Articles intended to counter enemy propaganda, U.S. military says

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Dec. 02, 2005

Articles intended to counter enemy propaganda, U.S. military says
By Jonathan S. Landay
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military acknowledged Friday that it has been using third parties to buy advertising space in Iraqi newspapers for articles designed to counter enemy propaganda.

But a senior Republican senator said he was told at a Pentagon briefing that some of the stories weren't identified as having been paid for by the U.S. military.
(snip)

The articles were designed to counter "misinformation and propaganda by an enemy intent on discrediting the Iraqi government and the Coalition, and who are taking every opportunity to instill fear and intimidate the Iraqi people," the statement said.
(snip/...)

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/13314700.htm

[LSparkle]

1. So now TRUTH is PROPAGANDA and propaganda is ... aw forget it

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date ... "

[K-W]

2. Enemy propaganda?

So the insurgents are buying time on Iraqi tv too?

Sheesh, at least when they used this excuse with the soviet union, the soviet union actually did have a propaganda apparatus.

Id love to meet the information minister of the insurgency.

[spindrifter]

3. So what is it?

Pay for play? Or press conference?
What about the WH? Do they pay the corporate media big bucks to make sure their story gets on the air/on page 1 or what have you? $20 million a year for 5 years ought to give you the really bright light treatment!

[MichiganVote]

4. Yeah, sure...whatever...hire Couric why don't ya'

[Judi Lynn]

5. I heard someone say today on C-Span that the Pentagon actually owns

a radio station and another outlet in Iraq. I think it was a tv station.

I'll try to find out more about this when I get some time.

[lovuian]

6. Military is in the business of winning the war... but if they think

this is the way then they are Wrong!!!

[Yoda Yada]

7. Is this from Rumsfeld's "Dept. of Disinformation"?

Way back in February, 2002, Rumsfeld was questioned about the controversial NEW "Office of Strategic Information". Rumsfeld stated "I met with Under Secretary Doug Feith this morning, and he indicated to me that he has decided to close down the Office of Strategic "Influence".

(This is from a Defense Department news briefing given February 26, 2002.)

My guess is that Rumsfeld's Department of Disinformation (or whatever he has renamed it) is alive and functioning.

Liars just keep on lying.

[Botany]

8. Who came up with that nugget Jeff Gannon?

related thread ...... Scott McCellen acting shocked over planted
news ...... Scott the person who knew that he had a gay prostitute
pretending to be a reporter @ his press conferences.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5500612

[Judi Lynn]

9. Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Moloch]

10. Military Explains News Propaganda In Iraq

WASHINGTON - Military officials for the first time Friday detailed and broadly defended a Pentagon program that pays to plant stories in the Iraqi media, an effort the top U.S. military commander said was part of an effort to "get the truth out" there.

But facing critics in the United States — including lawmakers from both parties — the military raised the possibility for the first time of making changes in the program.

"If any part of our process does not have our full confidence, we will examine that activity and take appropriate action," said Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a military spokesman in Iraq. "If any contractor is failing to perform as we have intended, we will take appropriate action."

Johnson did not specify what changes, if any, might be considered.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051203/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_news_stories;_ylt=AorAe8tl6_0LTP7DDkqj_dtI2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[rodeodance]

11. as keith Olberman said-it was a Friday afternoon news dump but

said-predicts it will be back next Monday. Lets hope so.

[rodeodance]

12. mr. johnson---SCRAPE the program!!!!

Johnson did not specify what changes, if any, might be considered.

[rodeodance]

13. nominate

[rodeodance]

14. "Coalition forces compiled the material"---uu.mmm This is interesting.

......Coalition forces compiled the material, and the Washington-based Lincoln Group was authorized to pay Iraqi papers to run the articles, which were supposed to be identified in that way, said Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., chairman of the
Senate Armed Services Committee.

[rodeodance]

15. Ted kennedy made a comment.

.....The Lincoln Group has at least two contracts with the military to provide media and public relations services. One contract, for $6 million, was for public relations and advertising work in Iraq.

The other Lincoln contract, which is with the Special Operations Command, is worth up to $100 million over five years for media operations with video, print and Web-based products. That contract is not related to the dispute over propaganda and was not for services in Iraq, according to command spokesman Ken McGraw.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., asked the Defense Department's Inspector General to launch an investigation into the matter.

"These reports raise serious questions about whether the
Department of Defense engaged in covert activity by concealing the role of the government," Kennedy said in a letter Friday to Acting Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble. "This perception is reinforced by suggestions that there are classified aspects to this activity."

[rodeodance]

16. kennedy wants an invesigation.

[rodeodance]

17. "Rumsfeld "has taken an interest in this matter,"---new yahoo story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051203/wl_afp/usiraqmedia;_ylt=Amc4RCnolVeFCJkSb.es1nms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-



US military news stories were 'paid advertisements': senator

48 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military confirmed that it paid to place stories in Iraqi newspapers, going through third parties to reduce the risk to publishers.


But the US-led Multi-National Force-Iraq insisted that such "information operations" were "an essential tool for commanders to ensure the Iraqi population has current, truthful and reliable information.

"As part of our operations, we have offered articles for publication to Iraqi newspapers, and in some cases articles have been accepted and published as function of buying advertising and opinion/editorial space, as is customary in Iraq," it said in a statement.
....

......."Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "has taken an interest in this matter," but would not comment on what he has done".

[rodeodance]

18. nominated

[lebkuchen]

19. Stripes: Warner: DOD officials committed to principles of journalism

Sen. John Warner said Friday that U.S. defense officials are committed to the “long-standing principles of journalism” and are still investigating if a U.S. contractor was paying foreign reporters to write propaganda for Iraqi media outlets.

Defense officials on Friday briefed Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on recent news reports that employees of the Washington-based Lincoln Group, a defense contractor, had posed as freelance reporters and advertising executives to help push pro-America stories to Iraqi news editors.

Warner, R-Va., said that senior defense officials still are not sure exactly what propaganda products were put in the foreign press, but assured him that the contractors were up front about their status as defense employees. Military public affairs officers were not involved in the creation or dissemination of those reports.

He compared the transactions to advertisers buying spots in U.S. newspapers.


http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=33428

[sofa king]

20. The "they did it too" defense cancels out all their negative stories.

You can't tell me that they bought the Iraqi press and fed them only warm fuzzy stories. I'm sure they were busy planting stories which makes the other guys look bad, too. Consider the source: the Bush Administration ain't exactly revered for its positive propaganda. They roll people under the bus, whenever possible.

So when the DoD invokes the "they did it too" defense, that lowers them to the level of their enemy, and effectively negates all of the evil shit they've spewed about the bad guys. Or worse, it equates them with all of the negative press they've produced about their enemies.

Will the average Mo in Iraq figure that out? Eh, they probably believe it already.