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UAE Calls for Bombing Al Jazeera

UAE Calls for Bombing Al Jazeera

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Al Jazeera is owned, operated and controlled by the despotic Qatari monarchy - propaganda media serving its interests.

It's much like the UK-controlled BBC, Canada's CBC, America's global propaganda operations and mainstream Western media - reporting what they want news consumers to know, suppressing what they need to know.

Failing to do their jobs responsibly is no justification for bombing or shutting them down. Viewers and readers are best served by ignoring them, seeking alternative reliable sources of news, information and analysis, mostly found online.

On November 25, Al Jazeera (AJ) said UAE security chief/General Dhahi Khalfan "launched a scathing attack against" the broadcaster.

He shamefully "accus(ed) it of provoking (last Friday's) bomb and gun assault on a mosque in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula," AJ reported.

Tweeting he said: "The alliance must bomb the machine of terrorism…the channel of ISIL, al-Qaeda and the al-Nusra front, Al Jazeera the terrorists."

"For how long will they continue to tamper with the security of Egypt and the Arab world?"

For all its many faults warranting harsh criticism, promoting or urging last Friday's Sinai terrorist attack, killing and wounding hundreds of Sufi Muslim worshipers at the al-Rawda mosque, isn't one of them.

The UAE is a fascist police state, much like Saudi Arabia, one of the despotic Gulf states - supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, supplying them with weapons, munitions and other material support.

Al Jazeera's managing director Yaser Abuhilalah responded to Khalfan's remarks, saying "(w)hat (he's) doing is incitement to terrorism." 

"Terrorism is not just limited to committing a crime, but any act or statement that paves the way for a terrorist act or incites it, and incitement to terrorism is terrorism itself," adding:

Khalfan bears "full responsibility for any attack against Al Jazeera and its employees. The UAE needs to respond (to his comments)." 

"He's not just an Emirati citizen but an official in the UAE government. He is using a moment of anger and grief over the terrible attack in Sinai to fuel his hatred against Al Jazeera."

Last summer, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, instituting a land, sea and air blockade, an undeclared act of war.

A baker's dozen of outrageous demands were made, shutting down Al Jazeera one of them - rejected by Qatar.

Khalfan urging the broadcaster be bombed is part of unabated UAE hostility toward Qatar.

AJ said he's made controversial comments before, never held accountable under the country's anti-hate speech laws.

Last March, he urged Arabs to ally with Israel against Iran and Shia Muslims. Earlier this year, he expressed support for Trump's travel ban from designated majority-Muslim countries.

As part of the blockade on Qatar, the UAE criminalized expressing support for the country, punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years, along with a stiff fine.

The UAE and other Gulf states are ruthless rogue states, including Qatar - fundamental democratic rights in these countries banned.

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