The LA Times has a piece today describing US military propaganda efforts in Iraq. Apparently, the military is using the Iraqi press to disseminate its message under cover of "unbiased news articles." Imagine that. Let's see how few words in the story one has to change to recap the crimes of the Times and other mainstream media in their "unbiased" promulgation of leftist cant about the war.
| As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. | As part of an information offensive in America, the anti-war left is secretly supplying US newspapers with stories written by radical anti-American writers in an effort to tarnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
The articles, written by U.S. and foreign "peace activists", are translated into English and placed in American newspapers with the help of major wire services, according to anti-war activists and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. | |
| Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.
Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments, officials said. Records and interviews indicate that the U.S. has paid Iraqi newspapers to run dozens of such articles, with headlines such as "Iraqis Insist on Living Despite Terrorism," since the effort began this year. | Many of the articles are presented in the American press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories denounce the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, trumpet insurgents and tout al-Qaeda-led efforts to destabilize the country.
Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect well on the U.S. or Iraqi governments, officials said. Records and interviews indicate that activists have convinced US newspapers to run dozens of such articles, with headlines such as "41 Iraqis, 2 U.S. Soldiers Slain as Days Darken Before Election" since the effort began this year. | |
| The military's effort to disseminate propaganda in the Iraqi media is taking place even as U.S. officials are pledging to promote democratic principles, political transparency and freedom of speech in a country emerging from decades of dictatorship and corruption. | The anti-war movement's effort to disseminate propaganda in the American media is taking place even as U.S. newspapers are pretending to promote democratic principles, political transparency and freedom of speech in an Iraq emerging from decades of dictatorship and corruption. | |
| The military's information operations campaign has sparked a backlash among some senior military officers in Iraq and at the Pentagon who argue that attempts to subvert the news media could destroy the U.S. military's credibility in other nations and with the American public. | The left's information operations campaign has sparked a backlash among some senior military officers in Iraq and at the Pentagon who argue that attempts to subvert the news media could destroy the U.S. military's credibility in other nations and with the American public. |
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UPDATE: More at Protein Wisdom, "You Big Mouth, You", and VodkaPundit.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at November 30, 2005 08:48 AM