'Inflammatory' station irks US

WASHINGTON - The United States went public yesterday with its complaints against the Qatari satellite television station al-Jazeera, saying it had carried inflammatory rhetoric and untrue stories.

The US complained to the Qatari Government last week after the popular Arabic-language station rebroadcast its interviews with Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Al-Jazeera, which is owned by the Government and has a bureau in the Afghan capital, Kabul, aired a statement given to it by bin Laden after the US and Britain began attacks on Afghanistan on Monday.

"We've expressed our concerns about some of the kinds of things we've seen on their air, particularly inflammatory stories, totally untrue stories," said US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

"We would certainly like to see them tone down the rhetoric."

Secretary of State Colin Powell complained to the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, in Washington last week and was told the Government wanted media freedom in preparation for parliamentary life.

A State Department official said the US remained concerned and was monitoring al-Jazeera's coverage of the conflict in Afghanistan.

"Yes to freedom of the press, but we think it's beyond the pale to provide an open platform for these sort of violent ideas."

Al-Jazeera broadcast another exclusive taped statement yesterday, this time by al-Qaeda terrorist group spokesman Sulaiman Bu Ghaith.

Western leaders, including Powell and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, have given interviews to al-Jazeera and Boucher said other US officials would try to be available. The White House said President George W. Bush might give an interview.

- REUTERS