Pentagon's Hidden Hand

[elleng]

"Records and interviews show how the Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.

Analysts have been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, records show. They have been taken on tours of Iraq and given access to classified intelligence. They have been briefed by officials from the White House, State Department and Justice Department, including Mr. Cheney, Alberto R. Gonzales and Stephen J. Hadley.

In turn, members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access.">>>

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html?hp

[Frustratedlady]

1. We seem to read them pretty accurately, wouldn't you say?

I believe most of us have always suspected most of the information coming out on the evening news and backed by these people was to convince us they were on the right track. I wonder how much the "romancing" cost before they had them solidly on their side?

If you were one of them, wouldn't you be horribly embarrassed? I suppose loyalty wins out over truth, but truth generally wins in the end. I find it disgusting that the Pentagon took advantage of this blind loyalty, though. These are good people and did their job. Leave them alone in their retirement.

[Joanne98]

2. Remeber when the pundits on CNBC had to disclose their stock holdings?

If they were talking about a stock they have to say if they owned it or not?

The same policy should be in place for the "generals".

snippet>
The effort, which began with the buildup to the Iraq war and continues to this day, has sought to exploit ideological and military allegiances, and also a powerful financial dynamic: Most of the analysts have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.