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Viewing cable 06DOHA526, AMCIT AL JAZEERA NETWORK BOARD MEMBER CRITICIZES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06DOHA526 2006-04-06 12:55 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Doha
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDO #0526/01 0961255
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061255Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4633
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0951
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//PASS TO USCENTCOM FWD//
C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PD, NEA/ARP AND S/CT 
NSC FOR ABRAMS, DOD/OSD FOR SCHENKER AND MATHENY 
LONDON FOR ARAB MEDIA OFFICE 
CENTCOM FWD FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2011 
TAGS: KPAO PREL PTER QA ALJAZEERA
SUBJECT: AMCIT AL JAZEERA NETWORK BOARD MEMBER CRITICIZES 
AL JAZEERA 
 
REF: A. DOHA 312 
     B. DOHA 467 
 
Classified By: CDA Mirembe Nantongo, Reasons 1.4 (b&d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Mahmud Shammam, Washington bureau chief for 
the Dar Al Watan Newspaper and Newsweek Arabic, is an 
American citizen of Libyan descent, well-known for his 
criticism of the current Libyan regime and reportedly close 
to Qatar's Amir. Recently named a member of the newly-formed 
Al Jazeera Network's board of directors by Amiri decree in 
March (ref A), he was sharply critical of Al Jazeera and its 
management in a recent conversation with Emboffs. End summary. 
 
2. (C) PAO, accompanied by Embassy FSN, met April 5 with 
Amcit Mahmud Shammam, Washington bureau chief for Newsweek 
Arabic, who is usually resident in Washington. Shammam said 
he was in Doha for the Al Jazeera Network (AJN) Board's 
monthly meeting and would be traveling to Doha monthly from 
now on for the same purpose. He told PAO that he had not 
wanted the job, that he did not gain from it financially, and 
that the necessity of being in Doha every month represents an 
unwelcome restriction on his movements. He implied he had 
taken the position as a favor to the Amir, and that the 
purpose of his appointment was to provide a counterweight to 
Islamist, anti-secular and anti-liberal elements at Al 
Jazeera. Describing himself as "leftist, secular and 
liberal", Shammam was sharply critical of the Al Jazeera 
satellite channel and of its current management. 
 
Al Jazeera should nurture an Arab middle class 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3. (C) When Al Jazeera first appeared on the scene, he had 
been very excited, said Shammam. In his view, the majority of 
the Arab world's ills stem from its lack of a substantial 
middle class and he saw Al Jazeera as a force that would 
encourage, inspire and nurture an Arab middle class through 
fostering elevated debate and a genuine exchange of ideas. 
But the channel has proved disappointing, he said, targeting 
instead "the street level" and remaining there. "Al Jazeera 
has never covered one case of corruption in Arab regimes; 
everything is focused on the US and Israel," said Shammam. 
AJ's continual emphasis on the roles played in the region by 
the US and Israel, its focus on war and destruction and its 
lack of balanced programming create and maintain a depressed 
emotional atmosphere in the Arab world, which the channel 
then goes out and covers as if it exists independently of 
AJ's influence, he said. 
 
Al Jazeera's lack of balance 
---------------------------- 
 
4. (C) What Al Jazeera needs to do in order to play a 
positive role in the Arab world, he said, is improve its 
professionalism and present more balanced programming. The 
imbalance in Al Jazeera's pro-Islamist programming does not 
only come during interviews themselves, but begins before 
that with the selection of guests and interviewees, he said. 
He gave an example of the program called "Without Limits", 
hosted by the Egyptian presenter Ahmed Mansour (whom he 
called "my friend"), which has a one-on-one in-depth 
interview format. Shammam said 70 percent of Mansour's guests 
are Muslim Brotherhood supporters: "Is that balance?" 
 
The new Network 
--------------- 
 
5. (C) Shammam was dismissive of the new entity known as the 
Al Jazeera Network (reftels). "There is nothing there, no 
structure," he said. He said the first two or three meetings 
of the AJN board have been focused on creating a structure 
for the new body, including deciding which positions would 
serve as deputies and implementors for AJN Director General 
(and Managing Director of the Arabic Al Jazeera) Wadah 
Khanfar. Although he labeled Khanfar as "not my friend, not 
my enemy", Shammam was sharply critical of Khanfar's 
management style and Islamist leanings, telling PAO that when 
Khanfar first came to the helm of the Arabic channel in 2003, 
he refused to shake hands with women and would not close his 
office door when alone with a woman, in keeping with Islamist 
practice. (Note: Khanfar does both now, in Emboffs' 
experience. End note.) Shammam also said Khanfar is smooth 
 
and articulate and comes across as very convincing, but "if 
you examine the reality, there is no beef there." He said 
Khanfar's new position requires at least 70 percent 
managerial skills and 30 percent knowledge of the media, but 
that Khanfar possesses neither set of skills. All the power 
at Al Jazeera is concentrated in Khanfar's hands and his 
deputies Ayman Gaballah and Ahmed Sheikh are "nothing", 
Shammam said. 
 
The view from the palace? 
------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Asked about the Amir's view of Al Jazeera, Shammam 
said (insisting he was voicing his personal opinion "off the 
record") that Al Jazeera plays an important strategic role in 
the Amir's calculations, in effect acting as a shield to 
deflect Arab criticism over the presence of large numbers of 
U.S. troops in Qatar, and the fact that the US uses Qatar as 
a staging point for military operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. Although the Amir himself is a believer in 
reform and democracy, he tolerates Al Jazeera's Islamist 
leanings and "anti-progressive" programming because they 
provide him with this cover in the Arab world. On the other 
hand, said Shammam, the Amir does want to see Al Jazeera as a 
force for democracy and liberalism, which is part of the 
reason why Shammam was named to the AJN board. Shammam called 
Al Jazeera "a dangerous game" for Qatar and said he always 
tells the Amir that he (the Amir) possesses two weapons of 
mass impact -- ne destructive (Al Jazeera) and one supremely 
costuctive (the Amir's wife, Sheikha Mozah). 
 
On Al Jazeera International 
--------------------------- 
 
7. (C) Concerning Al Jazeera International (the 
English-language channel scheduled now to be launched in 
early summer), Shammam said it would either be a huge success 
or a huge flop, and that no one could yet tell which way it 
will go. He said that in conversations with Al Jazeera 
International management, he encourages them to move away 
from their focus on "famous white journalists" and to go for 
a multicultural, diverse workforce that represents all races 
and religions and brings "news of the south to the north." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (C) Shammam is clearly a seasoned political player with 
good access to the Amir and his close entourage and as 
clearly is deeply distrustful of Wadah Khanfar's views and 
intentions. If he is to be believed, the Amir of Qatar 
selected him for the position of AJN board member based on 
his liberal, pro-democracy and pro-reform views, and in order 
to counter the influence of the Islamist perspective 
represented by Wadah Khanfar and backed by AJN Board 
Chairman, Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer. 
NANTONGO