Iraq orders shutdown of Baghdad office of TV station accused of inciting hatred

BAGHDAD, Iraq: The Iraqi government said Monday that a privately owned television station had incited violence and hatred in its programming and ordered its Baghdad office closed, amid controversy over media coverage of the execution of Saddam Hussein.

However, a journalist for Al-Sharqiya station, which broadcasts from Dubai, said the station closed its Baghdad office three months ago because of attacks on its staff and that he was unaware of the government order.

"The channel administration decided to close it for security reasons," said the journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of safety concerns.

Al-Sharqiya remained on the air late Monday. The station is owned by Saad al-Bazzaz, a one-time chief of radio and television for the former dictator, who was hanged at dawn on Saturday.

"We had sent many warnings to the channel previously, but it insisted on circulating false news that provoked violence and hatred," said Brig. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, spokesman for the Interior Ministry. Khalaf cited what he said was a false report about the abduction of three Sunni Arab female students from a university.

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