Assad Backers Hack al-Jazeera

Al-Jazeera's website got hacked today by loyalists to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists say. The hackers posted a Syrian flag on the site, blaming the Qatar-based news agency for backing "armed terrorist groups and spreading lies and fabricated news." The website appeared to be back up late this afternoon. TV broadcasts were not affected, reports AP.

Qatar has announced support for the rebels in the uprising, and al-Jazeera provided extensive coverage of the Arab Spring, Reuters notes. The hackers called themselves "al-Rashedon." The breach follows a series of hacks in the region, including attacks on a Qatari natural gas giant and a Saudi Arabian oil company. (More Bashar al-Assad stories.)