Democrats look to ban DoD propaganda

[unhappycamper]

Democrats look to ban DoD propaganda
By Anne Flaherty - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 7:49:48 EDT

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats want to ban Defense Department propaganda on the Iraq war, but they are likely to find that enforcement is easier said than done.

An existing legal prohibition, for example, did not deter a Pentagon program aimed at influencing retired military officers frequently interviewed in the media. It also did not prevent a culture within the Bush administration that former White House spokesman Scott McClellan claims favored propaganda over honesty in selling the war to the public.

And what is propaganda anyway? Nearly every press briefing involves a military or civilian official trying to influence the interpretation of events.

“At the end of the day, a lot of what the Defense Department is doing is trying to raise support for the military,” said Ken Bacon, chief Pentagon spokesman during the Clinton administration.

Last month, the House of Representatives passed legislation to prohibit the military from engaging in “any form of communication in support of national objectives designed to influence the opinions, emotions, attitudes or behavior of the people of the United States in order to benefit the sponsor, either directly or indirectly.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_propaganda_060208/