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'Al Jazeera not to bow to pressure'
 ABU DHABI — The boss of Al Jazeera TV has vowed that his channel would, under no circumstances, bow down to any external pressure and continue to render its duties in the same manner. "We will never be influenced by any criticism whether internal or external. We respect our profession and will never give up on principles and ethics under any circumstances," Waddah Khanfar, Director-General of the Qatar-based channel told Khaleej Times yesterday.
The channel was threatened to be closed down by occupation forces after being accused of inciting violence in Iraq. "We are not a political party or a mobilising power. We carry out our duty without any external control. We will listen and respond to criticism; but if it is based on an unprofessional perspective, we will not surrender to it, guided by the ethics of our profession," said Khanfar, who is taking part in a three-day conference on Arab media which began here yesterday.
| Professionalism from an Arab broadcaster? What next, charity from an Arab banker? |
He said Al Jazeera does not take any instructions from a ministry of information or a ruling regime. "We have been accused of being run by Israel or controlled by the US. We have also been accused of being financially supported by Saddam Hussein," he stated.
| The first accusation, of course, is false. |
Posted by: Steve White 2005-01-10 |
