Al-Jazeera's Baghdad office Closed for a month

Naqib announced the closure at a Baghdad news conference, following an order from the national security committee.

"We have asked an independent committee to monitor Al-Jazeera for the last four weeks... to see what kind of violence they are advocating, inciting hatred and problems and racial tensions," Prime Minister Iyad Allawi added.

"This is a decision taken by the national security committee to protect the people of Iraq, in the interests of the Iraqi people," he said.

The Iraqi government move was earlier reported by the Doha-based channel, which did not air the live news conference in Baghdad.

"Iraqi authorities decide to close the Al-Jazeera office in Baghdad for a month," read an urgent banner on the television which gave no more details on the reasons for the closure.