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The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Nov 30, 2005 at 03:01:08 PM EST
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by TChris

We know that the Bush administration illegally released pro-administration propaganda packaged as news, and that it gave press credentials to a Bush supporter masquerading as a legitimate reporter so that Bush could get softball questions at news conferences. Given the administration’s commitment to media manipulation, it should come as no surprise that the military took the administration's pretend news campaign on the road, to Iraq.

As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq. The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.

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    • The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq | 38 comments (38 topical)
    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#1)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Just one question for the wingnuts... why? Why the obsession with propaganda?

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#2)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    The "propaganda is a part of war" response will come blowing in from the right shortly. Jim needs to re-read Instapundit se he gets the nuance right. But we're not just blowing people up in Iraq anymore. The goal is now to build a free, democratic country. This sort of deceipt directly undermines that goal.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#3)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Why the obsession with propaganda? Maybe, just maybe, the 'truth' wouldn't be good PR.......? Hmmmmm? Naaaaahhhhhhh... that couldn't be it... could it? Could it??

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    As opposed to the propaganda being put out by moonbats like Sheehan and Moore? It's all about who's ox is being gored. Although, I suspect that TChris would have objected to the WWII era propaganda efforts as well.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    No, TChris would not have objected to propaganda in WWII because we were fighting WITH the communists. Ever wonder why WWII was the last popular war? Because it was fought so cleanly? No, because the Communists in the media were brought aboard. Jimbo

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#6)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Let's see: World War II...communists. All we need is mention of 9/11 and the Iraq Wingnut Bullsh1t Analogy List will be complete. These people don't talk propaganda, they breathe it.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#7)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Propaganda in and of itself is not necessarily bad. If it were, there would be no such thing as press releases. But the methodology sucks, and it will undermine any concept of a free press. It is comparable to the shenanigans perpetrated here, and I think they will have about as much success.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    I'm not worried about Bush's propaganda at all, because I know that you committed lefties are around to tell the unadulterated, unbiased truth. I'm sorry, but you'll have to give me a minute while I finish laughing my ass off. I couldn't spit that one out with a straight face, even for sarcasm's sake.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:33 PM EST
    Et al – Well, well. What do we have here? First a re-hash of the problems the Left had with the Bush administrations news packages on drugs and with Jeff Gannon. Like a vampire at nightfall they raise them again. Given that neither had legs in their initial sortie, it is doubtful they will walk this time. From the Iraq connection, the LATimes writes:
    Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments
    Laying aside the fact that if we change “poorly” to “well” and “basically” to “sometimes” the sentence could be describing many articles and reports from the US MSM located from their vantage points in newsrooms and Baghdad hotel lobbies, what do we have here? Now listen closely.
    ….The articles are basically factual..
    So it is propaganda if we are trying to get factual news about the war and about the Iraq and US government out to the people?? Do you think that maybe al-jazeera is available to provide “the other side?” Spare me the crocodile tears. And yes, Roy. We are at war. Roy – BTW and speaking of censorship, thought suppression, etc… I have some contacts with folks who have contacts throughout the ME as well as N Korea and the PRC. When you get the “thought filter” you referred to here perfected, let me know. I am sure these countries will pay big bucks for it. (My fee is reasonable.)

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#10)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Jim, Yes, the MSM is deceptive. But the American MSM is not a government agency. Nor did it invade a country to set up a free society. It should be held to different standards.
    So it is propaganda if we are trying to get factual news about the war and about the Iraq and US government out to the people?
    You're being selective here, addressing the true parts of the stories but not the misleading part: the source. Would it make a difference to the Iraqi readers if they knew their news was a paid spot for the U.S. government? If so, and we're obscuring that information, then yes it is propaganda. And as it's propaganda directed at our most important allies in the WoT -- the Iraqi people -- I don't think that's OK. It sends the message that the only way a democratic Iraq can be our friend is for the electorate to be misinformed. It says that democracy in Iraq is only a tool to accomplish American goals, subject to our meddling when we feel like it. It says we don't want a democratic Iraq, we want an easy-to-manipulate Iraq. Even if all those messages are true, we need to at least be subtle about it. As for my "thought filter" (why is that in quotes?) it has about as much to do with censorship as a TV remote, a pop-up blocker, or the insides of your eyelids.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#12)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    The lack of imagination in this administration, and in their trumped-yup "war", is staggering. As if we can't even play up the ugly but freedom-loving TRUTH for our own long-term advantage. The truth we're supposed to be able to, as a FREE NATION, face and deal with, not wish away with badly written propaganda pieces.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#13)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    I mean, the LEAST they could do is hire some genuinely CREATIVE PEOPLE to write this tripe. Tho I suspect most of those people are creative enough to see the folly of the enterprise in the first place and would come nowhere near it.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#15)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Golly, we are supposedly establishing a democracy in iraq, yet we immediately co-opt freedom of the press and militarily target press we don't agree with (and I won't bother to mention start a gulag, torture rooms, rape rooms, chemical attacks on civilians ...etc.) But the kicker, (for all you wrongwingers who supported this propaganda, in iraq and the US), bushco is shocked, shocked I tell you that this would happen (even tho it is a clear extenuation of paying 'journalists' over here to convey propaganda.)

