Documents show US had propaganda campaign plan two months before invasion

[rawstory]

Source: Raw Story

Nick Juliano

Months before the US invaded Iraq, Pentagon planners were developing an elaborate propaganda campaign to ensure US government-"approved" information was broadcast to the Iraqi public, according to a previously classified White Paper released Tuesday by the independent National Security Archives.

The White Paper, prepared in January 2003, lays out plans to install American-friendly media with an Iraqi face and to silence local anti-US news outlets, referred to in the paper as "hate media." Also released by the National Security Archives were a Power Point presentation outlining the goals of the media plan and other briefing materials.

Transformation of Iraq’s media would be accomplished by a Rapid Reaction Media Team, which planners envisioned as a bridge between the state-controlled outlets of Saddam Hussein’s regime and a long-term “Iraqi Free Media” network, which would broadcast America-friendly programming.

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_Paper_reveals_Penta...

[bobthedrummer]

1. The psychological operations and propaganda intended for foreign target audiences

inexplicably "migrated" here years ago as Rumsfeld and others acknowledged years ago.

Here is an archived thread that is still valuable.

"Reality vs perception management: the tinfoil controversy" which I started 1-6-2006
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[ck4829]

2. Is THIS the smoking gun for "Bush lied"?

"And, as a last resort, we must be willing to use military force. We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force."
- George W. Bush, March 8, 2003.

[donkeyotay]

3. a "free media" that will "broadcast America-friendly programming"

They've succeeded in confusing loyalty to bush policy with freedom. They've confused a critical press that protects a people from the excesses of those in power with a propaganda machine that allows power to corrupt. They need look no further than here at home.

[formercia]

4. The Rapid Reaction Media Team was a temporary propaganda

unit that would be replaced by a permanent propaganda unit called the Iraqi Free Media. This is why schools shouldn't make students read books like George Orwell's '1984'. It gives people like Junior Ideas.

There's only one thing worse than propaganda, and that's transparent propaganda.

[krkaufman]

14. These creeps are nothing if not Orwellian. n/t

[Connonym]

5. At what point will we wake up and start a revolution

because the shit just keeps getting deeper and deeper and there's no accountability. It's infuriating.

[Danieljay]

9. zzzzzzzzzzzzz. America is asleep at the wheel my friend. n/t

[emilyg]

12. I'd love to

How???

[MGKrebs]

16. All that is lacking is a charismatic leader willing to risk...

everything they have.

[Canuckistanian]

6. "..the use of military troops is my last choice, not my first." - Jan. 30, 2003

http://www.downingstreetmemo.com/whycare.html

[earthlover]

7. Campaign to win over Iraqis--DIDN'T WORK, HUH?

[Jacobin]

8. Its all about spin for these goobers, no?

[Demeter]

10. The Propaganda, The Embassy and the Army Bases

constitutes the whole of the planning of this misbegotten bastard war and occupation.

[berni_mccoy]

11. The U.S. has used Propaganda against enemy civilians in every war... what is the story here?

[DavidDvorkin]

13. That's the only plan they had

An occupation plan and an exit plan would have been good.

It's always been appearance above reality with those people.

[jfkraus]

15. wrong thread

[DemReadingDU]

17. morning kick

[Zandor]

18. A Non-Story

The decision to go to war was wrong, the planning and execution of the war incompetent.

That said, planning a media strategy two months before the invasion seems reasonable. We can't criticize Chimpy for having no plan and then treat evidence of a plan as some type of smoking gun.

[Rageneau]

19. The WH media strategy is being carried out to this very day -- righ-cheer at home.