Military Analysts

Beginning in 2002, the Bush Administration assembled a sales team of military analysts to counter negative information coming from Iraq. Calling it a ‘media Trojan horse’, former generals were recruited, given unprecedented Pentagon access and talking points, and fanned out to cable news and print media (including the NY Times) to disseminate Oval Office happy talk. Many of these ‘message force multipliers’ knew they were deceiving the American public, yet continued to do so. Those who criticized the Administration were quickly fired.

This disinformation (or psyops) campaign is a betrayal on several levels:

-Americans regard the integrity of the military command structure as an article of faith. Leaders of men in battle are assumed to be honest with families sacrificing precious lives. To learn that Pentagon spokesmen propagandized and duped the public about the actual state of affairs in Iraq (for example, the lack of lifesaving MRAP vehicles) is staggering in its duplicity.

-Many of these analysts have financial interests in the defense industry, some heading military contracting firms, others simply their lobbyists. This is a textbook conflict of interest scenario where Administration spokesmen directly stood to gain from perpetuation of the war effort. They are known, in common parlance, as war profiteers.

This begs the question: If the invasion and occupation of Iraq were justified, why the need for this choreographed ‘mind war’? Further: how, exactly, does mendacity support the troops?

“See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.” (George W. Bush, May 24 2005)