Saudi TV exec axed for role in 'terrorist movement'

Tarek Al-Suwaidan fired after admitting to position at the helm of Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has fired the director of an Islamic TV channel for his role as the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait.

He wrote Sunday on his Twitter account that he sacked Tarek al-Suwaidan “for admitting he belongs to the Brotherhood terrorist movement.”

Al-Suwaidan, a Kuwaiti, was the director general of Al-Resalah channel, which belongs to Alwaleed’s Rotana Group — a large pan-Arab media conglomerate based in Riyadh.

Al-Suwaidan has sharply criticized Egypt’s military-backed government and voiced support for deposed President Mohammed Morsi on his Twitter account.

Saudi King Abdullah, whose country has pledged $5 billion in aid to Egypt’s interim leaders, supported Cairo’s crackdown on the Brotherhood, saying the kingdom stood by Egypt’s fight against “terrorism and strife.”