Pentagon in Debate Over Managing U.S. Global Image

[Moloch]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two years after shutting what critics called a deceptive propaganda office, the Pentagon (news - web sites) is embroiled in a new high-level debate over how to polish the fading U.S. image abroad, defense officials said on Monday.

The discussion, also involving the White House and State Department, has been sparked by increasing violence and deaths in Iraq (news - web sites), the war on terrorism and a perception in much of the Muslim world that America is the enemy.

Pentagon officials said military commanders were concerned about blurring the lines between using misinformation to fool an enemy and providing accurate information to a U.S. and worldwide audience.

"The lines must always be what people focus on because they are not always clear," chief Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told Reuters. "There is a bright line of distinction between the age-old art of military deception and transmitting accurate information to the public in a timely manner."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=8&u=/nm/20041213/pl_nm/iraq_usa_image_dc

[hatrack]

1. Why does this image shit keep turning up like a bad penny?

Why don't they just FUCKING DROP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A cozy little 10$M PR campaign is NOT, I repeat NOT going to mellow out the Muslim world!!!

[4MoreYearsOfHell]

2. "how to polish the fading U.S. image abroad"?

Ask dumbyass to kindly step aside and let the grownups have a turn...

that would do for starters...

[Mandate My Ass]

3. If you act right -- YOU DON'T NEED PR!

Correct the "perception problem" by not invading countries that haven't done anything to us and bombing their civilian population to smithereens and then lying about it. Oh, and don't turn Saddam's rape rooms into Charles Graner's rape rooms.

Problem solved. Seems like a no brainer. :eyes:

[beyurslf]

4. How about we STOP having the PENTAGON do our PR?

[silverpatronus]

5. talk about shutting the barn door after the horse is already gone...n/t

[shuffnew]

6. They had that chance... stop election fraud & vote KERRY-EDWARDS! eom

[JohnOneillsMemory]

7. Propaganda works well domestically. "How to do the same overseas?"

The imperialists are realizing that too much resistance eats into the profits. And they are going on tour to faraway places for loot.

So time to create new controlled media outlets or control existing ones like Rupert Murdoch's rags.

That is absolutely what they will try to do. The CIA will be moving into Europe's and Asia's media and start the chilling with a few well-placed murders while others try to get hired in to choke off anti-US stories.