Egypt arrests 6 journalists as it closes Al Jazeera Cairo office
By Nangayi Guyson – Dubai – At least six journalists for pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera have been arrested in Egypt after authorities ordered the closure of the network’s Cairo office.
The Qatar-based network says the journalists were working for its English-language channel – a sister operation to the flagship Arabic service.
Monday’s detentions come a day after Egyptian authorities shut Al Jazeera’s office, complaining its round-the-clock coverage was slanted toward protesters and could encourage more unrest.
Al Jazeera denounced the closure as an attempt to muzzle open reporting. It had managed to continue coverage in Egypt with fixed-position cameras and reports by phone.
However , cable carriers do not give viewers the choice of watching Al Jazeera.” As a result, Al Jazeera’s Web site has enjoyed a 2,500 percent increase in traffic over the past day). But with the opposition calling for 1 million people to gather on the streets of Cairo Tuesday in an effort to oust President Hosni Mubarak.
