WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2006
Pentagon To Expand P.R. Operation
Defense Department Buttressing Its Public Relations Efforts As Criticism Against Iraq War Grows
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld gestures during a media briefing at the Pentagon concerning the war in Iraq, Thursday, Oct 26, 2006. A prime goal of the Pentagon's rapid response system is to reflect criticism directed toward Rumsfeld over the Iraq war. (AP Photo)
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A prime goal appears to be to deflect criticism increasingly directed toward Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld over the Iraq war.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, Dorrance Smith, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, said new teams of people will "develop messages" for the 24-hour news cycle and "correct the record."
The memo describes an operation modeled after a political campaign's, such as that made famous by Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential race, that use "Rapid Response" action to answer opponents' assertions quickly.
Another branch would coordinate "surrogates." In political campaigns, surrogates are usually high-level politicians or key interest groups who speak or travel on behalf of a candidate or an issue.
The Pentagon plan would focus more resources on so-called new media, such as the Internet and Web logs, or blogs. It would also include new workers to book civilian and military guests on television and radio shows.
Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff did not provide the number of people to be hired or the program's cost.
Rumsfeld has complained bitterly that the press focuses too much on bad news coming out of Iraq and not enough on progress being made. As an example, during a trip to Nevada this year, he said he was deeply troubled by the success of terrorist groups in "manipulating the media" to influence Westerners.
"That's the thing that keeps me up at night," he said during a question-and-answer session at a naval base.
The Pentagon public relations changes have been in the works for months and come as voters prepare to vote next week with the war in Iraq as a major issue to decide whether the Republican continue their control of Congress. Polls suggest that the Republicans could lose their majority in the 435-seat House of Representatives, where all seats are being elected, and perhaps the Senate as well, where 33 of the 100 senators will be elected.
The new public relations plan began to take shape on Friday as new construction began in the E-Ring, the Pentagon's outermost corridor, to accommodate new hires.
Ruff said Monday the reorganization, spearheaded by Smith, will help the department "set the record straight" and provide accurate, timely information.
He denied that the effort was set up to respond to the eroding public support for the war or that it was aimed at helping President George W. Bush's Republican partymates in next week's elections. He also said he would not call it an "information operations" program, which generally refers to a propaganda-type campaign.
Ruff said the effort grew out of Rumsfeld's criticism of the department's communications capabilities, which the secretary compared unfavorably to how quickly and effectively terrorists can get their message out.
"If I were grading I would say we probably deserve a `D' or a `D-plus' as a country as to how well we're doing in the battle of ideas that's taking place in the world today," Rumsfeld said during a visit to the Army War College in March. "I'm not going to suggest that it's easy, but we have not found the formula as a country" for countering the extremists' message.
"We're trying to do better than a D-plus," said Ruff.
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When you've lost all power to control a situation, you control the perception. But that doesnt work forever.
Wait a minute, isn't disseminating propaganda directly to domestic audiences illegal?
The military is not supposed to take part in political issues. This is a GOP politics all over again keep your nose out.
And speaking of the pentagon Israel has a defense system against the RPG's but the pentagon wouldn't buy from them because RAYTHIEON is working on the same thing but won't be ready for 2 more years but our troops are still dying from RPG THIS IS THE TRUTH THEIR SYSTEM WAS TESTED IN VIRGINIA WITH A 95% SUCCESS RATE how much does human life cost, how much does a tank cost?
Instead of coming up with workable plans and executing them with sufficient manpower and equipment to do the job to a successful completion, The Pentagon wants to set up their own Department of Spin to gloss over or hide the worsening events in Iraq and on an increasing scale in Afghanistan.
This is a pathetic cynical POLITICAL response to a MILITARY issue. The people wearing military uniforms in the Pentagon are supposed to be soldiers, not politicians. Instead of providing resources to insure our troops have the body armor they need.; the Pentagon wants to spend money on armor plating their butts when things go bad.
I know there are many in that building who have served this nation above and beyond what was expected of them. I respect them immensely. These comments are not directed against them, but towards the few who came up with this transparent attempt to dish out propaganda instead of solving the problems that are costing the lives of our sons and daughter in harm%u2019s way.
Instead of coming up with workable plans and executing them with sufficient manpower and equipment to do the job to a successful completion, The Pentagon wants to set up their own Department of Spin to gloss over or hide the worsening events in Iraq and on an increasing scale in Afghanistan.
This is a pathetic cynical POLITICAL response to a MILITARY issue. The people wearing military uniforms in the Pentagon are supposed to be soldiers, not politicians. Instead of providing resources to insure our troops have the body armor they need.; the Pentagon wants to spend money on armor plating their butts when things go bad.
I know there are many in that building who have served this nation above and beyond what was expected of them. I respect them immensely. These comments are not directed against them, but towards the few who came up with this transparent attempt to dish out propaganda instead of solving the problems that are costing the lives of our sons and daughter in harm%u2019s way.
So let's take a real close look at this.
Instead of coming up with workable plans and executing them with sufficient manpower and equipment to do the job to a successful completion, The Pentagon wants to set up their own Department of Spin to gloss over or hide the worsening events in Iraq and on an increasing scale in Afghanistan.
This is a pathetic cynical POLITICAL response to a MILITARY issue. The people wearing military uniforms in the Pentagon are supposed to be soldiers, not politicians. Instead of providing resources to insure our troops have the body armor they need.; the Pentagon wants to spend money on armor plating their butts when things go bad.
