The Iraq myth [View All]

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http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2005/October/opinion_October39.xml§ion=opinion&col=

IN THE weeks and months preceding the Iraq war in March 2003, various US officials informed the already baffled public that the war would be marred with tactical misinformation for the sole purpose of derailing Iraq’s war stratagems and ultimately protecting the lives of American soldiers.

This ushered in the return of infamous embedded journalism, which unsurprisingly derailed whatever little integrity both the government and the corporate media still possessed.

Upon their arrival and subsequent takeover of the Baghdad airport, shortly after the onset of military operations, US forces set up a radio station targeting the greater Baghdad era, with the sole purpose of disseminating half-truths, even outright lies to contribute to the psychological warfare already underway in various parts of the country. snip

While many are familiar with the deadly ‘incidents’ that led to the death and wounding of scores of journalists in Iraq, few are aware of the take-over and meticulous restructuring of Iraqi television by US experts with the help of friendly Arab media. In a very short time, Iraqi television ceased exalting ousted Saddam Hussein, and commenced exalting the US occupation and their faithful partners.

This impressive propaganda network was relatively but temporarily hampered by a few obstinate media outlets, which were swiftly silenced, either through intimidation or by being completely thrown out of the country, ironically accused by American and Iraqi officials as being purveyors of propaganda.