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America Targets Terrorism: U.S. Military Soon Could -- Literally -- be Making Headlines
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
(12:00 AM)
By Sally Buzbee
Associated Press Writer

The government has used covert tactics, including disinformation, to undermine foreign governments in the past. But those mostly have been super-secret CIA operations. Such covert action by the CIA requires presidential authority and can't be conducted against Americans.

WASHINGTON -- AP
The Pentagon is working on a plan to influence public opinion in both hostile and friendly nations to help the war against terrorism, a still-developing effort that critics say could spread false information at home and abroad.

The Office of Strategic Influence, set up after the Sept. 11 attacks, has come up with proposals including the placing of news items -- false if need be -- with foreign news organizations, a defense official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

The office is considering having an outside organization distribute the information so it wouldn't be apparent it came from the Defense Department, the official said.

The Bush administration worries it's losing public support overseas, especially among Muslims who believe the United States is hostile toward Islam.

"This is a battle for minds," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said Tuesday in a speech to defense contractors. "Our victory on the ground in Afghanistan has already changed substantially how this conflict is perceived, even in the Muslim world."
(More: The San Antonio Express-News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan