London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said it would temporarily shut its office in the Iraqi capital Baghdad as of Thursday after receiving threats. The pan-Arab daily said armed men calling themselves the mujahideen (holy fighters) threatened on Monday to blow up the office if the newspaper did not publish a story within one week about a militant who had allegedly led battles in Falluja. "Asharq al-Awsat does not respond to threats or publish news under threat of arms ... The decision to close the office was taken to protect the safety of our journalists," it said in its latest edition, adding that its coverage of Iraq would continue.
| Good for them. It's good to see they're not willing to be shoved around by gunnies... |
The Saudi-owned daily said the gunmen had taken one of its journalists from his house to their car to issue the threat and ask for the article on Omar Hadeed, who the daily said has been reported to be the deputy of al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. |