U.S. pays Iraq media for spin

[papau]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/13297089.htm

U.S. pays Iraq media for spin

By Jonathan S. Landay

Inquirer Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON - <snip>

U.S. officials in Washington said the payments were made through the Baghdad Press Club, an organization they said was created more than a year ago by U.S. Army officers. They are part of an extensive American military-run information campaign - including psychological-warfare experts - intended to build popular support for U.S.-led stabilization efforts and erode support for Sunni Muslim insurgents.<snip>

Under military rules, information operations are restricted to influencing the attitudes and behavior of foreign governments and people. One form of information operations - psychological warfare - can use doctored or false information to deceive or damage the enemy or to bolster support for American efforts.

Many military officials, however, said they were concerned that the payments to Iraqi journalists and other covert information operations in Iraq had become so extensive that they were corroding the effort to build democracy and undermining U.S. credibility in Iraq. They also worry that information in the Iraqi media that has been planted or paid for by the U.S. military could "blow back" to the American public.<snip>

Moreover, the defense and military officials said, the U.S. public is at risk of being influenced by the information operations because what is planted in the Iraqi media can be picked up by international news organizations and Internet bloggers.

"There is no 'local' media anymore," said a senior military official in Baghdad who has knowledge of American psychological operations in Iraq. "All media is potentially international. The Web makes it all public. We need to... eliminate the idea that psychological operations and information operations can issue any kind of information to the media ever. Period."<snip>


"The Iraqis learned that if they reported stuff we liked, they'd get paid, and our guys learned that if they paid the Iraqis, they'd report stuff we liked," the former senior defense official said.

[liberal N proud]

1. That should piss of the MSM in the US, They have been doing it for free

I would think that FAUX and others would baulk at continuing to spread the propaganda for the regime since they have been willing to pay other media outlets, they should stop promoting the propaganda until they get paid, Cold Hard Cash, just like Iraqi media.