Al-Jazeera Slams NewsMax

When NewsMax revealed that the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera was "Coming to America" in the form of a new digital channel, we hardly expected to raise the ire of the network itself.

As a result of the letter below, we may change our references to Al-Jazeera from "pro-terrorist" and simply say it is the "preferred network of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist organization."

Al-Jazeera's letter to NewsMax follows:

To the Editor,

I am writing to express my disgust regarding your Monday, July 18, article "Al-Jazeera Coming to America" in which you label the yet-to-be-launched Al-Jazeera International as "pro-terrorist."

That charge is ill-informed, slanderous and wrong.

Al Jazeera International will be the first English-language international television network broadcasting from the Middle East. We have no domestic agenda and no political bias.

Our coverage will be fearless, provocative, and the most informed on what's happening on the ground in the world's hot spots. We are a fresh alternative built for viewers who want their news fast, accurate, and unvarnished.

Based in Qatar, Al Jazeera International is staffed by an international team of top news professionals drawn from every corner of the globe, who will be supported by over 40 news bureaux and four major broadcast centres in Washington DC, London, Kuala Lumpur and Doha.

This capacity gives Al Jazeera International a 360 degree view of news stories, allowing us to avoid the bias and slant that unfortunately so many news organisations fall prey to.

Regards,

Nigel Parsons
Managing Director
Al Jazeera International