Scribe linked to al-Qaeda
NSA puts al-Jazeera journalist on terror list
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-05-10 05:35 GMT
Islamabad: The US authorities have placed an al-Jazeera journalist, working in Pakistan, on a watch list of suspected terrorists, linking him to al-Qaeda, a media report said citing documents provided by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.
The online news site The Intercept said al-Jazeera’s Islamabad bureau chief, Ahmed Muaffaq Zaidan, was on a terror watch list, and was described in the NSA documents as ‘a member’ of both al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Zaidan told The Intercept he ‘absolutely’ denied being part of the organisations, while noting that he had through his work conducted interviews with senior Qaeda leaders including Osama Bin Laden. Responding to the report, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was ‘deeply troubled’ by the allegations.
“Colouring the legitimate activities of a journalist as evidence of terrorism risks chilling the vital work of the media, especially in Pakistan where journalists interview Taliban and other militant as part of their coverage,” said committee’s Asia coordinator.