Alhurra, the Arabic-language network created by the US government after the Iraq invasion, said Saturday it would cease broadcasts and lay off most staff after President Donald Trump's administration shut off funds.

The network went on air in 2004, when US officials were complaining about coverage of the Iraq war from Qatar-backed Al-Jazeera -- which two decades later maintains a dominant role in Arabic-langauge media.

"Media in the Middle East thrive on a diet of anti-Americanism," said Jeffrey Gedmin, president and CEO of Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN), the parent of Alhurra and other smaller US-funded Arabic-language outlets.

"It makes no sense to kill........

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