Freedom's just another word

The government of Iraq has placed an indefinite ban on al-Jazeera intended to prevent it from covering events in Iraq, extending an already-existing ban on the Qatar-based channel.

Iraqi security forces stormed into Aljazeera's Baghdad office on Saturday and sealed it with red wax. ...

A statement issued by the Ministerial Committee for National Security (MCNS) on Saturday said the ban slapped on 5 August was extended because Aljazeera, during the interim ban period, did not write to the Iraqi government inquiring about the reasons behind it.

Yes, you read that right, the ban was extended because al-Jazeera did not ask hard enough about why it happened, even though the government had already made its reasons clear when the ban was first imposed: It wanted the network to "answer demands for an explanation on the tone of its broadcasts," according to Iraqi officials in announcing the extension.

Or, more simply put, the network was banned because the government didn't like what it was saying.

The Iraqi government claimed that al-Jazeera was violating the ban by continuing to broadcast from Iraq, but a network spokesman, Jihad Ballout,

denied any wrongdoing.

"Yes, we have been getting pictures out of Iraq, but like most others we are depending on the news and footage agencies to get our pictures. So we abided by the law," Ballout explained.

The government said a "final decision" would be based on a "written clarification" from the network and its "future conduct."

Let freedom ring.