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    et al... The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country. And what's wrong with that? If the news there is anything like the news is here (I'm betting it's worse...if that's possible) they are only getting ONE side... The Al-Jezera 'America is the devil side'. What the hell is wrong with trying to show the positive? The news media here should try that every now and then just to try and give us the impression they aren't so freakin biased! And don't send me a ton of BS saying there isn't a positive side! I know better. Several soldiers I know are absolutely fed up with the news media here, as they should be!

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    et al - As I noted, we can leave "the other side to al-jazeera." And yes, being at war means we do things such as this. Sorry it offends you, but if the medium won't tell an honest story, then the medium must be ignored.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    Dadler writes: "I mean, the LEAST they could do is hire some genuinely CREATIVE PEOPLE to write this tripe" Did I miss something? Can you show me the tripe?

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#19)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:34 PM EST
    And yes, being at war means we do things such as this.
    Being at war means we do things such as this to our allies?

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#20)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    Ha ha, apparently bushco says different than our wingnuts
    The White House said today it has demanded information from the Pentagon about a secret U.S. military offensive to plant stories in the Iraqi media, and senators are planning to meet privately Friday to hear details about the information operations campaign underway in Iraq.
    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#21)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    It's only bad if Chavez does it.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#22)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    roy - Allies?? et al - This explains it all.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#23)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    PPJ Yo've sunk to a new low, even for you. In order to defend the administration's use of planted stories in Iraqi newspapers, you link to a phony news story. According to your link, NYT editor Arthur Sulzberger reacted to this story by supposedly saying “Why should foreign newspapers get more favorable treatment than our own homegrown media?” He also allegedly says “with nosediving circulation numbers due to our waning credibility, we could use a government subsidy.” These quotes were manufactured. Sulzberger never said them. If there is a factual basis for these quotes, provide it. Otherwise, you should apologize. How dare you try to pass bogus information as facts. Who do you think you are? (insert joke here)

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#24)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    I think Jim link to the joke story as, well, a joke. It's hard to pick up on, but you know how you can tell when somebody is joking by tone of voice, even though what they're saying isn't actually funny? Same basic idea.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#25)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    egads.... Scrappleface is a well known humor site... I mean read the ads and the other posts... That anyone could confuse it with an actual news site is well.... almost unbelieveable... John H.... I am LOL.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#26)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    PPJ Everything I wrote was misleading but it was also "basically factual". Just as what the military wrote was misleading but "basically factual".

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    Bush and his minions have spent millions to spread propaganda here and in Iraq. If things were going even remotely great in Iraq, why would Bush need to pay Rendon millions to convince Iraqis that things were going great. Don’t you think they would know if things were going great? Couldn’t these “reporters” garner these “truths” from their environment on their own? It would have saved us millions.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#28)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    John H - No, what you wrote was not even close to being "basically factual." Why? Because you failed to note that the source was a well known political huomor site, even though you knew it. debbiehamil wrrites:
    Don’t you think they would know if things were going great?
    Not if they are reading only the MSM.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#29)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:35 PM EST
    No, what you wrote was not even close to being "basically factual." Why? Because you failed to note that the source was a well known political huomor site, even though you knew it.
    Funniest thing I will read all day.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#30)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    Maybe, just maybe, the 'truth' wouldn't be good PR.......? Hmmmmm?
    And what do you think the 'truth' is? What's going on in Iraq? The truth is: Most of the people over there loved us and supported us being there. Except of course for the insurgents. The good people of Iraq are tired of being scared of the insurgency. The truth is: our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines are over there doing a good job and doing it respectfully. The people on this site that oppose the war tend to make comments suggesting that our troops over there are immoral and that is just not the case at all. First hand stories posted by a SEAL in Iraq. The "propaganda" that you speak of is no worse than the propaganda of the US media that makes our troops sound like a bunch of immoral, unintelligent bullies, which is not even remotely the case. Support our troops whether you support the war or not b/c if they were not over there, there would be a draft and it might be you patroling fallujah right now. Keep that in mind the next time you insinuate that our military is not doing their jobs correctly, morally, etc.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#31)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    peacrevol, Please keep in mind the next time you want to insinuate that I or anyone else here has made a statement to "insinuate that our military is not doing their jobs correctly, morally, etc." (your words), that all of the protest made here has been protest against the so-called "leadership" that decided to invade Iraq and sent the troops there on the basis of a pile of deceit, misleading statements, and outright lies. All of that protest has been in support of the troops, in support of the ideals of integrity and honesty in "leadership", and in support of getting the troops home alive as soon as possible. This is the bunch of "immoral, unintelligent bullies" I and others protest against. Thanks for your time...

