Al Jazeera Told to Shut Down in Egypt, Signal Cut

Appears the Egyptian machinery of oppression is taking ever-more desperate action towards those who speak truth to Zionist lackeys

Via Al Jazeera  (1:35 pm: in Egypt) – “Just spoke with staffer at the Cairo bureau. While our correspondent and other staff were out, security forces (not army) entered the office and demanded filming permits and press IDs. They were told that all the recently arrived staff hadn’t had time to get their paperwork in order and so didn’t have any. They ordered our bureau staff to take down the camera doing live shots from the balcony and threatened to take it if we didn’t. So now we’re just showing ‘latest pictures'”.

Al Jazeera issuesd the following statement denouncing the closure of its bureau in Cairo.

The Al Jazeera Network strongly denounces and condemns the closure of its bureau in Cairo by the Egyptian government.  The Network received notification from the Egyptian authorities this morning.

Al Jazeera has received widespread global acclaim for their coverage on the ground across the length and breadth of Egypt.

An Al Jazeera spokesman said that they would continue their strong coverage regardless:

“Al Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists.   In this time of deep turmoil and unrest in Egyptian society it is imperative that voices from all sides be heard; the closing of our bureau by the Egyptian government is aimed at censoring and silencing the voices of the Egyptian people. 

“Al Jazeera assures its audiences in Egypt and across the world that it will continue its in-depth and comprehensive reporting on the events unfolding in Egypt.  Al Jazeera journalists have brought unparalleled reporting from the ground from across Egypt in the face of great danger and extraordinary circumstances.  Al Jazeera Network is appalled at this latest attack by the Egyptian regime to strike at its freedom to report independently on the unprecedented events in Egypt.

CAIRO/KUWAIT (Reuters) – Qatar-based satellite channel Al Jazeera was ordered by Egypt’s information ministry on Sunday to shut down its operations in the country, and later in the day its signal to some parts of the Middle East was cut.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Egypt demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian 30-year rule, in protests that have sent shockwaves through the Arab world.

The news channel, which says it can reach 220 million households in more than 100 countries, said in a message on its broadcast that Egypt’s satellite Nilesat had cut off its broadcasting signal.

That effectively took Al Jazeera off the air in some parts of the Arab world, but other signals were still available.

“Dear viewers, Al Jazeera’s signal has been cut off on Nilesat,” it broadcast via a signal visible in Kuwait, and gave satellite frequencies on which the channel was still available.

Earlier, Egyptian authorities ordered it to stop operations in Egypt, though correspondents were still reporting news by telephone.

“The Information Minister ordered … suspension of operations of Al Jazeera, cancelling of its licenses and withdrawing accreditation to all its staff as of today,” a statement on Egypt’s official Mena news agency said.

Launched in Doha, Qatar, in 1996, Al Jazeera has more than 400 reporters in over 60 countries, according to its website.

(Reporting by Eman Goma and Cairo newsroom; Writing by Cynthia Johnston and Reed Stevenson; editing by Tim Pearce)