Hollywood Helping Out Pentagon?! - Oct 8, 2001

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,8936,00.html

Apparently Hollywood and the Pentagon are teaming on a solution to the terror threat: snip

We kid you not. According to Daily Variety, a team of Hollywood creative types--including the masterminds behind MacGyver, Die Hard, Delta Force and, um, Grease--convened in secret last week to present possible terrorist attack scenarios to federal intelligence officials.

And although they may have contributed to the discussion greatly, we're wondering just what the heck were directors Randall Kleiser (Grease) and Mary Lambert (The In Crowd) doing there. snip

James Korris, ICT's creative director confirmed that meetings between the filmmakers and intelligence officials had taken place and that more were being planned, but could not provide information as to what was discussed. He did say however that the meetings were ongoing.

The Army's office of public affairs declined to comment.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/1891196.stm

Hollywood: The Pentagon's new advisor

Die Hard screenwriter Steve de Souza has revealed he was among a group of Hollywood film makers asked to give advice to the Pentagon following the 11 September attacks.

Last October about two dozen writers and directors were commissioned to brainstorm with Pentagon advisers and officials in an anonymous building in LA. snip

Despite ground rules that details of these sessions would not be publicly discussed, de Souza, who the screenwriter for Die Hard I and II, agreed to talk to BBC One's Panorama in general about the meetings, which have so far been shrouded in secrecy.

"My first thought was if they're coming to me they must be in trouble," de Souza told Panorama.

Secrecy

The sessions were spread over three days. As for the location, he will only say they were held "in a very dark room".



http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2001Q4/rendon.html

The Pentagon's Information Warrior: Rendon to the Rescue

The Rendon Group's contract with the Pentagon was awarded on a no-bid basis, reflecting the government's determination to hire a firm already versed in running overseas propaganda operations. Rendon specializes in "assisting corporations, organizations, and governments achieve their policy objectives." Past clients include the CIA, USAID, the government of Kuwait, Monsanto Chemical Company, and the official trade agencies of countries including Bulgaria, Russia, and Uzbekistan.

"Through its network of international offices and strategic alliances," the Rendon Group website boasts, "the company has provided communications services to clients in more than 78 countries, and maintains contact with government officials, decision-makers, and news media around the globe."

The Pentagon stipulates that the Rendon Group will receive $400,000 for four months of work. Details are confidential, but according to the San Jose Mercury News, Rendon will be monitoring international news media, conducting focus groups, creating a web site about the US campaign against terrorism, and recommending "ways the US military can counter disinformation and improve its own public communications."

The Rendon Group's website states that during the Gulf War, it "established a full-scale communications operation for the Government of Kuwait, including the establishment of a production studio in London producing programming material for the exiled Kuwaiti Television." Rendon also provided media support for exiled government leaders and helped Kuwaiti officials after the war by "providing press and site advance to incoming congressional delegations and other visiting US government officials." Several of Rendon's non-governmental clients also have headquarters in Kuwait: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Kuwait University, American Housing Consortium, American Business Council of Kuwait, and KPMY/Peat Marwick. snip

Rendon was also a major player in the CIA's effort to encourage the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. In May 1991, then-President George Bush, Sr. signed a presidential finding directing the CIA to create the conditions for Hussein's removal. The hope was that members of the Iraqi military would turn on Hussein and stage a military coup. The CIA did not have the mechanisms in place to make that happen, so they hired the Rendon Group to run a covert anti-Saddam propaganda campaign. Rendon's postwar work involved producing videos and radio skits ridiculing Saddam Hussein, a traveling photo exhibit of Iraqi atrocities, and radio scripts calling on Iraqi army officers to defect.

[Sydnie]

1. Wag the dog???

:wtf:

[lonestarnot]

2. Who do you suppose the target audience will be this time?

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Everything that the Republicans have devised, they accused

Clinton of doing. What devious bastards. I hope their base turns on them.