Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DOHA219
2006-02-13 13:07:00
SECRET
Embassy Doha
Cable title:  

AL JAZEERA AND KIDNAPPING TAPES

Tags:  PREL KPAO QA ALJAZEERA 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000219 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PD, NEA/ARPI; S/CT FOR MARK THOMPSON FROM RYE
INFO NSC FOR ABRAMS, DOD/OSD FOR SCHENKER AND MATHENY
LONDON FOR ARAB MEDIA OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/12/2011
TAGS: PREL KPAO QA ALJAZEERA
SUBJECT: AL JAZEERA AND KIDNAPPING TAPES

REF: DOHA 104 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, reasons 1.4 (b&d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000219

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PD, NEA/ARPI; S/CT FOR MARK THOMPSON FROM RYE
INFO NSC FOR ABRAMS, DOD/OSD FOR SCHENKER AND MATHENY
LONDON FOR ARAB MEDIA OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/12/2011
TAGS: PREL KPAO QA ALJAZEERA
SUBJECT: AL JAZEERA AND KIDNAPPING TAPES

REF: DOHA 104 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (S) Summary: Officials from Embassies Doha and Baghdad
met with Al Jazeera leadership on Feb 11 to discuss Al
Jazeera,s handling of videos that Al Jazeera receives from
terrorist hostage takers, its broader editorial polices, and
the media,s role in hostage and terrorist crises. Al
Jazeera officials defended their policy of showing but not
sharing hostage videos, but agreed to raise the issue with
the Al Jazeera Board of Directors for reconsideration after
hearing technical arguments about how the videos can be used
in a hostage case. Al Jazeera impressed upon the U.S. side
the breadth and scope of its reach, its impending growth and
reorganization, and its sincerity in its struggle to be
accepted as a global, independent, legitimate, mainstream
media network, while protecting its desire not to be "held
hostage" to the agendas of either governments or terrorist
groups. End Summary.


1. (S/NF) Embassy Doha Public Affairs Officer Mirembe
Nantongo and Embassy Baghdad Hostage Working Group Director
Erik Rye met with Wadah Khanfar, Managing Director for Al
Jazeera on Feb 11, primarily to convince Al Jazeera to share
copies of hostage videos delivered to them by what are most
likely terrorists organizations in Iraq. Khanfar is an
urbane and smooth spokesman who dealt directly with the issue
at hand. Embassy Doha has built cooperative personal
relationships within Al Jazeera that resulted in a hostage
video being passed to the Unites States once, but that was an
exception to official policy, which is to allow Embassy
officials on-site viewing and note-taking from the tape.
Khanfar articulated a video policy that was case-specific,
but based on the principles of not giving free advertising to
propagandists--terrorists or otherwise; not showing suffering
or humiliation; protecting the safety of the hostage
foremost; and showing only those portions of the tape deemed
newsworthy--such as proof of life of the hostage. Khanfar
said that for these reasons they will note editorially that

the origins of the tape cannot be confirmed nor the content
corroborated; they will usually not show either the
terrorists nor the hostage speaking, but will note in a
voice-over the contents of the tape. (Note:these voice-overs
have included the demands and claims of responsibility of
hostage-taking groups in the past. End note.) Khanfar also
stated that Al Jazeera would make an editorial statement
condemning the kidnapping and calling for the victim's
release when the victim was a journalist, but would otherwise
maintain journalistic objectivity when running stories on
other hostages. Khanfar noted that in the Jill Carroll case,
they had worked with Islamic and Arab community leaders to
publicize statements of condemnation.


