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Iraq Suspends Licenses of 10 TV Channels, Including Al Jazeera

HeadlineApr 29, 2013

Iraqi authorities have suspended the licenses of Al Jazeera and nine other satellite TV channels, accusing them of fueling sectarian violence. Iraq’s media commission said the stations broadcast “clear calls for disorder” and endorsed “banned terrorist organizations.” In a statement, Al Jazeera said it was “astonished” by the move. “We cover all sides of the stories in Iraq, and have done for many years. The fact that so many channels have been hit all at once though suggests this is an indiscriminate decision,” it said. The move follows a wave of violence in Iraq that has killed roughly 200 people since last Tuesday when security forces raided a Sunni protest encampment. It’s the bloodiest chapter since demonstrations by Sunnis against the Shiite-led government began four months ago. Earlier today, three car bombs hit two cities in the Shiite-dominated south of Iraq, killing at least 19 civilians.

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