US to wage $385m war of ideas in Iraq
Karen Deyoung & Walter Pincus; 4/10/08
The Defence Department will pay private US contractors in Iraq up to $US300 million ($A385 million) over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media. The aim is to “engage and inspire” the local population to support US objectives and the Iraqi Government. The contracts — awarded last week to four companies — will expand and consolidate what the US military calls “information/psychological operations” in Iraq, even as violence appears to be abating and US troops have begun drawing down. The military’s role in the war of ideas has been transformed in recent years. Uniformed communications specialists and contractors are now an integral part of US military operations from Eastern Europe to Afghanistan and beyond.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-to-wage-385m-war-of-ideas-in-iraq-20081003-4tja.html
Tags: Iraq, Mercenaries, Terrorism, USA