• Pentagon "Stealth PR"

    From Steve Asher@3:800/432 to All on Thursday, December 15, 2005 22:48:10
    Pentagon rolls out stealth PR

    By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

    WASHINGTON - A $300 million Pentagon psychological warfare operation
    includes plans for placing pro-American messages in foreign media
    outlets without disclosing the U.S. government as the source, one
    of the military officials in charge of the program says.

    Run by psychological warfare experts at the U.S. Special Operations
    Command, the media campaign is being designed to counter terrorist
    ideology and sway foreign audiences to support American policies.
    The military wants to fight the information war against al-Qaeda
    through newspapers, websites, radio, television and "novelty items"
    such as T-shirts and bumper stickers.

    The program will operate throughout the world, including in allied
    nations and in countries where the United States is not involved in
    armed conflict.

    The description of the program by Mike Furlong, deputy director of
    the Joint Psychological Operations Support Element, provides the
    most detailed look to date at the Pentagon's global campaign.

    The three companies handling the campaign include the Lincoln Group,
    the company being investigated by the Pentagon for paying Iraqi
    newspapers to run pro-U.S. stories. (Related story: Contracts for
    pro-U.S. propaganda)

    Military officials involved with the campaign say they're not planning
    to place false stories in foreign news outlets clandestinely. But the
    military won't always reveal its role in distributing pro-American
    messages, Furlong says.

    "While the product may not carry the label, 'Made in the USA,' we will
    respond truthfully if asked" by journalists, Furlong told USA TODAY in
    a videoconference interview.

    He declined to give examples of specific "products," which he said
    would include articles, advertisements and public-service
    announcements.

    The military's communications work in Iraq has recently drawn
    controversy with disclosures that Lincoln Group and the U.S.
    military secretly paid journalists and news outlets to run
    pro-American stories.

    White House officials have expressed concern about the practice,
    even when the stories are true.

    [...]

    Full article at "Raiders News Updates" - http://www.raidersnewsupdate.com/

    Cheers, Steve..

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    * Origin: Xaragmata / Adelaide SA telnet://xaragmata.thebbs.org (3:800/432)