Didn't anyone think it might be a bad idea to pipe jihadist propaganda straight into a region already dealing with its own jihadist problem? And Thailand isn't the only country whose viewers will have access to this programming.
"Millions able to receive Hizbullah TV," by Yaniv Berman for the Media Line News Agency:
THAICOM, a private satellite company in Thailand, has begun airing the broadcasts of Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV. The satellite covers Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and most of Europe.
The Thai satellite has significantly boosted the resonance of Al-Manar's propaganda messages around the world, said the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) in Herzliya, Israel. "This is an outrage," said ITIC head, Dr. Reuven Erlich. "Other satellites have stopped airing Al-Manar, so Hizbullah has found a way round it."
Approached by The Media Line THAICOM said it is considering its response and will only offer a formal reaction over the weekend. However, company sources said the decision to transmit Al-Manar broadcasts was a "purely business decision, which had nothing to do with politics."
THAICOM considers Al-Manar programming as "news and entertainment," the sources said.
The United States' Department of State decided in December 2004 to add Al-Manar to its Terrorist Exclusion List. Since then, the European satellites Hispasat and Eutelsat have ceased airing the station's broadcasts.
"It's a war. Al-Manar is Hizbullah's main communication tool, through which it spreads anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and anti-American incitement. It spreads Hizbullah and Iranian values of radical Islam," Erlich explained. He added that the fact that Al-Manar can now be seen in south-east Asia, means that Indonesia and Malaysia, two countries with a large Muslim population, are open to its messages of hatred.
In the past few years since the European satellites stopped airing Al-Manar, the station could only be seen via two Arab satellites: Nilesat and Arabsat. The former is an Egyptian-owned satellite, which broadcasts to the Middle East, North Africa, and a few countries in southern Europe. The latter is a pan-Arab satellite, with approximately the same reach.
Must be the reward for the the head choppings
"Must be the reward for the the head choppings
Posted by: Elric66 "
...or the fear of more head choppings...
Sounds like a good target for an ASAT test.
"However, company sources said the decision to transmit Al-Manar broadcasts was a "purely business decision, which had nothing to do with politics."
And this is supposed to reassure? Anything for a buck, or in this case a bunch of Baht.
Any chance of 'jamming' their transmissions, say with the 'Playboy' Channel...?
Just how difficult would it be to cause a fatal malfunction in those two 'Arab' satellites?
How did they get there in the first place? Arabs don't have rockets.
Strikes me that not even the Russians or the Chinese should permit Muslim money to persuade them to lift Muslim propaganda platforms into orbit. Because Beijing and Moscow are right alongside New York, Jerusalem, Delhi and Bangkok, Paris and London, on the 'things to ruin, rape and plunder' list of those who dream of the caliphate.
It may have been "a purely business decision" but its consequences are not purely for business. No Infidel companies cannot be allowed, for the calculations of profit, in such casese to take or make "a purely business decision." Al-Manar propaganda does not tell listeners what they cannot find in the texts of Islam, but it relates the texts of Islam to on-going jihads today (the sum total of which local jihads is one world-wide jihad), whips up listeners, gives some of them the push they need to participate directly, and not merely indirectly, in violent, as opposed to other kinds of jihad.
Surely the American and other Western governments can pressure the Thai government, or for that matter make things difficult for that Thai company --- difficult for it to find clients, difficult for it to use satellites, difficult for it to do business in Europe or North America, oh all kinds of difficult things could result -- if only there were a will. For there is already, as noted, a way.
"How did they get there in the first place? Arabs don't have rockets."
Sure they do! Their R&D teams are working night 'n day!
http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-15997-israelnews-katyusha-rocket-lands-northern-ashkelon-no-injuries
Posted by: Hugh
Surely the American and other Western governments can pressure the Thai government, or for that matter make things difficult for that Thai company
Thaicom is not a Thia company.it is now owned by Singapore's Temasek Holdings, since Thaksin Shinawatra,sold their shares to Temasek Holdings.
It is because of this Thaksin faces charges of corruption