Pentagon Rolls Out Stealth PR

[G_j]

Published on Wednesday, http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1214-01.htm USA Today
Pentagon Rolls Out Stealth PR
by Matt Kelley

WASHINGTON — A $300 million Pentagon psychological warfare operation includes plans for placing pro-American messages in foreign media outlets without disclosing the U.S. government as the source, one of the military officials in charge of the program says.

Run by psychological warfare experts at the U.S. Special Operations Command, the media campaign is being designed to counter terrorist ideology and sway foreign audiences to support American policies. The military wants to fight the information war against al-Qaeda through newspapers, websites, radio, television and "novelty items" such as T-shirts and bumper stickers.

The program will operate throughout the world, including in allied nations and in countries where the United States is not involved in armed conflict.
THE PROGRAM

•Cost: Up to $100 million per contractor, $300 million total

•Contractors: SYColeman of Washington; Lincoln Group of Washington; Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego

•Awarded: June 7

•Length: Five years

•Purpose: "For media approach planning, prototype product development, commercial quality product development, product distribution and dissemination, and media effects analysis."

Source: Department of Defense

[Daphne08]

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http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1214-01.htm