maybe I haven't found my home in the blogisphere. If anyone thinks I'm in the wrong place, and has advice for me, Please direct me to a place where I'm not bored with reading my own thoughts stated by others.
So, here's my premise. Information/propaganda distributors are the target of the dissinformers. It's true, we all know, that corporate media today does little to spread truth. Probably many of you, like me, have unsatisfying conversations with people informed by the UNtruth and UNballanced media. Without Full Disclosure of Facts, (remember those old journalistic notions?), how do we begin to "Pursuade" those of lesser knowledge? Electing representatives who will spread the word? Elections may no longer be representative of "Our" voice. Certainly the last 2 presidential elections spoke lies. How will we know that our vote is counted? or makes any difference if it is? Is it hope we are relying on? Powerful as it is, actions speak louder. [Afterthought in rereading: "Hope and action together" are driven by inspiration. Perhaps I've driven myself through this quandry. If so, thanks for being here and making your statements, becoming the sounding board.]
If the wealthy, powerful and elitist classes' historical success are any indication, then fatalist, I am. I want to believe we have a chance to change all future from following the past mistakes in social, economic, political, hence natural and even environmental endeavours.
"The Media is the message," said McCluen decades ago. Only now is it become obvious. Education/information is the key, I'm sure of it. But I don't know how to use it. I'm lost in the mire, seeing the trees, not the forest. God save us if we all are.
Are we?
re bfriesen August 18th, 2008 5:10 pm,
who, because i belittled that bastion of the "liberal" media, the new york times, accuses me thusly:
"And I suppose this poster thinks Fox News is "fair and balanced".
you remind me of my brother-in-law, who thinks because i slam cheney/bush at every available opportunity, i must love the clintons.
binary thinking is good for computers, for humans not so much.
"Al-Hajj was turned over to U.S. authorities at the military base in Bagram"
The San Francisco Chronicle won't tell you he was bought like a slave.
OMG, a journalist with principles, integrity, and ethics! He must be a terrorist!
Wonder what Curic, Williams et. al would do under similar circumstances.
Hazmat,you nailed it bud.Al-Jazeera is a fairly balanced and largely pro-western news service.They sample the wire services ,and have good staff writers.That they should be a target of U.S. spin doctors just shows that they aren't beholden to a bunch of multinational advertisers with an "agenda".Peace, and truth out!
yes tarasa! everybody, start a vigil for peace in your hometown. get the hell out there.....
Al-Jazeera is disturbing to the Bush crime family and their allies because they have something that the stodgy state broadcasters in the Arab world do not: viewers who actually want to watch what they put on the air. It can not be stated enough how revolutionary Al-Jazeera is in the Arab world, by producing news and programming in a manner not unlike a western newsroom, has altered the facts on the ground in the Middle East. This makes them dangerous as they still remember (and occasionally try to pursue) some of the ideals of journalism: clear storytelling with just the facts, objective viewpoints, etc., that outlets like Fox Noise Channel have long trashed in the West. Since the truth is the most dangerous weapon against the Bush crime family, they will do almost anything to prevent their proliferation.
America is a very sick nation. What is most astounding about it is that no one seems to be doing anything to make it better. What ever happened to the spirit of 1776? Where is the spirit that led to the Vietnam war mass protests? Wake up people before it is too late...perhaps it already is.
"In the past five years I have worked for human rights and refugee advocacy organizations in Serbia, Russia and Croatia, including the International Rescue Committee and USAID. I have traveled to many different places, some supposedly repressive, and have never seen people treated with the kind of animosity that Homeland Security showed that night. In Syria, border control officers were stern but polite. At other borders there have been bureaucracies to contend with -- excruciating for both Americans and other foreign nationals. I've met Russian officials with dead, suspicious looks in their eyes and arms tired from stamping so many visas, but in America, the Homeland Security officials I encountered were very much alive -- like vultures waiting to eat."
http://www.alternet.org/rights/95351/at_jfk_airport%2C_denying_basic_rights_is_just_another_day_at_the...
"War crimes trials for all of the Bush administration henchmen" - Yes, yes and yes! Thanks, bfriesen, I must wholeheartedly concur...
The future of human civilisation hangs on this!
The U.S. Government needs to read "How to win friends and influence people."
Very glad to hear that Sami's long ordeal is at last over. Amy Goodman, on Democracy Now, reported on his situation repeatedly over the years and it is amazing that the conclusions she reached long ago have now been confirmed. He was guilty of nothing and he and his family have suffered much.
