by John M. Curtis
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Copyright February 17, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

elling the world that the U.S. lags dangerously behind Al Qaeda in the propaganda war, Secretary of State Donald M. Rumsfeld blew more smoke, insisting Islamic radicals make better use of the Internet and modern technology. Speaking at the Council of Foreign Relations, Rumsfeld talked about how the enemy was better at using Blackberries, e-mails, instant messaging, digital cameras and Web logs or blogs, ignoring the unmistakable reality that the White House spin machine has brainwashed 70% of the public into believing Saddam Hussein was somehow responsible for Sept. 11. “Taking the battle to the enemy,” said President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and, yes, Rumsfeld, “keeps terrorists off American soil,” creating the false belief that today's battlefield in Iraq has reduced the chances of terrorism in the states.

      Rumsfeld's current smokescreen about the Pentagon's ineptness fighting the propaganda war fails to mention the highly sophisticated way it places favorable stories in Iraqi newspapers, touting great U.S. progress. “Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but . . . our country has not adapted,” referring to Al Qaeda's exploitation of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, the two major Arab news outlets running nonstop anti-American news. Rumsfeld's right that both Arab news giants run continuous incendiary stories about Iraqi prisoner abuse, and, more recently, inflammatory Danish cartoons defaming the Prophet Mohammad. Rumsfeld said nothing about how the White House exploits the Fox News Network to make its case for war, or, on a daily basis, engages in damage control, salvaging the administration's flagging credibility.

      When you consider all the evidence out about how the White House and Pentagon juiced up intelligence to make its case for war, it's remarkable that the public still believes the administration. Exhaustive analysis of prewar intelligence shows how the government tortured the truth—and ignored the Central Intelligence Agency—about Saddam's alleged weapons of mass destruction. For two years before Cruise Missiles hit Baghdad March 20, 2003, Fox News Network paraded Iraqi exiles touting Saddams's nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs. No one knows what happened to Khadir Hamza—a regular on the Fox News Channel—Saddam's former bomb maker, alleging Iraq was dangerously close to building an A-bomb. Rumsfeld talks about the government failing to win the “hearts and minds” of Iraqis while, simultaneously, buffaloing the American people.

      Telling people how the U.S. lacks sophistication brainwashes the public into believing the government is backwards when it comes to its propaganda war. “For the most part the U.S. government still functions like a “five-and-dime” U.S. retail store in an eBay world,” giving the impression the White House and Pentagon are clueless about propaganda. In point of fact, the exact opposite is true. Using domestic cable news companies like Fox to get out the administration message is precisely what Arab terrorists and anti-American states do with Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. White House chief strategist and communication expert Karl Rove learned from the best how to get out the U.S. message. Believing the administration's chief propaganda expert lacks sophistication defies reality. Government propaganda specialists use every trick in the books.

      No one is more skilled at presenting a hokey image than Rumsfeld. Painting the U.S. government as backwards with regard to propaganda shamelessly misrepresents the facts, including its prime spokesman, the unassuming but clever defense secretary. There's nothing “old fashioned” about planting stories in Iraqi newspapers, or, for that matter, using popular cable networks like Fox to get out the White House message. It's no accident that Cheney gave an exclusive interview to Fox's Brit Hume on his hunting fiasco. Cheney couldn't get a fair shake in the “liberal media,” because he'd be forced to answer unscripted questions, unvarnished from carefully detailed White House talking points. Painting the White House and Pentagon as naïve or unsophisticated bolsters sagging credibility, where it's easier to blame manipulative rogue governments and terror groups.

      White House and Pentagon communication experts know it's more important to win the “hearts and minds” of the American people, than foreigners. While there's nothing wrong with advancing the government's agenda, there's something sick about trying to convince average people about the government's incompetence when it comes to propaganda. Speaking about satellite TV and other forms of communication under Arab state control, Rumsfeld blew more smoke. “While Al Qaeda and extremist movements have utilized the forum for many years . . . we in the government have barely even begun to compete reaching their audiences,” said Rumsfeld, talking about how Arab news services get out their message. All the “liberal media” couldn't neutralize or undermine the government's well-crafted propaganda that Iraq was somehow connected to Sept 11.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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