I know there are many in that building who have served this nation above and beyond what was expected of them. I respect them immensely. These comments are not directed against them, but towards the few who came up with this transparent attempt to dish out propaganda instead of solving the problems that are costing the lives of our sons and daughter in harm%u2019s way.
Yeah and our liberal MSM wolfpack is not suppose to take sides in political issues...... but they are.....
How many conservative Republicans are on the editorial staff at the NYTimes....? CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, Washington Post ???
DEMs talk about "inclusion" but pratice "exclustion"........ DEMs talk about "cooperation" but engage in "confrontation"..... DEMs talk about "tolerance" but are instead "intolerant".....
We are in deep doggie doo, folks. The election is only a week away; use your ballot wisely...
FAKE ELECTIONS. and that ENDLESS WAR thing.
WAKE UP!!!!!
bmirarck: Don't underestimate the intelligence of the Bush administration. They may be incompetent, but they're NOT stupid. This is the administration that managed to buy two elections, mislead the country into a needless war through the most transparent of lies, and is now attempting to subvert the Constitution itself in order to remain in power. We have the capability to put and end to this madness; it's called VOTING.
What a joke
Sir, they are not a conservative paper.......please!
Republicans are going to get us all killed.
Perception5
Wouldn't you think there is a difference between the pentagon and news papers? How old are you?
rharrin1.. to this republican administration, a soldier's life has no value... so why should they pay for a defense system someone else developed.. they didn't bother with body or vehicle armor until there was a very loud public outcry..
One_American.. Still at it eh... two arguments against your demand for an apology..
1- requirements for signup have been changed as a direct result of poor recruiting numbers... frm extending the age eligible for signup to lowering the educational requirements.
2- I am active in two associations dealing directly with the families of those killed and two arguments come to the fore repeatedly.. one, their loved one joined up after 9-11 because they were pissed off... and many became disenchanted after seeing what was going on in Iraq.. and two, by far the most popular reason for joining up, money for an education that they otherwise couldn't afford...
It still takes guts to volunteer for military service, and I'm not questioning anyone's patriotism, but patriotism is not the ONLY reason people sign up... socio-economic reasons play a large role also.
All this started one day one THEY DID NOT DISARM IRAQ real good planning. I'm going to leave your weapons and ammo with you just don't shoot me in the back OK
Let's let Rumi spend a few more years and a few billion dollars convincing the world that he has a real plan using P.R. instead of spending some time and money coming up with a plan that will work. That's just what we need.
Let's not fix Iraq. Let's just draw a pretty border around it with flowers and bows.
You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you aren't going to fool enough of us this time!
- George "Duh for short" Bush
Remember that on November 7 when you vote to throw the bumbs out!
Instead of trying to formulate a rational policy for Iraq - since the Iraqi's didn't welcome us like liberators - the cabal in control want's defelct critism. Is it just me or does this sound like a new Department - the Department of Truth.
"correcting the record"
Didn't relieze it needed correcting.
"There all dead" , (report infomation.)
"What did he just say?" (reporter)
"He said, they are all wearing red." (New propaganda agency)
"Oh." (Tax payer)
They must think we are stupid.
This country is headed in a bad direction.
Could it be fahrenheit 911 was a true documentary ?
DO NOT PROP A GANDER. BUSH MUST USE PROPER CANDOR!
I GUESS THAT MEANS THAT OUR U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES EMBRACE THE ENEMY%u2019S PROPAGANDA SINCE THE CIA PRODUCED JUST SUCH A POSITION, AS PASTED, BELOW:
%u201CA classified National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), completed in April concludes that the Iraq war has fueled the growth of Islamists and terrorist. Democratic lawmakers said the NIE finding -- which reflects the consensus view of 16 government intelligence services, including the CIA -- undermines Bush's frequent assertion that the toppling of Saddam Hussein's government has made the world more secure and confirms the need for a major change in strategy in Iraq.%u201D
MEANWHILE, CONDI RICE, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE NO MEMORY OF ANY ADVANCE WARNINGS CONCERNING THE LIKELYHOOD OF AN IMMINENT TERRORIST ATTACK WAS FORCED TO HAVE HER OFFICE CONCEDE THAT IT HAD IN FACT RECEIVED WRITTEN BRIEFINGS FROM GEORGE TENANT TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO 911.
THE DISEMBLING AND DOUBLE SPEAK OF THIS SO CALLED %u201CADMINISTRATION%u201D CONTINUES, UNABATED.
STAY THE CURSE!
"But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship. ... voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
ReichsMarschall Hermann Goering, (the Nuremberg Diary) one of the highest-ranking Nazis who survived to be captured and put on trial for war crimes.
DO NOT PROP A GANDER. BUSH MUST USE PROPER CANDOR!
Can't imagine what they're going to say though. Everyone but Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld have already admitted Iraq is in a de-facto civil war and increasing terrorist presence - thanks to our misplaced war. Seriously, what kind of evidence of "progress" can they come up with (that isn't entirely fabricated of course)?
Not that this is a slap in the face of every journalist or anything, eh? The Pentagon is going to give more objective news than news agencies? C'mon, that's like asking Bill O'Reilly to make objective commentary.
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by j-whitman
November 1, 2006 11:57 PM PST
- Karen Hughes,, is the Virgin Mary.... I don't think so
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