Pentagon propaganda program orders soldiers to promote Iraq war while home

[lavenderdiva]

link: http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7918.shtml

Pentagon propaganda program orders soldiers to promote Iraq war while home on leave

By DOUG THOMPSON
Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue
Dec 29, 2005, 05:44

Good soldiers follow orders and hundreds of American military men and women returned to the United States on holiday leave this month with orders to sell the Iraq war to a skeptical public.

The program, coordinated through a Pentagon operation dubbed “Operation Homefront,” ordered military personnel to give interviews to their hometown newspapers, television stations and other media outlets and praise the American war effort in Iraq.

Initial reports back to the Pentagon deem the operation a success with dozens of front page stories in daily and weekly newspapers around the country along with upbeat reports on local television stations.

snip:

And the Army is cracking down on soldiers who go on the record opposing the war.

Specialist Leonard Clark, a National Guardsman, was demoted to private and fined $1,640 for posting anti-war statements on an Internet blog. Clark wrote entries describing the company's commander as a "glory seeker" and the battalion sergeant major an "inhuman monster". His last entry before the blog was shut down told how his fellow soldiers were becoming increasingly opposed to the US operation in Iraq.


It was hard to narrow this article down to 4 paragraphs! The whole thing should be read, as its important and telling.

[lovuian]

1. This just proves the Pentagon knows moral is bad!!!

Opression is never the answer... the more you oppress the more they rebel...

[FlemingsGhost]

2. Pawns. Pathetic , insignificant pawns.

The troops I support, tell the truth.

[merwin]

5. I think of them as pathetic prawns

It's a much funnier mental picture :-)

Seriously though, this is completely ridiculous.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. Only in America

Can lies become truth and truth becomes lies
Where liars are rewarded and truth speaker are punished
Only in America

What an ugly picture.

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. Alice in Wonderland

We are through the looking glass.

[Oversea Visitor]

6. With

The Mad Hatter playing president.

"Free Speech"

You have the freedom to tell the people what we what we want you to tell
not what you want to tell or you lose your freedom.

[fooj]

11. Yep. The Mad Hatter...

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Oversea Visitor]

12. hey

:hug:
This shit always happen.
As long as people in the world stand together when people are getting bully we can always avoid the worst case scenarioes.

Germany went through that, now it is US turn, so we got to resist like hell or we all in for World War 3.
At present its the FUCK BUSH mood around the world
Comes 2006 we just stare at the result and ask ourselves wheather we go into FUCK AMERICA mood.

That be real painful for the American people but it is most painful for the American Corporation
cause we going to kick them between the legs. Right at their profit.
Oh yeah, listen up you dumb money grabbing corporation when we start boycotting all American product your done.

[brentspeak]

7. Good grief. This is "Capital Hill Blue" again

I thought this "source" was banned from LBN. It has as much authority as newsmax. Please try to find a reliable source for this story.

[lavenderdiva]

9. I did not know there was a problem with Capitol Blue...

I will try to find another source for the story, but I still think it worthwhile...

update:

According to some who have read this thread, and unbeknownst to me, there is a negative opinion about Capitol Hill Blue? In any case, I have tried to research this article on-line by finding other articles supporting what it is saying.

First, here is a link to an article on The Roanoke Times, where Captain David Diaz is quoted (thoroughly I might add) as being QUITE supportive of the Iraq War and how it is going. The original Capitol Hill Blue article also quotes him, from The Roanoke Times.
Link: http://search.roanoke.com/dtSearch/dtisapi6.dll?cmd=getdoc&DocId=3361&Index=C%3a%5cProgram%20Files%5cdtSearch%20Developer%5cUserData%5cRoanoke%2ecom&HitCount=20&hits=f+10+25+26+54+74+9a+ab+dd+10d+137+188+1e2+20b+272+35e+3b1+474+4e7+4f2+&SearchForm=C%3a%5cInetpub%5csearch%2eroanoke%2ecom%5cindex%5fform%2ehtml

Second, here is a link to the quoted article in The Maui News, where Christopher Desierto makes his remarks about 'Iraq being a friendlier place now'.
Link:
http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=15463

Third, here are a series of VERY interesting links pertaining to Specialist Leonard Clark, who is mentioned in the Capitol Hill Blue article as being demoted and fined for exercising his First Amendment Rights. In reading the following articles, I find that indeed Specialist Clark is being investigated, possibly court-martialed, was demoted and indeed fined for speaking out against the war in Iraq, and filing papers to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jon Kyl (R-Arizona).

Links:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8769418/site/newsweek/
http://dean4az.blogspot.com/2005/07/michael-specialist-leonard-clark.html
http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-970856.php


Also, Daily Kos has been monitoring the Leonard Clark situation:
Link:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/7/10/161257/084

I feel the Leonard Clark story ALONE is very noteworthy, much less the overall story about the Pentagon Propaganda Program.

However one feels about Capitol Hill Blue as a news source, apparently, in this article, their sources indeed pan out....

[wtmusic]

16. CHB is a gossip rag

The Leonard Clark story has been around awhile, as have stories by returning GIs supporting the war effort.

The essence here is whether they have been ordered to do so. I would bet that is nothing more than the usual colorful speculations from Doug Thompson.

[w13rd0]

10. True enough...

...but the story itself is true. We've all seen the glowing "personal testimonials" and astroturf LTTEs...

[DBoon]

8. Just like corporate America

you are supposed to sell the product on your own time.

Failing to be a good public representative of your company can cost you your job.

[madeline_con]

13. That also explains all the warm fuzzy stories on TV

lately on the "major networks".

[Zhade]

14. K/R

NT!

[norml]

15. Recommended

I'll have to mention this tonight on my show.

[lavenderdiva]

17. is your show something we can listen to on-line?

If so, how?

[norml]

18. Yes, it's available online. Here's a link to the KZUM web site.

http://www.kzum.org/