Senators demand answers about propaganda in Iraq

[babylonsister]

I think this current scandal could go places. Add it to the list!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/02/iraq.newsstories.ap/index.html

Defense Department officials, summoned to a briefing Friday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, have remained silent about the program. Multimillion-dollar contracts cover paying Iraqi newspapers and journalists to get into print such stories about the war and the rebuilding effort.

"A free and independent press is critical to the functioning of a democracy, and I am concerned about any actions which may erode the independence of the Iraqi media," said the committee chairman, Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia.

Military officials in Iraq say the program is necessary.

"The purpose of this program is to ensure factual information is provided to the Iraqi public," Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, said in Iraq.


more...

[soothsayer]

1. Good, then address the propaganda here at home!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. breaking news. The Military told Sen. Warner to stuff his hearing in ear.

they refused to accept an invite today.

[Doctor_J]

5. Do you get the feeling something really nasty is brewing?

The military refusing to answer questions from the senate is really a bad sign for democracy being restored in this country. COngress stopped representing the people long ago. Now if the military stops reporting to their superiors, a breakdown of biblical proportion could be imminent.

[welshTerrier2]

3. Dems and the press aren't framing the story correctly

i posted this yesterday (see below) but thought the point was worth repeating ... Warner's comment is dead on the money: "A free and independent press is critical to the functioning of a democracy" ... that's why the lies bush pre-scripted for his interview with American troops in Iraq was un-democratic and un-American ... instead of letting the American people hear the truth from the troops, the WH wrote the script ... in my view, that by itself should be grounds for impeachment ...

here was yesterday's post:

planting propaganda in the Iraqi press is despicable ... especially when bush is using the bullshit justification for his occupation that we're there to spread democracy ... that is NOT how democracies are supposed to operate ...

i doubt a story like this would have received much coverage a year ago and it wouldn't have received any coverage at all from the intimidated MSM two years ago ... that's the good news ...

but Dems and the press have failed to put the story in its proper context ... remember that little pre-scripted news conference bush did with troops in Iraq ... the one moderated by Allison Barber who subsequently tried to keep Ed Schultz's program off Armed Forces Radio ...

not only has the WH tried to lie to the Iraqi people but they've tried to lie about the war to the American people as well ... that's the story!!

check out the "Train Wreck" video (click the picture of the troops) to see Olbermann's coverage of the event: http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/002474.html

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks for that, welsh.

As much as people dislike Tweety, his show yesterday about this current mess was right on the money and drove home to me how despicable this conduct is, despite Buchanan's blatherings. I missed KO, so will watch that.

[welshTerrier2]

6. we get so focussed on the nightmare du jour

that we often fail to educate Americans by putting the issue in its larger context ...

the WHOLE modus operandi of the WH is to lie about everything and anything that will serve their agenda ... the propaganda planting in Iraq is no different than the DSM, Cheney's secret energy task force, the banning of Congressional oversight of anything the Executive Branch does or anything else ... it is all lies all the time ...

Roll out their new products; sell the war; mission accomplished on an aircraft carrier, speeches before hand-picked audiences, intimidation of the press and all the rest of it ...

Warner should get a medal for stating the obvious: "A free and independent press is critical to the functioning of a democracy" after which we should throw him in jail for refusing to call this lying administration on its modus operandi ... the conduct of the bush WH has raised treason to an art form; the democracy Warner says he's so concerned about is at risk ...