"if you want to see a "mouthpiece for terrorists," look no further than the new york times."
Seems to me George Bush and the neocons have recruited more terrorists than even the Saudis. And I suppose this poster thinks Fox News is "fair and balanced".
At any rate, I think this journalist's story is one which will one day be a cornerstone of two events...1) War crimes trials for all of the Bush administration henchmen and, 2) A written and recorded example of what happens when an American government is allowed to run rampant, with no checks and balances, committing nothing less than atrocities that embolden those who seek to destroy our nation.
"Since 2001, Bush administration officials have regularly denounced Al-Jazeera as an anti-American propaganda organ and a mouthpiece for terrorists, and have periodically urged its chief patron, the emir of Qatar, to rein it in."
This administration knows what they are talking about, because I can think of no other administration that would know as well as this one does when the media is being used for propaganda. The Bush administration are the masters of propaganda and have used their willing stooges throughout America to prove the point.
Al-Jazeera=bad propaganda whereas US MSM=good propaganda
More than ANYTHING else, the Neo-cons want to CONTROL THE MESSAGE.
If you control the message you control the people
Every large media company in this country operates under their ground rules. Every. Single. Company.
Now they want to impose the same controls over Arab media.
If the Democrats were a true opposition party their first move would've been to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and return the airwaves to their rightful owners...The People.
"Whoever controls the media controls the country. Period"
"Al-Jazeera, the largest broadcaster in the Arab world, a thorn in the side of most Arab governments..."
"Since 2001, Bush administration officials have regularly denounced Al-Jazeera as an anti-American propaganda organ ..."
It sounds to me like Al-Jazeera are doing exactly what they should be doing -- reporting.
A Journalist with Ethics is imprisoned and tortured because al Jazeera, unlike the MURDERER and his press corp except Helen Thomas, does not sanitize and sterilize the murder and destruction we have committed by ILLEGALLY INVADING a SOVEREIGN NATION THEN OCCUPYING IT, Oh, the MURDERER used those same words when wagging his finger Russia....Someone has been here....
All journalists not controlled by Israel are targets, eh Rupert?
I 'solved' my propaganda problem by unplugging my television years ago. `tis better to be uninformed than misinformed or just plain lied to all the time.
Hey, it was an honest mistake..Al Jazerra...Al Qaeda...they are both run by brown skinned people, and both sound similar... and Americans are not known for being too bright in the first place....
I think just to be safe Al Sharpton and Al Jarreau better start wearing whiteface and "I LOVE BUSH" t-shirts
The United States government - organized terrorism has no other name.
Totalitarian states always hate independent journalists.
The usa is building a NEW PRISON in Iraq JUST FOR JOURNALISTS. I forget where the article came from. Has anyone noticed a shift in Al-Jazeera reporting? They seem to be less independent.
``Since 2001, Bush administration officials have regularly denounced Al-Jazeera as an anti-American propaganda organ and a mouthpiece for terrorists, and have periodically urged its chief patron, the emir of Qatar, to rein it in.''
OK let me get this straight. The Bush administration attacks and invades Iraq in order to spread freedom and democracy, and in order to show its committment to freedom and democracy, feels the need to urge countries in the region to censor their media in order to filter out any news information that might be detrimental to the US's image. How can an administration that openly promotes the suppression of the media and the free flow of information claim to be acting under the mantle of freedom and democracy ?
This is a disgrace to America to allow this to happen and feel justified in doing so. Fox News will either not post this news or "spin it" like everything else. John Edwards affair with his photographer is more important to keep posting for days after it's old news. Hopefully one day justice will be served and our Govt. to be held accountable for there crimes. But it will never happen. Americans are brainwashed with fear. God Save America.
Ridiculous - how low can America go? It's beneath contempt.
"A final assessment by a military panel at Guantanamo in October 2007, accusing al-Hajj of working to facilitate "terrorist acts," cited as evidence the fact that he "was trained by Al-Jazeera in the use of cameras," Smith said, quoting the report."
This fits in nicely with the recent Israeli announcement that its soldiers were justified in shooting any journalists that raise a camera in their presence. It also is noteworthy that no US corporate "news" outlets supported the cause of the tortured al jazeera reporter.
The US, its army, Israel's army, and its state news sources has chosen to fight all out against the world's free press.
if you want to see a "mouthpiece for terrorists," look no further than the new york times.
thomas friedman isn't fit to fetch this man's coffee.