Some Arab leaders 'asked US to hit Al Jazeera office'

Doha: Some Arab leaders have been putting pressure on the US administration to hit Al Jazeera, a presenter of the Doha-based news channel claimed.

A delegation from the channel is in London to seek clarifications on the UK Government's position over a media report alleging that the US tried to bomb the station.

Faisal Al Kasim, Al Jazeera's moderator of the programme The Opposite Direction, told Gulf News here on Sunday that the station wants to know the truth.

"A delegation delivered a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to clarify the UK position with regard to the report. We want to know the truth."

"Tomorrow [Monday] there will be a panel discussion of British journalists in London to debate the issue, as UK media have been asked not to publish this report entirely."

Al Kasim said Al Jazeera believes the US administration and the UK have something to hide.

"Otherwise why would they prohibit their media to publish the document or any information related to it?"

He also said the channel has evidence that some Arab leaders have been putting pressure on the Bush administration to hit Al Jazeera due to its controversial reports on Arab regimes, poverty and corruption in the region.

"We know that certain Arab leaders have asked the US Government to hit Al Jazeera ? or to take some action against the channel in a bid to muffle us," he said without naming any country.