U.S. still planting stories in Iraq media (contrary to Rummy's claim)

[sabra]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/politics/13925301.htm

U.S. still planting stories in Iraq media

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was mistaken when he said last week that the U.S. military had stopped the controversial practice of paying to plant stories in the Iraqi news media, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday.

Bryan Whitman, a senior spokesman, said Rumsfeld had been incorrect in saying during an TV interview Friday that the practice had been halted in the wake of negative publicity in the United States. Rumsfeld made a similar assertion during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations that same day.

Whitman noted that Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has said he saw no reason to stop the practice.

...

In an appearance Friday on PBS' "The Charlie Rose Show," Rumsfeld said he had not known about the practice of paying for news stories before it became a subject of critical publicity in the United States.

[VegasWolf]

1. President Bush loves you. He will give you shiny beads for your oil! nt

[sabra]

2. and don't forget to drink Coke!

[cliss]

3. RumsFailed is such a liar.

It's unbelievable. I just read Rumsfailed's speech from last week. This is over in the 'Editorials' forum. I read the whole damn thing, from start to finish.

Here's what he says in his speech:

"In Iraq, for example, the U.S. military command, working closely with the Iraqi government and the United States Embassy, has sought non-traditional means to provide accurate information to the Iraqi people in the face of the aggressive campaign of disinformation."

"Yet this has been portrayed as inappropriate -- for example, the allegations of "buying news" in Iraq. The resulting explosion of critical press stories then causes everything -- all activity, all initiative -- to stop."

But later in his speech, he says that they have started up the writing of "favorable" articles again. Why would they do that? To fight terrorism, naturally.