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#32)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    The "propaganda" to which this thread refers is stories written by troops over there. By calling their true accounts propaganda, you are saying that they have to make up something good to put in a paper. Your comment suggests that the truth is something other than what the troops are saying in their accounts in Iraqi media, which in turn, suggests that our servicemen/servicewomen have no good to share and are hiding something. They are printing in Iraqi papers the other half of what goes on over there that our own media never mention. You implied that these stories are not the truth which further implies that our troops are the lying, conniving infadels that the insurgents are trying to make them out to be.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#33)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    peacrevol: You implied No. You interpreted what you thought I implied.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    debbiehamil.. If things were going even remotely great in Iraq, why would Bush need to pay Rendon millions to convince Iraqis that things were going great. You are kidding...right? When was the last time...wait...let me rephrase that....have you EVER seen any positive news on Iraq at all? EVER??? Does that mean there isn't any.....or copuld it be it isn't as 'hot' as showing car bombs & death? Think about it. edger... that all of the protest made here has been protest against the so-called "leadership" Thats' a real knee slapper>.. LMAO All that was on here for months was how bad our troops were...how they were no better than Saddam... (have you forgot Abu Garib already?)... But as per usual with you libs... you are now changing your tune.. No, we didn't say that,... (IE- DEM leaders - "we never said we should go after Sadddam...Bush lied"...etc..etc.) Guess what, the public isn't that stupid and we do remember... so save your BS. All of that protest has been in support of the troops Give me a freakin break!!!!

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#35)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    Why the obsession with propaganda? Maybe, just maybe, the 'truth' wouldn't be good PR.......? Hmmmmm? Naaaaahhhhhhh... that couldn't be it... could it? Could it??
    Well how else should that be interpreted when the article is about "stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq."

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#36)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    peacrevol: how else should that be interpreted It should be interpreted for exactly what it says. The stories planted in the Iraqi Press are NOT written by US fighting troops:
    The articles, written by U.S. military "information operations" troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.


    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#37)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    peacrevol, This is from the same LA Times article:
    The military's information operations campaign has sparked a backlash among some senior military officers in Iraq and at the Pentagon who argue that attempts to subvert the news media could destroy the U.S. military's credibility in other nations and with the American public. "Here we are trying to create the principles of democracy in Iraq. Every speech we give in that country is about democracy. And we're breaking all the first principles of democracy when we're doing it," said a senior Pentagon official who opposes the practice of planting stories in the Iraqi media.


    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#38)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:36 PM EST
    Well I apologize if I misinterpreted you. I am quick to defend my brothers in arms stateside since I no longer can be there with them.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#39)
    by Edger on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:37 PM EST
    Peacrevol, No problem. They need and deserve defending. I admire and applaud your support of them. I truly wish I could say the same of the people who sent them there.

    Re: The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq (none / 0) (#40)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:37 PM EST
    PPJ, Lets see. The Bush administration articles that were planted in the Iraqi press were "basically factual" in the same way that what I wrote about you was basically factual. There wasn't a single statement that wasn't true. It was misleading because I omitted some important facts. However, this is exactly what the Bush administration did in the stories that planted in the Iraqi press. The stories only presented one side of events and omitted important information. (Come to think of it, doesn't that sound like Bush' arguement for invading Iraq?) So you think I should have identified the source of the quotes as a humor magazine. Shouldn't the source of the stories that the Bush administration planted have also been identified? Why is one wrong but the other ok? How can you object to the very thing you defend?

    The Military's Propaganda Campaign in Iraq | 38 comments (38 topical)