NYT: No Breach Seen in Iraq Propaganda (paying for news OK)

No Breach Seen in Work in Iraq on Propaganda
By THOM SHANKER
Published: March 22, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 21 — An inquiry has found that an American public relations firm did not violate military policy by paying Iraqi news outlets to print positive articles, military officials said Tuesday. The finding leaves to the Defense Department the decision on whether new rules are needed to govern such activities.

The inquiry, which has not yet been made public, was ordered by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the senior American commander in Iraq, after it was disclosed in November that the military had used the Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations company, to plant articles written by American troops in Iraqi newspapers while hiding the source of the articles.

The final report was described by officials in Washington and Iraq who have read or been briefed on it and were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Pentagon officials said Tuesday that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was considering new policies for regional commanders to clarify existing doctrine and rules on military communications and information operations.

Officials at the Pentagon and in Iraq said the Lincoln Group's contract remained fully in effect. The group's work, under a contract estimated at several million dollars, has included paying friendly Iraqi journalists stipends for favorable treatment....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/politics/22lincoln.html?hp&ex=1143003600&en=a2abd716e7148bd0&ei=5094&partner=homepage

migrating into the media at home. The only good thing about this is that there are apparently a few people in the Pentagon with the good sense to question what kind of role the Pentagon should play in shaping perceptions overseas. The neocons will just remind us all that propaganda has a long history, so why are we getting our shorts in a knot. They do not understand the principle of a free press or the dynamic change that the internet and tv have brought. We are not just dropping leaflets from planes anymore.

I wish that in addition to the coverage of this heinous propaganda tax-waste, someone would also release a few of these planted stories, so that we could examine them for accuracy and examine the motives (read: investments) behind them.

Just curious, has anyone here seen these planted stories?

Aside from this frustration, I think Rumsferatu and his crew should be roasted for what the're doing to this world.

No violation found in propaganda work

WASHINGTON, March 22 (UPI) -- A U.S. public relations firm reportedly committed no military violation in promoting positive articles through Iraqi news outlets.

The New York Times, quoting military officials, reported that the finding was made by an inquiry ordered by U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. following a disclosure that the military had hired the Lincoln Group to plant articles written by U.S. troops in Iraqi media without revealing their source. The inquiry's findings have not yet been made public.

The report said the U.S. Defense Department must decide whether new rules are needed to govern such activities. Officials told the Times the Lincoln Group's contract remains in effect.
(snip)

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060322-095057-6017r

Shee-ittttt . . .

"The Lincoln Group," main job was to launder money for the Repugs.

Tax money into the treasury ..... money from the treasury into the D o D (Dept. of Defense)
budget ...... money from the D o D to contractors such as the Lincoln Group .....
big hunks of that money contributed to various conservative candidates and republican
groups .....

Google Christian Bailey and the Lincoln Group .... his office was next door to PNAC/AEI and one of
his first contracts was for $100 million.