WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- Arab news network al-Jazeera has postponed plans to film a documentary about security conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Al-Jazeera told the Washington Times it dropped plans to film operations by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps this weekend in southern Arizona for editorial reasons.
But Minuteman founder Chris Simcox said he refused to allow al-Jazeera access to his group of citizen volunteers who patrol the border area because it would be "aiding and abetting the enemy."
Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, saying, "This show had the capability to seriously undermine the safety and security of our nation, especially because the intended audience could be potential terrorists."
An al-Jazeera spokeswoman told the Times their intended documentary was to "shed light on domestic politics, economic and security issues in the U.S.A. concerning the border." She also said the network could return to the project later.
Simcox said an al-Jazeera reporter told him the documentary would include information about the rising number of non-Mexicans detained while trying to illegally enter the United States.
