Al Jazeera Reporter Quits Amid Mass Resignation Over Syria Coverage

Berlin, Sept 8, IRNA -- The head of Al Jazeera's Berlin bureau, Akhtam Suliman, resigned, citing the channel's lack of professionalism. Talking to IRNA in an exclusive interview, Suliman openly questioned Al Jazeera's 'professionalism' in the wake of a series of high-profile resignations by correspondents of the Qatari news channel based in Lebanon, Russia and Egypt as a result of its biased Syria news coverage. Suliman, a veteran journalist with 11 years of working experience with at Al Jazeera, said he would soon announce his reasons for his resignation, however a Berlin-based Arab news source told IRNA Suliman was under huge pressure to report favorably on the pro-western Syrian opposition which is backed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. 'He was facing intense political heat because (Qatari ) politics openly interfered in Al Jazeera's journalistic activities,' the source added. Suliman is also a well-known analyst on the Middle East in Berlin's media scene./end