Pentagon propaganda an effort to "get the truth ou

[PadreSantiago]

Pentagon propaganda an effort to "get the truth out," senator says

By Lolita C. Baldor

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – A key senator and the country's top military commander said today that a Pentagon propaganda program was part of an effort to "get the truth out" in Iraq.

Leaving a Pentagon meeting with Defense Department officials, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said the program, which pays to plant favorable stories with Iraqi journalists and newspapers, is a serious problem.

But Warner told The Associated Press that, "Things like this happen. It's a war. The disinformation that's going on in that country is really affecting the effectiveness of what we're achieving, and we have no recourse but to try and do some rebuttal information."

And Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added that, "We want to get the facts out. We want to get the truth out."

Warner met with chief Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita and members of Pace's staff, but only bumped into Pace on his way out of the building.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesman said today that it is not clear whether the program violated the law or Pentagon policy, a Defense Department spokesman said today.

"You can do something perfectly legal, but that is inconsistent with the policy or procedures of the department. Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's the right thing to do," said spokesman Bryan Whitman.

He said the department is still gathering information on the matter.

Warner initially requested a Capitol Hill briefing for the committee, but committee spokesman John Ullyot said those plans were changed "at the Pentagon's request."

Whitman said the department was still gathering information about the program and the multimillion-dollar contracts that included paying Iraqi newspapers and journalists to plant favorable stories about the war and the rebuilding effort.

"We don't have all the facts," he said, including whether or not defense officials in Iraq knew exactly what was happening or whether they believed any of it was improper.

Military officials in Iraq say the program is a critical tool on the Iraq battleground.

"The purpose of this program is to ensure factual information is provided to the Iraqi public," Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. military spokesman, said in Iraq.

But Congress members and the White House have expressed concern.

"A free and independent press is critical to the functioning of a democracy, and I am concerned about any actions which may erode the independence of the Iraqi media," Warner said earlier.

One of the companies involved — the Washington-based Lincoln Group — has at least two contracts with the military to provide media and public relations services. One contract, for $6 million, was for public relations and advertising work in Iraq and involved planting favorable stories in the Iraqi media, Defense Department records show.

The other Lincoln contract, which is with the Special Operations Command, is worth up to $100 million over five years for media operations with video, print and Web-based products. That contract is not related to the dispute over propaganda and was not for services in Iraq, according to command spokesman Ken McGraw.

The Lincoln Group shares that Special Operations contract with SYColeman, a division of L-3 Communications, and Science Applications International Corp., a San Diego-based defense contractor.

The program came to light just as President Bush released his strategy for victory in Iraq. It includes the need to support a "free, independent and responsible Iraqi media."

"We're very concerned," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "We are seeking more information from the Pentagon."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., characterized the program as a scheme that "speaks volumes about the president's credibility gap. If Americans were truly welcomed in Iraq as liberators, we wouldn't have to doctor the news for the Iraqi people."

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

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how is it a "free, independent and responsible Iraqi media." if the pentagon is paying reporters to put "favorable" stories in the iraq media? This makes me sick. I think the very last quote by mr. kennedy really puts it all in perspective.


"see in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in....to kinda of catapult the propaganda"
-George W. Bush may 24, 2005

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."
Joseph Goebbels

"Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise"
Adolf Hitler

Edited December 3, 2005 by PadreSantiago

[Nathan]

Man, you have a one-track mind.

[PadreSantiago]

yeah I can tell by all my topics ranging from iraq to gay marriage to guns to limbo to icp that's all very one track.

[Nathan]

It all comes back to Iraq and anti-Americanism eventually with you, though.

Edited December 3, 2005 by Nathan

[PadreSantiago]

First off how is wanting gay people having the same rights as anyone else anti-american?

If you have a child and your child runs across a busy street. What would you do? Let the child do what he will? NO you love that child and you don't want to see it come to harm so you are going to tell that child he did something wrong. Now does that mean you hate your child? NO it means you love it so much you couldn't stand to see him hurt. People who speak up against the war in iraq and speak their minds, are not anti-american, I love america but america is running across a friggin' highway with a potoato sack over it's head.

Edited December 3, 2005 by PadreSantiago

[Nathan]

If it wasn't for America's willingness to go to war when she sees fit, you wouldn't even have the freedom to speak your mind.

[PadreSantiago]

[img]http://workingforchange.speedera.net/www.workingforchange.com/webgraphics/wfc/TMW11-30-05.jpg[/img]

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='PadreSantiago' date='Dec 3 2005, 07:28 AM']First off how is wanting gay people having the same rights as anyone else anti-american?
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Fundamentally it’s not a question of homosexuality. It's a question of the meaning of marriage as a basic constituent of society.
Is it a violation of my rights that I can't marry my sister, my dad or my dog? The same principles are involved and if one understands what marriage is (its not an arbitrary social structure). Then the idea of men marrying men, and women marrying women is absurd. It's even worse than absurd; it undermines the institution of marriage. The gravity of such a redefinition cannot be stressed enough. Marriage is a part of society’s deepest foundations and redefining marriage, or making it basically arbitrary, will no doubt have grave consequences on the fabric of society.
Then as an added bonus we have the problem of homosexuality itself.

But anyway, affirming that the nature of marriage excludes same-sex unions is about as unfair as denying someone the "right" to marry five women and a hippo.

[PadreSantiago]

why you tryin to jack my thread homie? Quit steppin', there's a million threads about the gay thing. I'm just saying there's nothing anti-american about equal rights.

but since you went there I'm going to post this awesome tom tomorrow strip. Now seriously don't reply to this just read it. If you want to add something it better be about propaganda and the war in iraq ok.

[img]http://workingforchange.speedera.net/www.workingforchange.com/webgraphics/wfc/TMW03-03-04.gif[/img]

Edited December 3, 2005 by PadreSantiago

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='PadreSantiago' date='Dec 3 2005, 07:54 AM']why you tryin to jack my thread homie?  Quit steppin',  there's a million threads about the gay thing.  I'm just saying there's nothing anti-american about equal rights.
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my bad

there just isn't a lot of action on phatmass right now and I'm bored. :

[Nathan]

I think PadreSantiago is gay.

[PadreSantiago]

And I think you fear people who are gay. MAN I love you catholics you are so nice and loving.

"You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this bulletin board to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. "

[PadreSantiago]

[quote name='Laudate_Dominum' date='Dec 3 2005, 09:05 AM'] my bad

there just isn't a lot of action on phatmass right now and I'm bored. :
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sorry this nathan guy called me gay and anti-american and my response to you was really kinda mean, I apologize. I thought you were trying to gang up on me or something.

Edited December 3, 2005 by PadreSantiago

[cmotherofpirl]

I think Padre is quite fun-loving and entertaining as well. That is the definition of the word gay. This means I am gay as well, and also usually cheerful, unless I have to play mod early in the morning before my caffeine has kicked in.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='PadreSantiago' date='Dec 3 2005, 08:15 AM']sorry this nathan guy called me gay and anti-american and my response to you was really kinda mean,  I apologize.  I thought you were trying to gang up on me or something.
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aww, no problem. I just thought you were playing around so I wasn't hurt or anything.