The Catapulting of the Propaganda Continues

[Tuesday_Morning]

from NYT:

Muslim Scholars Were Paid to Aid US Propaganda

By DAVID S. CLOUD and JEFF GERTH
Published: January 2, 2006


WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 - A Pentagon contractor that paid Iraqi newspapers to print positive articles written by American soldiers has also been compensating Sunni religious scholars in Iraq in return for assistance with its propaganda work, according to current and former employees.


The Lincoln Group, a Washington-based public relations company, was told early in 2005 by the Pentagon to identify religious leaders who could help produce messages that would persuade Sunnis in violence-ridden Anbar Province to participate in national elections and reject the insurgency, according to a former employee.

Since then, the company has retained three or four Sunni religious scholars to offer advice and write reports for military commanders on the content of propaganda campaigns, the former employee said. But documents and Lincoln executives say the company's ties to religious leaders and dozens of other prominent Iraqis is aimed also at enabling it to exercise influence in Iraqi communities on behalf of clients, including the military.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/02/politics/02propaganda.html?hp&ex=1136178000&en=f7f1307bf9a089f2&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[OKNancy]

1. Interesting response

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2016560

[Supersedeas]

2. that is some filthy money--any chance it could be used to further the

instability in Iraq.

[emulatorloo]

3. Please note - Lincoln Group linked to Swiftboaters

http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2005/12/19/143515/50

<snip>

Pentagon Contractors Attacked Kerry
By The Propagandist
12/20/2005 02:51:17 PM EST
Keywords: propaganda, lies, spin, political, jason galde, media, PR

This and other articles on propaganda are available at Mind Your Noodle
In an in-depth investigation by Andrew Buncombe this weekend, a link was discovered between the Lincoln Group and the intense propaganda smear campaign that sunk John Kerry's bid for presidential election.


The Lincoln Group has come under intense public scrutiny for planting pro-government propaganda inside Iraqi newspapers recently. According to the article, "Lincoln Group also lists as a partner the Virginia-based private intelligence group WCV3 Security. Last year that company's executive vice-president took unpaid leave to produce Stolen Honour: Wounds That Never Heal, a film that, at a critical time in the presidential election campaign, condemned the Democrat John Kerry and questioned his version of events in Vietnam."
The Lincoln Group has strong Republican ties. It was handed $100 million dollars by the U.S. Defense Department for executing a propaganda campaign in Iraq despite the fact that it is run by a thirty year old businessman with zero P.R. or Intelligence experience.

<snip>

More at link