From the Friends of Al Jazeera blog:

Well it looks like my husband and I (and our children) will be leaving Doha sooner than planned.

Al Jazeera International (or Al Jazeera English as we were forced to call it after objections from the Arabic news channel) was launched 13 months ago.

Since then two things have happened:

First, the channel has built itself a reputation as an authoritative news source on world issues…

The second thing that has happened is that the people who have been responsible for this phenomenal innovation in the world of broadcasting have been treated like shit.

Yes, you heard right – like shit!

In the beginning, they were encouraged, induced, seduced, implored, begged to come out to Doha to make this dream a possibility; they were welcomed with open arms.

That was then – this is now.

Now, they are being treated with disrespect, ingratitude, disdain, even downright contempt. They are lied to, ignored, cheated, abused, ridiculed.

This is all done, of course, to “persuade” them to leave.

Nobody said launches were easy. Oddly enough AJE’s has been remarkably bloodless, although both Paul Gibbs and now Steve Clark have now left the start-up team.