In her important book "Dangerous Options," former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton describes Al-Jazeera by saying, "Al-Jazeera has become the most influential news source in the Middle East."
Hence, many American experts were not surprised by the existence of the name Al-Jazeera among the references that former US National Security Adviser John Bolton relied on in his controversial new book, "The Room in which This Happened ... White House Notes."
In addition to his reference to the Al-Jazeera network as a reference and source for some of the events that filled the book, Bolton pointed out that broadcasting an urgent meeting of senior American officials in the early morning hours inside the most important room in the White House after the attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, was not enough to publish the news in Various media outlets in the Middle East, he mentioned.
Bolton relied on the island’s references and sources in Haditha for Israeli air strikes inside Syria in September 2018, and for a strike against Iranian Kurdish camps opposing Tehran inside Iraq in the same year.
Despite Bolton's ideological background, which made him one of the most hawkish neo-conservatives in the United States, he would not have ignored the importance and status of Al-Jazeera among the global media.
Bolton does not differ in his behavior from a broad stream of neoconservatives, who have been attacking Al-Jazeera and its coverage of Middle East issues, especially the invasion of Iraq, but they have kept their backs on its screens, including the famous Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The dilemma of foreign media
According to observers, the media presence in the American capital is not considered sufficient to be effective or effective, or to acquire special importance among opinion-makers and decision makers in the United States. Rather, the journalist and the institution need to understand the "Washingtonian" work mechanisms in general and realize the keys to success in the most important capitals of the world.
The American capital is packed with hundreds of foreign media that employ thousands of professional journalists from around the world, and many foreign media representatives are present in the building of the National Press Club, which is only 100 meters from the White House.
Foreign media influence in Washington, DC, can be measured in two basic ways: the first is the number of quotes by official officials, and the second is the number of times high-profile personalities appear on satellite TV and newspaper pages.
A veteran Arab journalist in Washington spoke to Al Jazeera Net about foreign media in government departments that he covered for years, such as the State Department, the White House, and the Pentagon.
"I was proud to arrive at the office of a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and find behind him 4 screens through which he monitors with his team of assistants the developments of the war in Iraq, including the island," the source said.
The journalist, who requested anonymity, added that for many years, CNN, Fox News and BBC were the main news sources for many American government agencies, and the island was added after it provided special materials and programs. Since the events of September 11, 2001.
Target the island
And documents revealed by the US Department of Justice obtained by Al-Jazeera Net, that the UAE government through its contracts with major lobby companies in Washington, launched a fierce campaign to silence the island in the United States.
The records of the Ministry of Justice - specifically the Foreign Customer Registration Unit (FARA), which obliges lobby companies to disclose details of their financial contracts with foreign governments - included a record of all activities through which the company sought to achieve the goal of the Emirati customer to silence the island in the United States, as part of its hostile efforts Qatar within the political corridors of Washington.
The UAE government paid $ 1.5 million to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and in addition to the contract value, the company received $ 227,000 for legal research, transfers, consulting services, meals, and postal services.