Hoping to counter anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world, the Bush administration has been conducting an information war that is extensive, costly and often hidden, according to documents and interviews with contractors, government officials and military personnel.
The campaign was begun by the White House, which set up a secret panel soon after the Sept. 11 attacks to coordinate information operations by the Pentagon, other government agencies and private contractors.
A military contractor placed more than a thousand articles in the Iraqi and Arab press. Iraqis might guess from their sunny news broadcasts that certain radio stations are operated by the U.S. military, but those stations hide their U.S. ties.
All this because polls have convinced the military that it lacks the credibility to sell its message honestly. Proving Iraqi opinion correct, the military instead resorts to deceit to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Exposure of the propaganda effort will cement the belief that the U.S. can’t be trusted. Relying once again on their darkest instincts, Bush’s people have found another way to impair U.S. interests (and image) in Iraq.
