Al-Jazeera denies Tunisia bias
2006-10-26 16:26
Doha - Arab news channel Al-Jazeera on Thursday denied it was pursuing a "political agenda" against Tunisia, after Tunis closed its embassy in Doha to protest an alleged "hostile campaign" by the Qatar-based television.
"We do not have a political agenda against Tunisia or any other side," said Waddah Khanfar, director general of the satellite channel which has repeatedly angered Arab and other governments since it was launched a decade ago.
"We regret the Tunisian decision, and we reaffirm that we are committed to (providing a platform for) different views," Khanfar told AFP.
The Qatari government has not commented on Tunisia's decision, announced on Wednesday, to close its Doha embassy.
Thursday's Qatari press reported the news but withheld editorial comment.
The Tunisian move followed the airing by Al-Jazeera of interviews with Moncef Marzouki, an opponent of the regime of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in which he called for "civil resistance".
- AFP