Al-Iraqiya

Al-Iraqiya, the "Iraqi National Television", is a Pentagon-funded TV station&mdash;described in November 2003 as "One of the chief U.S. weapons in the battle to win Iraqi hearts and minds"&mdash;which provides an "optimistic, pro-American slant." Critics then saw the station "as a pawn of the U.S.-led occupation authorities." 

"After Baghdad fell, the Pentagon sent equipment and media experts from Science Applications International Corp., a U.S. defense contractor whose staff is packed with ex-U.S. military and intelligence officials. SAIC hired 350 Iraqis for the network, which went live May 13 [2003]." 

Execution of Saddam Hussein
"Footage from Al Iraqiya television shows masked executioners putting a noose around former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's neck moments before his hanging in Baghdad December 30, 2006." 

CPA Connection
From the beginning, Al-Iraqiya was run by the Iraqi Media Network, which includes two radio staions in Baghdad, provided "exclusive interviews" with Coalition Provisional Authority leaders and "stream[ed] live broadcasts of speeches by L. Paul Bremer, the top U.S. official in Iraq." However, the station's ties with the CPA "hamstrung its credibility, said Don North, an adviser and trainer at Al-Iraqiya who later left the network." 

Media Representation
As of April 1, 2005, the Choueiri Group (web) was "appointed as the Exclusive Media Representative of Iraq’s National TV, Al IRAQIA (Satellite and Terrestrial)." 

"Choueiri Group is by far the major media marketing representative; in addition to representing LBC and Al Jazeera, it also represents MBC, MBC2, Al Arabiya, ESC (Egypt Space Channel) and Spacetoon, a children's TV channel." 

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Al Arabiya
 * Al Hurra
 * Al-Jazeera
 * Iraqi Media Network
 * Layalina Productions
 * Lincoln Group
 * Middle East Television Network
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * Post-war Iraq
 * Radio Sawa
 * war propaganda

General

 * Al-Iraqiya in the Wikipedia.
 * Iraq War Casualties. As of 1 June, 2006, 129 journalists and media support staff have been killed since the start of the war in Iraq.
 * "Confessions of Captured Terrorists" MEMRITV.org (Middle East Media Research Institute TV Monitor Project) includes links to Al-Iraqiya film clips. Various dates.

2003

 * "U.S.-funded Iraqi network challenges Arab stations. Study: Al-Iraqiya losing ground to Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya," Associated Press (CNN), November 28, 2003.
 * "Pentagon Funds Pro-U.S. Network in Iraq," RedOrbit.com, November 29, 2003.
 * John Nichols, "Electoral Raid on Baghdad," The Nation, November 30, 2003.
 * "US takes its fight to the airwaves with al-Iraqiya," Associated Press (Taipei Times; AsiaMedia, December 1, 2003.
 * "The Campaign To Monopolize Iraq's Media," The Albion Monitor, December 24, 2003.

2004

 * Pratap Chatterjee, "Information Warfare or Yesterday's News? Pentagon media contractor loses battle for Iraqi audiences," CorpWatch, January 6, 2004.
 * Alan Sipress, "For Many Iraqis, U.S.-Backed TV Echoes the Voice Of Its Sponsor. Station Staffers Acknowledge Their Reluctance to Criticize," Washington Post Foreign Service, January 8, 2004.
 * Ehsan Ahrari, "How Goes the Information War in Iraq?" EhsanAhrari.com, January 8, 2004.
 * Colin Gilmore, "The freedom of the press in Iraq," The Manitoban, January 21, 2004.
 * "GIs Kill 2 Workers of U.S.-Funded Iraq TV," Associated Press (PropagandaMatrix.com), April 20, 2004.
 * "Two staff members of Al-Iraqiya television killed by US fire. Reporters Without Borders urges Pentagon to carry out a fair and rigorous investigation and repeats its call for access to earlier investigations," Reporters Without Borders, April 20, 2004.
 * Patrick Barrett, "US swells Iraq media death toll," The Guardian (UK), April 23, 2004.
 * Rowan Scarborough, "Al Iraqiya offers alternative view," Washington Times, April 28, 2004.
 * "Key findings: Nationwide survey of 3,500 Iraqis," USA Today, April 30, 2004: This survey shows 85% of Iraqis can receive Al-Araqiya at home "without difficulties," but doesn't ask which network they prefer.
 * Michael Hiestand, "Iraqi TV breaks new ground," USA TODAY, August 25, 2004.

