Head of US-funded Iraqi TV resigns, condemns Washington's grip on money

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The head of Iraq (news - web sites)'s US-funded television network resigned, claiming he had no control over the channel's management and that the budget was being wasted on buying costly foreign programs while salaries were not being paid.



Jalal al-Mashta was appointed as general director of Al-Iraqiya television in May.


Earlier in the year, the now-defunct US-led administration in Iraq had handed out contracts for running the station to the US company Harris Corp., Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International and the Kuwaiti firm, Al-Fawaris.


"The Iraqi side still has no idea on how money is being spent. When we ask, the only answer we get is that Harris is dealing only with the US Defense Department while it is all Iraqi money," he said at a press conference.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1515&ncid=1515&e=12&u=/afp/20041118/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_economy_us_media_tv_041118175143

[hatrack]

1. Somehow I just knew that the PR effort would just suck, too

Given how the "liberation" has gone to date . . .