KidRocks
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AHA!
Just as we suspected all along! The brainwashing of America continues via the well financed r-wing propaganda machine. Now you know how President Bush was elected and re-elected.
http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_334123206.html
Report: U.S. Paid Iraqi Press For Positive Stories
The U.S. military secretly paid Iraqi newspapers to plant favorable stories about its efforts to rebuild the country, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying many of the stories in Iraqi newspapers are written by U.S. troops and while basically factual, sometimes give readers a slanted view of what is happening in Iraq. Some expressed fears that use of such stories could hurt the credibility of the U.S. military worldwide, the newspaper said.
The Pentagon hired the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based firm that translates the stories into Arabic and places them in Baghdad newspapers, the newspaper reported. The organization's staff or subcontractors in Iraq occasionally pose as freelance reporters or advertising executives when they hand over stories to Iraqi media outlets, it said.
Laurie Adler, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Group, said Wednesday she could not comment on the contract because it is with the U.S. government. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he had no details on the issue, and said he is looking into it. He added that if the elements in the report are true, "there are some things in there I find troubling."
Military officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity said the "Information Operations Task Force," part of a multinational corps with headquarters in Baghdad, bought an Iraqi newspaper and took over a radio station to put out pro-American messages. Neither outlet was named because of fear that they would be targeted by insurgents, the newspaper said.
The stories in Iraqi newspapers often praise the efforts of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce terrorism and promote the country's reconstruction efforts.
The Baghdad-based newspaper Al Mutamar, which is run by associates of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, have used some of the pro-U.S. stories. Chalabi is the former Iraqi exile tainted by the since-discredited claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
The Times said documents it obtained showed Al Mutamar was paid about $50 to run a story with the headline "Iraqis Insist on Living Despite Terrorism" on Aug. 6.
Luay Baldawi, Al Mutamar's editor in chief, said the articles have come to him via the Internet and are often unsigned.
"We publish anything," he said. "The paper's policy is to publish everything, especially if it praises causes we believe in. We are pro-American. Everything that supports America we will publish."
The Times said nearly $1,500 was paid to the independent Ad-Dustour newspaper to run an Aug. 2 article titled "More Money Goes to Iraq's Development," according to documents. The newspaper's editor, Bassem Sheikh, said he had "no idea" where the piece came from but added the note "media services" on top of the article to distinguish it from other editorial content.
Just as we suspected all along! The brainwashing of America continues via the well financed r-wing propaganda machine. Now you know how President Bush was elected and re-elected.
http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_334123206.html
Report: U.S. Paid Iraqi Press For Positive Stories
The U.S. military secretly paid Iraqi newspapers to plant favorable stories about its efforts to rebuild the country, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The newspaper quoted unidentified officials as saying many of the stories in Iraqi newspapers are written by U.S. troops and while basically factual, sometimes give readers a slanted view of what is happening in Iraq. Some expressed fears that use of such stories could hurt the credibility of the U.S. military worldwide, the newspaper said.
The Pentagon hired the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based firm that translates the stories into Arabic and places them in Baghdad newspapers, the newspaper reported. The organization's staff or subcontractors in Iraq occasionally pose as freelance reporters or advertising executives when they hand over stories to Iraqi media outlets, it said.
Laurie Adler, a spokeswoman for the Lincoln Group, said Wednesday she could not comment on the contract because it is with the U.S. government. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said he had no details on the issue, and said he is looking into it. He added that if the elements in the report are true, "there are some things in there I find troubling."
Military officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity said the "Information Operations Task Force," part of a multinational corps with headquarters in Baghdad, bought an Iraqi newspaper and took over a radio station to put out pro-American messages. Neither outlet was named because of fear that they would be targeted by insurgents, the newspaper said.
The stories in Iraqi newspapers often praise the efforts of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce terrorism and promote the country's reconstruction efforts.
The Baghdad-based newspaper Al Mutamar, which is run by associates of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, have used some of the pro-U.S. stories. Chalabi is the former Iraqi exile tainted by the since-discredited claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
The Times said documents it obtained showed Al Mutamar was paid about $50 to run a story with the headline "Iraqis Insist on Living Despite Terrorism" on Aug. 6.
Luay Baldawi, Al Mutamar's editor in chief, said the articles have come to him via the Internet and are often unsigned.
"We publish anything," he said. "The paper's policy is to publish everything, especially if it praises causes we believe in. We are pro-American. Everything that supports America we will publish."
The Times said nearly $1,500 was paid to the independent Ad-Dustour newspaper to run an Aug. 2 article titled "More Money Goes to Iraq's Development," according to documents. The newspaper's editor, Bassem Sheikh, said he had "no idea" where the piece came from but added the note "media services" on top of the article to distinguish it from other editorial content.