""He sold MBN the idea that we cannot rock the boat in covering the Arab regimes, because they will ban us, and we have to walk a tight rope,” said Nematt, who was a weekly contributor to Al Hurra. “Sometimes I would tell him (Harb) to do a story that could shake things up a little … his answer was that the US state department won’t allow it out of fear that governments in the region would come complaining (to Washington).”
Entirely false, Harb retorted. “If people read the classified cables from that time they would see the complaints by ministries of information in the Middle East about Al Hurra.” In defence of his record, he said he had also obtained licences for Radio Sawa (also part of MBN) across the Arab world and received “the Superior Accomplishment Award” from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the board that largely oversees Al Hurra and MBN. "
