The Qatari satellite television station, al-Jazeera, is playing an important role in providing live worldwide coverage of the war in Afghanistan.
On Sunday, al-Jazeera (the Peninsula) the only broadcaster operating in Afghanistan, not only carried night-vision pictures of the first attacks but also an exclusive statement by Osama bin Laden.
The station's coverage was relayed to countries outside the Arabic-speaking world by CNN which has to receive it from Qatar.
Since its launch in 1996, al-Jazeera has commanded the attention of millions of Arab viewers with half-hourly news bulletins, comprehensive coverage of regional crises and talk shows on political, economic and, even, sexual topics.
While the channel relies on funding from Qatar as well as advertising and deals with other broadcasters, like the current lucrative arrangement with CNN, al-Jazeera fiercely defends its editorial independence.
Its coverage of the year-old Palestinian intifada has played a major role in forming Arab public opinion towards the struggle by taking the battlefield into schools and cafes throughout the Arab world.
Al-Jazeera, ever ready to tweak sensitivities, was the first Arab channel to give a platform to an Israeli spokesman during this highly emotive period.
Its controversial reporting has prompted Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, the Palestine Authority and Jordan to complain about its coverage. In some instances its local offices have been shut down and credentials withdrawn from staff.
Early this month, US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, asked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Khalifa al-Thani, to rein in al-Jazeera after the channel carried a faxed statement purported to be from Osama bin Laden, urging Muslims to wage a jihad against the US.
The US is also unhappy about the station's coverage of Israel's harsh treatment of the Palestinians. Washington claims continuous Arab exposure to the violence in the occupied territories undermines US attempts to bring about a ceasefire and relaunch the peace process.
Sheikh Hamad reminded the US of the need for "free and credible media" - a courageous stance in a region where governments normally exert tight control over all media, particularly television.