Pentagon Rolls Out Stealth PR

Pentagon Rolls Out Stealth PR
By Matt Kelley
USA Today
December 14, 2005
A $300 million Pentagon psychological warfare operation includes plans for placing pro-American messages in foreign media outlets without disclosing the US government as the source, one of the military officials in charge of the program says.

Run by psychological warfare experts at the US 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-US stories. (Related story: Contracts for Pro-US 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.
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http://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/media/2005/1214mediapr.htm

:grr:

Ah ,the days of wine and roses has arrived. Or is it the days of milk and honey? I forget now.

just seems to me, that it's that committee who has oversight on appropriations AND policy.

anybody know?

Is that allowed? Is anybody investigating this misuse of taxpayer money?