"I am not responsible (for) al-Jazeera," Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim said of the Qatar-based station funded by the Gulf ally's ruler.

"But we will take this concern back to al Jazeera and they have to review (it), because we need al Jazeera to be professional and we don't want anybody to send lies or to send (the) wrong information," he said after talks at the White House with Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

The Bush administration has warned Qatar its relations with the United States were clouded by what it called "inflammatory" coverage of Iraq by Jazeera, whose satellite broadcasts have a wide Arab audience.

The Bush administration says its Middle East policies promote freedom.

Many Arabs accuse the Bush administration of using double standards, by seeking to muzzle the media and what they see as valid criticism that U.S. troops have used excessive force in Iraq in an occupation opposed by many governments.

The Bush administration, whose officials have often given interviews to Jazeera, has persistently criticised the station, but has never complained to Qatar's government in such a public way before.

A State Department official, who asked not to be identified, said earlier this week the United States sought to persuade Qatar to cut funds to Jazeera, arguing it was not in the nation's interests for anti-American sentiment to intensify in the region.

Hamad was noncommittal. "We have a free press in Qatar and this part of the free press," he said.

Jazeera's coverage of the war in Iraq includes more graphic images than its US counterparts of civilian casualties, especially children.

Many Arabs, including Arab-Americans, see the network as more accurate than US television.