"With more than fifty million viewers, Al-Jazeera is one of the most widely watched news channels in the world. And it's one of the most controversial. Set up by the maverick Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera ('the Island' in Arabic) quickly became a household name in the West after September 11, by delivering some of the biggest scoops in television history, including airing a taped speech from Osama bin Laden. Lambasted as a mouthpiece for Al-Qaeda, its journalists have been accused of spying for everyone from Mossad to Saddam Hussein - sometimes simultaneously. Now Hugh Miles uncovers the true story behind one of the world's most influential media outlets."--Jacket.