2005

 * "Iraqi TV airs tape of alleged Syrian officer involved in insurgency," Associated Press (USA TODAY), February 23, 2005.
 * "Iraqi TV airs report of purported Syrian soldier," CBC News (Canada), February 24, 2005.
 * Kathleen Ridolfo, "Analysis: Terrorists On Parade," IWAR.org, February 28, 2005.
 * Rory Carroll, "Trial By Television. In Iraq, captured rebels are shown confessing live on air," Buzzle.com, March 27, 2005.
 * "Iraqi TV Tells Coalition Story from Firsthand Experience," Navy News Stand (NNS) (From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs), March 30, 2005.
 * Steven Stalinsky, "Reality TV, Iraq-Style," FrontPageMag.com, March 31, 2005.
 * "Al Iraqiya TV," Allied Media Corp., April 1, 2005.
 * Caryle Murphy and Khalid Saffar, "Actors in the Insurgency Are Reluctant TV Stars. Terror Suspects Grilled, Mocked on Hit Iraqi Show," Washington Post, April 5, 2005.
 * Rune Bremseth, "'Terrorism in the hands of justice'. Winning hearts and minds in Iraq?" In Defence of Marxism, April 12, 2005.
 * Matt Miserek, "Tacoma's News Tribune on Al Iraqiya's Mosul studio and the Fort Lewis soldiers who guard them," The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA) (Iraq Media Developments Blog), May 15, 2005.
 * Marie Therese, "Torture TV: Hottest Show in Iraq Is Run by Americans," News Hounds, May 22, 2005.
 * Neil MacDonald, "Iraqi reality-TV hit takes fear factor to another level," Christian Science Monitor, June 7, 2005.
 * Sebastian Usher, "Media reflects realities of life in Iraq," BBC, June 13, 2005.
 * Christopher Hitchens, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Plus, Amnesty's amnesia," Slate, June 13, 2005.
 * News Alert: "Al-Iraqiya journalist abducted, killed in Mosul," Committee to Protect Journalists, July 5, 2005.
 * "Al-Iraqiya engineer killed in Mosul," Committee to Protect Journalists/IFEX (PeaceJournalism.com), September 23, 2005.
 * Ali Jaafar, "Rockin' in Iraq. Locals embrace escapist fare as TV biz rises from ashes," Variety, October 23, 2005.

2006

 * Paul Cochrane, "The 'Lebanonization' of the Iraqi Media: An Overview of Iraq's Television Landscape," TBS Journal No. 16, 2006.
 * Bi-Weekly Press Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media, Layalina Productions, Inc., January 7-20, 2006. See "Al-Iraqiya Under Fire."
 * Charles Levinson, "Iraq's 'PBS' accused of sectarian slant. Shiite control of state-funded TV has critics worried about the independence of Iraq's fledgling free press," Christian Science Monitor, January 10, 2006.
 * Bi-Weekly Press Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media, Layalina Productions, Inc., March 4-17, 2006. See "Head of Al-Iraqiya Killed."
 * Richard Boudreaux, "Iraqi TV Executive Slain by Gunmen in Baghdad," Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2006.
 * Louise Roug, "BushTV in Iraq inflaming tensions," Los Angeles Times (Henwood.Blogspace.com), March 28, 2006.
 * Steve, "Team Coverage: al-Iraqiya TV and al-Sadr's Mahdi Army," ThreatsWatch.org, March 31, 2006.
 * "11th Al-Iraqiya employee gunned down in Baghdad," Reporters Without Borders, May 31, 2006: "11th employee of the national TV station Al-Iraqiya to be killed since the start of the war in March 2003."
 * "Toppled Iraqi leader Saddam executed," Zaman Online, December 30, 2006.