Published on Saturday, December 3, 2005 by Agence France Presse
Iraqi Journalists Condemn US Military Media Tactics


Journalists in Iraq say they are shocked by revelations that the US military paid Iraqi newspapers and journalists to run positive articles about US activities in Iraq.

"It is a scandal that the US administration would use methods like these which contradict all principles of the profession and seek to defraud public opinion," well-known Iraqi journalist and political analyst Ahmed Sabri said.

"A newspaper should reflect the reality on the ground, not sponsored information aimed at improving the image of the The United States, which in reality has failed in Iraq," Sabri added.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that dozens of stories written by "information operations" soldiers were secretly placed with media outlets in Iraq through a defense contractor to mask the military's involvement.

The report relied largely on leaks from members of the military establishment who say they fear that US attempts to influence the Iraqi media may actually be subverting a free press.

As recently as Tuesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pointed to the free press in Iraq as evidence of the progress made in Iraq.

Knight-Ridder newspapers on Thursday reported that the military also was paying Iraqi reporters up to 200 dollars a month to write sympathetic stories.

It said the payments were made to members of the Baghdad Press Club, an organization set up by US army officers more than a year ago.

An Iraqi female journalist, who preferred to remain anonymous, told AFP about working for the Baghdad Press Club, which is headquartered is at the airport, for three months before quitting.

"We were called to go out with them on various educational, reconstruction, health or aid projects and asked to write positive articles about them in exchange for 50 dollars," she recalled.

"After three months, I left. The whole thing was ridiculous and against the ethics of journalists," she said, recalling a US-sponsored trip to Sadr City where people called her a traitor and threw rocks at her.

Another Iraqi journalist in Baghdad who also preferred not to be named was more philosophical about the entire affair.

"It's true that it's fraud, but a professional journalist shouldn't fall into such a trap," he said.

Major General Rick Lynch, the US military spokesman in Iraq, cast the matter as an effort to counter lies spread by Al-Qaeda.

"We do empower our operational commanders with the ability to inform the Iraqi public, but everything we do is based on fact not based on fiction," he said.

Military officials would not comment on whether newspapers and journalists were paid to plant the articles.

Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson, head of the US military's press department in Baghdad, cited operational secrecy in withholding information about the program.

Johnson explained that the Iraqi press has traveled a long hard road from total control under ousted president Saddam Hussein to the current period characterized by a lethal insurgency.

"There's outright intimidation and many murders and other ways of manipulating the press, so it was felt operationally that it was necessary to make sure the facts were out," he said.

The White House announced on Wednesday that it was "very concerned" about the report.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1203-04.htm

The fact that the Iraqi's are shock and angry for being deceived isn't surprising to me.
It would be a considerable surprise if they were not offended.

Sometimes we assume the Iraqi people to be not very smart.
Clearly this is a result of the war, and it's to our disfavor.

Iraqi's aren't stupid backwater sub-humans!



We did the same to the Vietnamese.
We lost that war too!

Funny. Most Americans are NOT shocked OR angry about the way the American media is manipulated to distribute lies and propaganda. We like it. Ba-a-ah, ba-a-ah!

We like it, just as long as we aren't directly involved!

That's all I want, I don't want to be inconvienced. I got enough problems buying gas for the SUV. Just leave me out of your little political games. The less I know, the happier I am. I don't understand this shit and I don't want too!

I'm just farkin glad Katrina didn't happen to me. Here's 20 bux to help out!

Hadley: Pentagon Propaganda In Iraq Continues

On Sunday’s ABC This Week, Stephen Hadley acknowledged that President Bush has not yet ordered the shut-down of the Pentagon’s propaganda campaign in Iraq.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Has he ordered the program shut down?

HADLEY: He’s asked Secretary Rumsfeld to look at it. It’s clear from the comments that have been made so far, that the issue is whether that program is something that’s inconsistent with the policy guidance. And if it is inconsistent with policy guidance it will be shut down.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, it would be inconsistent to secretly pay Iraqi journalists, wouldn’t it?

HADLEY: Look, we want a free media. We want truth. That’s the whole point of this. We need to get the story about what’s happening out. The truthful story about what’s happening to Iraq to Iraqis, to the American people. That’s what we ought to be doing. This kind of practices is inconsistent with that. It’s not the kind of policy that the, that the Americans want to pursue.

The dishonest tactics used by the Penatgon in the campaign are already well established: the source of the stories (the U.S. military) were kept secret, “absolute truth was not an essential element” in the stories, and the AP and Reuters photos used in the stories did not necessarily depict the events described. This seems inconsistent with any type of “truthful story” the United States is trying to tell.

When will Bush to live up to his rhetoric and shut down the program?

I'm shocked and angry but what good does it do? I've got 2 Repug lap dogs representing me in the Senate (Shelby and Sessions) and another in the House (Everett). They don't give a flip what I think.

The '04 election was stolen, so why should I believe my voice will even be heard at the polls?

Democracy?!?!?!


Sounds good, when do we get one?

The most amazing thing is the unbelieveable arrogance of these guys. Even after they are caught, they still continue their unethical behavior. It seems like they are just saying, "so what, you caught us bribing the media for fake news stories, again. Whatcha gonna do about it, punks?"

We got 3 more years with these ass clowns.

I'd guess that pretty soon they will realize there is no longer any need to obfuscate
and will be up front with their atrocities.

I mean, why not? Who gives a shit!
They're gonna do what they're gonna do and no one is gonna stop them!
Even if they try, they'll be ignored!

So why even bother hide it or deny it?
We simply don't care!

That's the problem with a 2 term presidency.

Its like after you hand in your 2 week letter for a job you have. After that, who cares! Do you give it 100% anymore? No. Whats the boss gonna do? Fire you? You're already quitting!

The Bush admin. is showing signs of this every day.

Nope, we only got 11 months of them after New Year's, then its Prez Pelosi