Pass the buck:Rumsfeld Cites Contractor in Planting Reports in Iraqi Media

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NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/05/politics/05cnd-rumsfeld.html?ex=1291438800&en=e1946cc2876fede7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Rumsfeld Cites Contractor in Planting of Reports in Iraqi Media

By DAVID S. CLOUD
Published: December 5, 2005

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld laid blame today for the possible placement by the military of news articles in the Iraqi press on the contractor who ran the program.

In a speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Mr. Rumsfeld admitted that he was still gathering facts related to the propaganda program, which involved placing articles written by American troops as paid advertisements in the Iraqi news media. The military acknowledged last week that the articles were not always identified as coming the American military.

"Some people in the military signed a contract with a private contractor, and the private contactor is alleged to have written accurate stories, but paid someone in the media in Iraq to carry the story," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "That's an allegation. I don't know if it's true yet."

He added that an important question is whether the contractor was implementing American policy properly.

But Pentagon officials admit that they do not yet have a complete understanding of the program, including whether the articles were accurate and who was responsible for omitting disclaimers that are required under Defense Department guidelines.

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