Washington, D.C. (July 13, 2006) – FDD's Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM) today said that Hezbollah's al-Manar television station is a legitimate communications target in Israel's response to an act of war.

“Hezbollah uses al-Manar to recruit terrorists, incite violent attacks, conduct operational surveillance, raise funding and communicate with its forces,” said Mark Dubowitz, chief operating officer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.  “Israel has every right to defend itself.   This attack was meant to cripple Hezbollah's communications at a time when it holds two Israeli soldiers hostage and is indiscriminately attacking Israeli civilians.”

Dubowitz noted that earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury Department named al-Manar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization.  Al-Manar is the only media outlet to be included on the Treasury Department's terrorist sanctions list.

“By designating al-Manar as a terrorist organization, the U.S. government recognized that al-Manar is a grave danger that must be confronted.  Israel targeted al-Manar in its self-defense.  The entire world will be made safer if Hezbollah's terrorist television station is permanently removed from the airwaves,” Dubowitz said.

CATM is a project of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, an anti-terrorism, pro-democracy policy institute headquartered in Washington, D.C.  CATM has been instrumental in removing al-Manar from eight global satellite companies, having it designated as a terrorist organization, and removing more than $2 million in advertising from al-Manar.

For more information please visit www.stopterroristmedia.org or www.defenddemocracy.org.  An editorial on CATM's efforts is here.

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