Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I'm not exactly sure why this is a scandal. Maybe it's because the slant (there is no allegation of non-factual material) is designed to help us succeed..
CNN: Report: U.S. buys positive press in Iraq
Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a military spokesman in Iraq, said the program is "an important part of countering misinformation in the news by insurgents."
"This is a military program initiated with the multinational force to help get factual information about ongoing operations into Iraqi news," Johnson said in an e-mail. "I want to emphasize that all information used for marketing these stories is completely factual."...
...Details about the program were first reported by the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. It marked the second time this year that Pentagon programs have come under scrutiny for reported payments made to journalists for favorable press...
Uh, yeah, but those were with the domestic press. Since when is it such a big hairy deal for the US Government to try to influence forgeign opinion. I thought that's what we were supposed to be doing. Hell, I thought that was part of the CIA's job. Whether this particular project is wise or short-sighted is another matter. It hardly seems scandalous. Of course, now that it's front page news...that sort of calls in to question its future effectiveness.
"The Bush administration, and some elements within the Defense Department, do not seem to grasp the irony that, in their efforts to create, impose or inspire democratic society in Iraq, they are subverting the very core of what democracy means and are instead, by example, undercutting the very thing they are attempting to instill in Iraq," Schulz said.
The only scary thing is that a former executive of Voice of America thinks it's a bad thing for the USA to be utilizing all possible venues to get our message out. Sheesh.
