Somali government launches media crackdown

[maddezmom]

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somalia's government, with new emergency powers in hand to tame the chaotic country, ordered four major media outlets to shut down on Monday as the president named a team to take charge of the capital.

The interim government, weeks after arriving in Mogadishu on the heels of an Ethiopian-led offensive, is struggling to impose order and has seen forces backing it attacked repeatedly, most recently in a firefight late on Sunday.

The government's national security agency sent the closure order by letter to HornAfrik Media, Shabelle Media Network, the Koranic radio station IQK and the local office of Al Jazeera television.

"You should shut down upon receipt of this letter and appear at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the office of national security," said the letter, signed by Col. Ahmed Hassan Ali and seen by Reuters.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070115/wl_nm/somalia_conflict_dc