Germany bans Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station

             Germany's Interior Ministry has banned Hezbollah's television station on grounds that it violates the country's constitution, a spokesman said Friday. Interior Ministry spokesman Markus Beyer said Al-Manar television programming was forbidden under Article 9 of Germany's constitution, which says that organizations cannot operate with the purpose of violating international understanding. Al-Manar had no immediate comment. Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble ordered the ban on November 11, Beyer said in an e-mailed comment. Beyer was not more specific on why the ban was instituted, but Hezbollah's Al-Manar television is known to be staunchly anti-Israel and frequently broadcasts footage of Hezbollah fighters. Beyer did not immediately return a call seeking further comment. Arabic-language Al-Manar is based in Beirut and broadcasts locally and by satellite. The station has no physical presence in Germany. Hezbollah, which has been fighting Israel since the early 1980s, has broad support among Lebanon's Shiite population. Israel and the U.S. consider it a terrorist organization and accuse it of being behind deadly attacks in Lebanon and abroad. The U.S. has also banned Al-Manar. (07,15)