headland

The Irish Independent reports on Monday (Al-Jazeera was 'Saddam's Station'" January 3, 2004 [registration required]) that a videotape shows a former manager of Al-Jazeera thanking Odai, son of Saddam Hussein, and telling him "Al-Jazeera is your channel." On the tape, Odai mentions that he had proposed "some ideas" in previous meetings that had led to changed in Al-Jazeera's political coverage. Al-Jazeera dismissed the manager, Mohammed Jassem al-Ali, from his position shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003 without explanation. The tape is set to be broadcast in a documentary on Thursday by Al-Hurra television. Al-Jazeera refused any comment on the report.

For more connections linking Al-Jazeera's Baghdad bureau to Saddam's regime, see Headland's November 27 story: Allegation Saddam Guard Was Al-Zarqawi Aide Spurs Dispute.

Labels: Al-Jazeera, Saddam Hussein