How disheartening it was, then, to see the Emir of the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar remind Colin Powell of the importance of a free, credible press, as occurred earlier this month. The remarkable exchange took place during a meeting between the two leaders in Washington, during which the Secretary of State called on the Emir to rein in the Arab satellite service Al-Jazeera. Some have speciously accused Al-Jazeera of serving as a platform for suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Over the past several weeks, Al-Jazeera has been introduced to Americans and other westerners in dramatic fashion. With access to Afghanistan and its ruling Taliban limited, western media outlets have been forced to rely on satellite feeds and interviews carried by the Qatar-based news service. Indeed, the military campaign in Afghanistan may well do for Al-Jazeera what the Gulf War did for CNN more than a decade ago a place the news service on the international media map.

Notwithstanding the recent appearance by American officials (including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld) on Al-Jazeera, the Bush administration is clearly troubled by its inability to influence the popular satellite network. Secretary Powell, however, has not been the first leader to take umbrage at Al-Jazeera's free-spirited coverage. Indeed, during its short history, the satellite service has managed to offend numerous Arab governments, not to mention Israel, which has criticized its extensive reporting on the Palestinian Intifada over the past year.

Millions of Arabs --from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, from wealthy, Gulf businessmen to impoverished Palestinians in the Occupied Territories -- rely on the critical, unbiased information they receive from Al-Jazeera. For the Arab world, Al-Jazeera, which began broadcasting in the 1990's, represents a refreshing departure from the stale, government-censored news they have been fed over the years. This is a trend that should be applauded and indeed encouraged.

The conversation between Powell and the Emir only underscores the perception of many in the Muslim and Arab worlds that our government never takes into consideration their welfare and legitimate aspirations when formulating American foreign policy. When former Secretary of State Madeline Albright was questioned regarding the devastating impact of economic sanctions on Iraq (which have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians), her callous response that the loss of life was "worth it" reverberated throughout Middle East. Unfortunately, the mainstream American press bears some responsibility for generally dismissing the Muslim and Arab masses as merely that a faceless masses, as opposed to flesh-and-blood human beings who share the same hopes, dreams, and fears common to all humanity. The frequent, contemptuous media references to the Arab and Muslim "street" as if these people have nothing better to do than hang out in the street all day, hurling slogans and burning flags epitomizes the underlying ignorance that clouds most western coverage of this important part of the globe.