Al Jazeera: the satellite station of the Arab Nation spreads its wings.

As the drums of war in the Gulf grew louder, all eyes were on the Arabic language, television news channel Al Jazeera. Iraq was no Afghanistan, where Al Jazeera had virtually acted as the "news agency of the world", as one western based newspaper put it back then, a reference to the fact the Qatar-based news network was the sole provider of news and footage from Taliban-controlled territories in Afghanistan. As war approached news reporters from all over the globe gathered in Baghdad. Would Al Jazeera be able to hold its own against some of the longest established and highly regarded news agencies in the world?

As "privileged" as AL Jazeera's position in Afghanistan was (professionally speaking), it nevertheless frequently attracted criticism and sometimes outright anger in the West. This anger translated into an almost nonstop stream of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and other forms of "character assassination", culminating in a military attack that destroyed the network's Kabul office. Fortunately on that occasion no one was hurt. However, if the purpose of the attack was to divert Al Jazeera from its "editorial policy", it failed. The channel continued to pursue its original goal of providing as comprehensive a news service as possible, by providing a platform for various views.

Small wonder then that the world was full of anticipation on the eve of the third Gulf war. How would the Arab language news channel deal with the imminent crisis with all its regional and global implications? How would it cope with the inevitable pressures? Would it be derided, or would the antagonists on both sides of the divide--Iraq on one hand, the United States and the UK on the other--try to reach out to Al Jazeera, to make use of its ever increasing popularity within the Arab world?

It was obvious from the outset, and before a single shot was fired in the war on Iraq, that there was another, different, conflict going on. The theatre was the airwaves, and the prize was the hearts and minds of the Arab people. It was a tug-of-war where the satellite media, especially the Arab contingent, was to be the main conduit. Hence it was no surprise that the US Administration was keen to mend fences with Al Jazeera broken during and in the aftermath of the war on Afghanistan. In an article published just before the war broke out, The New York Times carried a story anticipating the reconciliation and headlined, "US Cosies Up To Al Jazeera". Consequently, during the war, the channel was to become the most monitored and sought after news organisation in any language.

Indeed, six days into the outbreak of the war in the Gulf, the European subscription base for Al Jazeera doubled to eight million. More international media enquiries were received from far away places such as Indonesia, China, New Zealand, Chile and Brazil to name just a few.

No sooner had the war started however, than sentiments changed, and Al Jazeera became "anathema" to coalition leaders and the Iraqi government alike. Neither was happy with the way Al Jazeera chose to cover the conflict. It swiftly became apparent that combatants were demanding that objectivity and balance, cornerstones of an efficient free press, be sacrificed at the altar of strategic policies and tactical military expediencies.

Coalition command, both political and military, were criticising Al Jazeera for its editorial decision to make public certain information and visuals that were deemed "anti", although credible and verified. Certain sectors of the international media, western as well as Arab, took that particular stance and were less than complimentary about Al Jazeera. On the other hand, the Iraqi authorities were tending to use intimidation and physical threats against Al Jazeera's reporters and employees. The Iraqi Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Said Al Sahhaf was so incensed with the Arab network's coverage that he dished our a heavy dose of criticism during one of his live press conferences before the eyes and ears of the world.

The particular press conference that caught the international press corps in Baghdad by surprise was preceded by an Iraqi Decree stipulating that two of Al Jazeera's reporters, Tayseer Allouni and Diyar Al Omari, must stop any professional activity in the country. Al Jazeera responded to this by suspending all its media delegation's activities in Iraq. Iraqi authorities backed down, and it was business as usual for Al Jazeera in Baghdad and other areas of Iraq; until 8 April, when two air-to-surface missiles hit Al Jazeera's bureau in Baghdad, claiming the life of Tareq Ayyoub, one of its best loved and most respected reporters. He left behind a one-year-old daughter, Fatima, and a distraught widow, Dima Tahboub. To this day, no official statement has been forthcoming from the US Pentagon authorities concerning that attack. No one is aware if the Pentagon has even called far an enquiry into the tragic incident.

This has not diverted Al Jazeera however from pursuing its professional duty, and adhering to the core journalistic values that have become its hallmark.

Six months after the main military conflict stopped, Al Jazeera remains the major media recipient of harsh treatment in Iraq. To date no less that nine Al Jazeera members of staff have been apprehended and eight investigations pursued, only to be closed without the filing of any charges whatsoever. No other member of the international media community covering Iraq has reported receiving similar treatment.

Nevertheless, Al Jazeera has made clear its intention to doggedly defend its professional integrity and its right to remain independent. At the end of the day, independence has been Al Jazeera's raison d'etre since its inception back in 1996, and remains so today.

"The voice of the Arab world", is one depiction of Al Jazeera. Another is "the window into the Arab world".

Such is the satellite channel's reputation worldwide it became the most sought after medium by western officials seeking to communicate with Arab public opinion at a grassroots level.

American Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell are top of the long list of "exclusive" interviews granted to Al Jazeera. British Premier Tony Blair also is a member of this exclusive club. All this in a mere seven years, a relatively short time in the life of any news organisation.

Al Jazeera satellite channel first went on air back in November 1996, broadcasting for six hours a day. Just over two years later, it started its round-the-clock transmission. In less than five years, Al Jazeera had become a global brand, recognised the world over.

The influence of the first Arabic language news and information channel extends well beyond the Arabic speaking communities in the Middle East, its natural environment. The channel has also become a credible source of news.

Established broadcasters such as BBC, CNN, NBC, and Sky News have used its footage and a selection of its programmes. Similarly, Al Jazeera reports and pictures have been quoted and published by myriad international news organisations and publications in the West.

This global interest in Al Jazeera added some urgency to the channel's plans to set up an English language service.

Al Jazeera Net, the electronic news provider, re-launched its English service earlier this year. Its first attempt at launching the service was thwarted by "hackers" operating from the United States, as an investigation conducted by American authorities has since revealed. Additionally, further plans to launch a Documentary and a Sports Channel (in Arabic) and a fully fledged English language news and information satellite channel are well advanced although no firm dates for initial broadcasts have yet been announced.

Al Jazeera channel has established itself as the leading international Arabic language provider of news, information, and current affairs. It broadcasts almost globally 24-hours a day. Watched by over 35 million viewers worldwide, Al Jazeera has been lauded internationally for its journalistic integrity, professionalism, and commitment to the concept of freedom of expression and diversity of views; the latter exemplified by its ever-present maxim "The Opinion & The Counter Opinion".

The satellite channel's profile first gained international exposure in 1998 during the Desert Fox military operation carried out by American forces in Iraq. Al Jazeera reaffirmed its position as a major player on the international media scene by virtue of its handling of the global crisis set off by the 11 September terrorist attacks in the US, and the subsequent war launched on Afghanistan.

in a matter of just a few years, Al Jazeera has transformed itself from a regional reporter of news into an international news-maker, closely monitored by its ever increasing number of viewers, experts, observers and officials alike.

Al Jazeera has been credited with revolutionising public opinion and the media in the Arab world by virtue of its resoluteness in maintaining its independence from the censor, something quite alien to traditional Middle Eastern media. In its endeavour to uphold its impartiality, balance and credibility, Al Jazeera has not found favour with certain states and regimes in the Middle East and beyond. Dramatic measures were taken by detractors, culminating in the closure of some of its bureaux and the shelling of its offices. Additionally, a de-facto advertising embargo, albeit unofficial, was placed on Al Jazeera.