Rumsfeld & Pentagon using psy-ops, surveillance on journalists & bloggers

[Julius Civitatus]

The news this week are bringing some very scary stuff from the brains of Rumsfeld and Cheney. This is very disturbing:

Link from War & Piece Blog

U.S. military pays Iraqis for positive news stories on war


... Knight Ridder investigation has found that the American military's information operations have been far more extensive.

In addition to the Army's secret payments to Iraqi newspaper, radio and television journalists for positive stories, U.S. psychological-warfare officers have been involved in writing news releases and drafting media strategies for top commanders, two defense officials said.

On at least one occasion, psychological warfare specialists have taken a group of international journalists on a tour of Iraq's border with Syria, a route used by Islamic terrorists and arms smugglers, one of the officials said.

Usually, these duties are the responsibility of military public-affairs officers.

In Iraq, public affairs staff at the American-run multinational headquarters in Baghdad have been combined with information operations experts in an organization known as the Information Operations Task Force.

The unit's public affairs officers are subservient to the information operations experts, military and defense officials said.

The result is a "fuzzing up" of what's supposed to be a strict division between public affairs, which provides factual information about U.S. military operations, and information operations, which can use propaganda and doctored or false information to influence enemy actions, perceptions and behavior....

In another article, Pentagon announced they are stepping up surveillance operations INSIDE THE USA, meaning they will be keeping an eye on those filthy hippies and commies from the left that don't pray to Jesus and GW Bush:

Pentagon Expanding Its Domestic Surveillance Activity

Source - Washington Post

The Defense Department has expanded its programs aimed at gathering and analyzing intelligence within the United States, creating new agencies, adding personnel and seeking additional legal authority for domestic security activities in the post-9/11 world.

The moves have taken place on several fronts. The White House is considering expanding the power of a little-known Pentagon agency called the Counterintelligence Field Activity, or CIFA, which was created three years ago. The proposal, made by a presidential commission, would transform CIFA from an office that coordinates Pentagon security efforts -- including protecting military facilities from attack -- to one that also has authority to investigate crimes within the United States such as treason, foreign or terrorist sabotage or even economic espionage.

The Pentagon has pushed legislation on Capitol Hill that would create an intelligence exception to the Privacy Act, allowing the FBI and others to share information gathered about U.S. citizens with the Pentagon, CIA and other intelligence agencies, as long as the data is deemed to be related to foreign intelligence. Backers say the measure is needed to strengthen investigations into terrorism or weapons of mass destruction.

Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, said the data-sharing amendment would still give the Pentagon much greater access to the FBI's massive collection of data, including information on citizens not connected to terrorism or espionage.
The measure, she said, "removes one of the few existing privacy protections against the creation of secret dossiers on Americans by government intelligence agencies." She said the Pentagon's "intelligence agencies are quietly expanding their domestic presence without any public debate."...

Many bloggers are already starting to notice web visits from the CIFA, including Talk Left, Uncommon Thoughts, and Jesus General:



What do these bloggers have in common? You guessed it: they are liberals.

So now you know: on the face of failure in everything they touch, this administration has decided the best solution is to use psy-ops and surveillance on those who do not spouse the official bullshit.

We are officially a 'former democracy'.

[wakeme2008]

1. Funny thing is these asswipes

do not know how to hide their IP address :rofl:

[Julius Civitatus]

2. Maybe they do it on purpose

It may be a way to let bloggers know they are being watched.

Spooky.

[Julius Civitatus]

3. Kick

kick

[bklyncowgirl]

4. Hi Agent Mike! Working for Rummy now? nt