Al-Jazeera claims British banned reporter
Arab news satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera today claimed British forces in Basra banned the network from reporting in the southern Iraqi city.
It said a reporter was detained and his equipment was confiscated. British army officials denied the report.
Al-Jazeera said British troops banned Mohammed Alsayed Muhsen from reporting in Basra “until further notice,” after detaining him for three hours.
British military officials at US Central Command in Qatar denied Muhsen had been detained or that his equipment had been confiscated.
The Doha-based channel issued a statement condemning “the ban” and said this was the third time British forces had imposed a ban on its reporters.
“Al-Jazeera condemns any attempt to hinder members of the media corps from pursuing their profession,” the statement said.
It called upon British forces to “reconsider” the decision and to “immediately lift the ban”.
A British spokeswoman, Army Maj Cath Convery, said British forces had told Muhsen to leave the scene of a burning tank that he was filming for security reasons, but said he was not forced out or detained.
She added that Muhsen continued filming the tank for about three hours and declined to move.
The tank had been set on fire by local Iraqis, and British forces on patrol were concerned that its ammunition might explode, she said.
Subsequently, Muhsen agreed voluntarily to register with the 1st UK Armoured Division headquarters in Basra – a non-compulsory listing designed so British forces know the journalists who are working in the area, she added.
Convery said the correspondent was free to resume work whenever he wanted.
Al-Jazeera is an independent news source in the Arab world.
Western critics have accused the network of a pro-Iraqi bias in its coverage of the US-led attack on Saddam Hussein’s government.
