US Navy admiral investigates planted Iraq stories

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07241603.htm

US Navy admiral investigates planted Iraq stories


WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. military has named a Navy admiral to investigate an "information operations" program that paid some Iraqi newspapers to publish pro-American articles, defense officials said on Wednesday.

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Rear Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, already serving in the U.S. military command in Iraq, will conduct a fact-finding investigation that could lead to recommendations on possible punishment, officials said.

"He has been given authority to do as thorough a job as necessary to determine whether the placement of stories is in accordance with all legal guidelines and is appropriate to the situation," Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a military spokesman in Baghdad, said by e-mail.

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Johnson indicated that the program is ongoing, saying, "There has been no directive by MNF-I (the U.S. command in Iraq) for the program to ... discontinue operations."