Al-Jazeera Gets a Time Out

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"To protect the people of Iraq and the interests of Iraq," Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi ordered the Al-Jazeera television network's Baghdad offices closed for one month. The closure "will give them the chance to readjust their policy against Iraq," said Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib. An Interior Ministry statement charged Al-Jazeera with "contribut[ing] to hindering the Iraqi reconstruction process by justifying kidnappings and killing of foreigners working here." Former U.S. ambassador to Qatar Kenton Keith said Al-Jazeera has a slant which "most Americans are not comfortable with," but the network is "no more [biased] than other news organizations."