Voice of America (VOA), the US-funded international broadcaster, defied State Department opposition on Tuesday and aired a report containing portions of an interview with the leader of Afghanistan's Taliban militia.
The report, in which Mullah Mohammad Omar sought to explain why the Taliban would not turn over its "guest," alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden, was broadcast late Tuesday on shortwave and posted on VOA's Web site (www.voanews.com).
"We went ahead and ran it," one VOA employee said of the four-minute piece, which included portions of an interview with Omar that the broadcaster had shelved last week after State Department objections.
"Obviously, we are dismayed that they chose to ignore our recommendation," a senior State Department official said, adding that VOA's governing board, on which the department has a seat, would almost certainly review the matter.
"I would expect the board to take a look at this in light of the circumstances," the senior department official said, recalling widespread opposition to VOA airing the report expressed to the panel by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
Pressure from Armitage and other officials, who approached members of the board with their opposition, resulted in a VOA decision not to air the report on Friday.
The department objected to VOA airing the report because it contained the voice of Omar and "we didn't think that the American taxpayer, the Voice of America, should be broadcasting the voice of the Taliban," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Monday.
The US has threatened to retaliate against the Taliban if it did not turn over bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
In addition to a review of the case by VOA's governing board, the broadcaster is expected to face harsh questioning from US lawmakers who have the final say over its funding.
Many have complained about interviews VOA has aired in the past with controversial figures in the Middle East peace process.
Although the broadcaster is funded by the US Congress, its editorial independence is guaranteed by its charter and many VOA journalists were outraged at the State Department intervention.
"It was flat-out censorship," said the employee who was one of more than 100 VOA journalists to sign a letter that said the move had damaged their credibility and put put the integrity of VOA "at stake."
Boucher rejected that argument on Monday.
"We recognize the independence of the Voice of America," Boucher said. "Its charter says that they should explain US government policy and present responsible discussion about it. We don't consider Mullah Omar to be responsible discussion."
The report in question, a piece about reaction to US President George W. Bush's speech to Congress last week, Omar said Osama bin Laden would not be surrendered and the Taliban was prepared for war.
"This is not just an issue of Osama bin Laden," Omar said, according to portions of the interview posted in English on the VOA Web site. "This is an issue of Islam, Islam throughout the world."
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