[NetBehaviour] Pentagon rolls out stealth PR

[marc]

Pentagon rolls out stealth PR

By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY Wed Dec 14, 6:43 AM ET

A $300 million
Pentagon psychological warfare operation includes plans for placing 
pro-American messages in foreign media outlets without disclosing the 
U.S. government as the source, one of the military officials in charge 
of the program says.

Run by psychological warfare experts at the U.S. Special Operations 
Command, the media campaign is being designed to counter terrorist 
ideology and sway foreign audiences to support American policies. The 
military wants to fight the information war against al-Qaeda through 
newspapers, websites, radio, television and "novelty items" such as 
T-shirts and bumper stickers.

The program will operate throughout the world, including in allied 
nations and in countries where the United States is not involved in 
armed conflict

The description of the program by Mike Furlong, deputy director of the 
Joint Psychological Operations Support Element, provides the most 
detailed look to date at the Pentagon's global campaign.

The three companies handling the campaign include the Lincoln Group, the 
company being investigated by the Pentagon for paying Iraqi newspapers 
to run pro-U.S. stories. (Related story: Contracts for pro-U.S. propaganda)

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/pentagonrollsoutstealthpr