2. (S) Rye explained that minute details in such tapes, such
as colors and patterns of background materials, can be used
to corroborate other information that could break open a
case, and can,t possibly be described accurately enough with
any amount of note-taking. Rye also explained that any such
information is most useful only if it has not yet been
broadcast, since once hostage-takers know the tape has aired,
they can cut off connections to information and individuals
in the tape. Information on tapes is time-sensitive, and
thus getting access to them immediately is critical. Also,
given the number of people involved in working on hostage
cases within the USG, often remotely located, it is necessary
to be able to transmit copies of the tape in order to
"connect the dots" of useful information. Having one USG
observer view the tape simply isn't effective. Rye also
commented that statements of condemnation are desirable in
general, but in a specific hostage case can be a double-edged
sword if they have an unpredictable impact on kidnappers, and
thus in an ideal situation, any media messages would be
coordinated with those handling the case. Rye noted that
hostage tapes were different from tapes of other news events,
since they held information pertaining to an ongoing
crime--the kidnapping--as well as also holding potential
clues to a future crime--the killing of a hostage. For those
reasons, hostage tapes should be subjected to a more nuanced
"tape policy". Lastly, Rye noted that Al Jazeera had an
interest in not making concessions to hostage-takers in the
form of airing their videos on-demand, since it would only
encourage further attempts by terrorist groups to manipulate
Al Jazeera.

3. (S) Khanfar appeared to take these arguments to heart,
and noted examples when Jazeera had refused to air certain
tapes, and described how the propaganda portions of videos
were excised. He appeared sincere about nurturing Al
Jazeera's journalistic independence and integrity, and
defending it from being seen as the mouthpiece of extremism.
He articulated in detail Al Jazeera's desire to remain free
of influence from terrorists groups. Khanfar agreed to raise
the issue of hostage tapes with the board of directors at
their next meeting. But he also noted that their lawyers had
been advising them to avoid handling tapes in a manner that
would lead to subpoenas and possible court appearances by Al
Jazeera staff. Whatever their next decision, the potential
of tapes to be considered evidence in legal proceedings will
remain a crucial factor in determining the level of
cooperation Al Jazeera will offer. Khanfar also was
sensitive to the idea of being asked to do something
particularly for the United States, and clearly did not want
to be in a position where they would be seen doing favors.
The U.S. side suggested that other governments with hostages
in Iraq would most likely be appreciative of increased access
to videos, and any hostage video policy should be applied
equally to all countries with hostages.


4. (S) The U.S. team also met with Editor-in-Chief Ahmed
Sheikh, who unlike Khanfar digressed into historical and
political arguments for Arab nationalism and Palestinian
statehood. He seemed to have a genuine concern for hostage
survival, however, and noted that they feared not airing
tapes could provoke a killing, but that airing the tapes with
deadlines would "start the clock running". Rye noted that
third parties were never responsible for the actions of
terrorists or hostage takers, and could not go too far down
the road of restricting or taking actions to influence the
hostage takers, since that ultimately led to making
concessions and opening Al Jazeera to further manipulations.
Skeikh said that he wished they never received any tapes, and
was glad that a recent Jill Carroll video ended up with a
Kuwaiti TV station and not Al Jazeera. (Note: Although the
tapes are no doubt a headache, his remark is probably
somewhat disingenuous since Al Jazeera continues to make a
name for itself in the Arab and Western worlds breaking
stories of this nature. His remark also conflicts with an
offhand admission by Khanfar that they see other stations
such as the Kuwaiti channel that aired the Carroll video as
competitors. Sheikh speculated that the Kuwaiti
channel--which aired Carroll speaking--was probably given the
tape because Al Jazeera ran the last Carroll video with a
brief clip and voice-overs only and that Al Jazeera had
effectively driven the hostage takers to another channel to
get the amount of coverage they desired. End note.)


5. (S/NF) Comment: these and other Al Jazeera officials also
explained the coming expansion of Al Jazeera into a truly
global network, including an English language channel and an
over-arching management structure that will enforce uniform
policies across its several outlets. As Al Jazeera continues
to define its place in the media world and its relationship
with the West, its role in influencing popular perceptions of
terrorist events and groups will only increase. This
increasing responsibility has already resulted in a clearly
defined code of ethics and editorial policies, and increasing
transparency in how those guidelines are carried out. They
know they are under the microscope, and want to be taken
seriously. Al Jazeera's growing globalization will only
increase the pressure upon them to adhere to international
standards of journalism and result in an organization that
can be dealt with upon familiar ground, and within a
framework already established by the mainstream media. End
Comment.
UNTERMEYER