Shutting Down Terrorist Media


The Threat

Hezbollah's al-Manar television is the communications arm of one of the world's most dangerous terrorist organizations. No mere propaganda tool, al-Manar is used to recruit suicide bombers, foster a culture of terrorism and incite violent attacks. It is 24-hour terrorist TV, with an estimated viewership larger than FOX News Channel and CNN's combined.

Al-Manar's programming includes videos glorifying suicide bombers to children, calls for Jihadists to kill Coalition soldiers in Iraq, and vile anti-American and anti-Semitic material – including the infamous “blood libel” falsely accusing Jews of slaughtering Christian children to make food for Passover.

Hezbollah was the first terrorist organization to create a television station to be used as an operational weapon. One high-ranking al-Manar official revealed its purpose with chilling clarity: to “help people on the way to committing what you call in the West a suicide mission.”

The Response

FDD is the only organization to create a global campaign, Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM) —comprising Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and secular organizations—to shut down Hezbollah's al-Manar terrorist television station and counter the pernicious influence of its sponsors in the Iranian regime.

The campaign involves careful messaging, a detailed plan of all the government officials in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia who would need to be reached, and an ambitious goal: removing al-Manar from worldwide broadcast.

Summary of Results

Through numerous media appearances and briefings to over 800 government officials and private sector executives in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, CATM has been instrumental in removing al-Manar from eight satellite providers around the world. As a result, al-Manar can no longer spread hatred, recruit suicide bombers and support terrorism in North America, Central and South America, Asia, Australia and most of Africa. CATM is working to remove al-Manar from the two remaining satellite providers (Egyptian and Saudi) that broadcast the station into Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

On March 23, 2006, CATM achieved its most significant U.S. policy objective when the U.S. Treasury Department designated al-Manar and its related radio station and parent company as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entities.

In acknowledging FDD's successful campaign, the Wall Street Journal called the SDGT designation “no trivial blow,” and the Washington Times called it a “huge victory” for FDD and CATM. The designation allows the government to take action against U.S. persons and entities that do business with al-Manar including satellite providers, advertisers and banks. The issue was championed on Capitol Hill by Sens. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) and Gordon Smith (R., Ore.) and Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R., Fla.), Tom Lantos (D., Calif.), Gary Ackerman (D., N.Y.), Mike Pence (R., Ind.) and Robert Wexler (D., Fla.).

CATM has also been working closely with a number of major corporations to end their advertising on al-Manar, denying the terrorist station nearly $2 million in ad revenue. CATM continues its work to remove al-Manar from the two remaining satellite providers (Egyptian and Saudi) that broadcast the station into Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

On August 24, 2006, the US Attorney's office announced the arrest of a Pakistani national living in New York for the broadcasting of Hezbollah's television station al-Manar to his U.S. customers. More information on the arrest and quotes from CATM spokespeople can be found here.

Al-Manar Under Siege

A spokesman for al-Manar acknowledged that the station is in retreat. Mahmoud Katami, a vice president of Hezbollah's political unit in Lebanon, said that banning al-Manar's broadcasts was part of an effort to “surround” Hezbollah.

An August 17 report in Alsharq Alawsat, the pan Arab daily, began: “US sources have announced the success of the campaign led by ‘The Coalition Against Terrorist [Media],' CATM in Washington.” It then quoted Ibrahim Farhat, a public relations official for Al-Manar, decrying the “transmission ban that has reached Asia after it was imposed in Europe and North America.”

Thanks to CATM, al-Manar even had to relocate its website after CATM's Internet advisor confronted the U.S.-based company that had been hosting it.

Around the world, al-Manar is in clear retreat thanks to CATM and our allies.

Continuing the Fight Against Terror TV

Although al-Manar has been removed from four continents, it is still a potent instrument of terror. The United States, Europe, and two supposed allies in the War on Terrorism, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, can end its scourge -- whether they do will in large part depend on CATM's continued success.

CATM will:

• Continue to our campaign against al-Manar by educating worldwide government officials and media.
• Pressure international corporations which continue to advertise on al-Manar.
• Consult with our allies in Europe to request that the Saudi and Egyptian governments stop broadcasting al-Manar to Europe.
• Work through multiple channels to encourage the Egyptian and Saudi governments to remove al-Manar permanently from Nilesat and ARABSAT.

With continued support, CATM can achieve its mission of taking al-Manar from the global airwaves and ending its support for terrorism and incitement to violence.