Al Jazeera rejects ‘baseless’ calls for network to register as foreign agent in U.S.

The news network Al Jazeera on Thursday dismissed calls from members of Congress for it to register as a foreign agent under U.S. law.

In a statement, the Qatar-based broadcasting giant said the drive to bring its operations under the regulation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act amounts to an assault on press freedom.

“It is shocking to hear calls being made by a number of US lawmakers to register Al Jazeera as a foreign agent,” the network said in its first public reaction since 18 House members and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter Tuesday urging the Justice Department to investigate Al Jazeera’s compliance with the eight-decade-old law governing lobbying and propaganda efforts in the U.S. by foreign governments and foreign political parties.

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