Kuwait shuts down al-Jazeera bureau

It is not clear if it is a permanent or temporary closure

Kuwait has closed down the local offices of Arabic satellite television channel al-Jazeera, saying that the station is not objective.

Al-Jazeera is hugely popular in the Arab world

It was not made immediately made clear whether the closure would be temporary or permanent.

A senior Kuwaiti Government official told Reuters news agency that the closure was due to what he called a "lack of professionalism and neutrality when dealing with Kuwaiti issues".

However he denied that the move was censorship.

"I would like to stress Kuwait's belief in democracy and freedom," he said.

Bureau chief Saad al-Enezi confirmed the station had been notified of the decision on Sunday, however but he said it had not been given any more information.

Sensitive timing

Al-Jazeera, based in Qatar, is one of the Arab world's most popular news channels, announcing recently that it planned to launch an English language satellite service and website.

It became well-known during the US-led war on Afghanistan, when it broadcast several tapes of Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden and other senior al-Qaeda officials wanted by the US for their alleged role in the 11 September attacks.

The closure comes at a sensitive time in the Middle East - the station had recently reported on shooting incidents involving US troops based in Kuwait and the prospect of a war on Iraq.

Controversial station

Kuwait also banned the station from reporting in the country in 1999, when an Iraqi caller insulted the emir, Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, in a live show, the Associated Press news agency reported.

But the ban was lifted after a month and a local bureau was opened two years later.

It has also run into problems with its reporting in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and both Jordan and Bahrain have banned the station from operating on their soil.