Krohn: Paying foreign media makes sense if it helps us win the war

[billr]

By CHARLES A. KROHN
Originally published January 1, 2006

Many Americans may have felt betrayed after learning that U.S. Army officials in Iraq paid editors and TV producers to publish stories friendly to the United States, some without attributing the source.

My only question was, did planting those stories help turn Iraqi hearts and minds to U.S. favor?

The work was done by the Lincoln Group under contract to the Army. Critics claim this is propaganda operations run amok and pressured officials in Washington and Baghdad to investigate the practice. Some critics were indignant when I, as a former high-ranking Army public affairs official, refused to condemn the practice.

Was paying the Lincoln Group to bribe the Iraqi media morally defensible? The group was under contract to the Army in Baghdad to place favorable stories, hiding the fact that the Army was the source of the material. Some, including President Bush, have expressed concern over what they see fundamentally as a deceptive practice.

(snip)

Charles A. Krohn is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and former deputy chief of public affairs of the Army who lives in Burke, Va. His e-mail is [e-mail].



http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.payola01jan01,1,4410724.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines

[ixion]

1. show me the Declaration of War, or stop using the phrase 'we're at war'

because we're not, and it's currently being used to justify blatantly illegal and unconstitutional acts by BushCo.

[bemildred]

2. On the other hand,

if, as expected, we continue to lose the war, it's money down a rathole.