PR Meets Psy-Ops in War on Terror

LA Times ^ | December 1, 2004 | Mark Mazzetti

[stockpirate]

WASHINGTON — On the evening of Oct. 14, a young Marine spokesman near Fallouja appeared on CNN and made a dramatic announcement. "Troops crossed the line of departure," 1st Lt. Lyle Gilbert declared, using a common military expression signaling the start of a major campaign. "It's going to be a long night." CNN, which had been alerted to expect a major news development, reported that the long-awaited offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Fallouja had begun. In fact, the Fallouja offensive would not kick off for another three weeks. Gilbert's carefully worded announcement was an elaborate psychological operation — or "psy-op" — intended to dupe insurgents in Fallouja and allow U.S. commanders to see how guerrillas would react if they believed U.S. troops were entering the city, according to several Pentagon officials. In the hours after the initial report, CNN's Pentagon reporters were able to determine that the Fallouja operation had not, in fact, begun. "As the story developed, we quickly made it clear to our viewers exactly what was going on in and around Fallouja," CNN spokesman Matthew Furman said. Officials at the Pentagon and other U.S. national security agencies said the CNN incident was not an isolated feint — the type used throughout history by armies to deceive their enemies — but part of a broad effort underway within the Bush administration to use information to its advantage in the war on terrorism.

[stockpirate]

Well I am sure suprised at this, not.

[stockpirate]

WOT ping!

[FreedomPoster]

Good. Use those hos for something useful.

[Pointblank]

Fallujah = Fallouja?

[stockpirate]

I did the cut and paste, so if they misspelled anything I didn't check.

[mtbopfuyn]

As the story developed, we quickly made it clear to our viewers exactly what was going on in and around Fallouja

And made it clear to the "insurgents" as well.

[stockpirate]

Right, I read that too, they were too late however because the terrorists acted within minutes and revealed what they would do in an assualt....lol :-)

[FreeAtlanta]

Poor wittle CNN was used to help defeat their own allies. They must be in near tears.

[sanchmo]

Bump 4 later

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

It's impossible to really mispell any arab word in English. We spell them based on what they sound like.

[Common Sense 101]

CNN is more steamed about the fact that they were "used" to help the very military that protects their ability to undermine them, than they are about duping one of their favorite group of viewers--- Fallujah terrorists, er "insurgents".

[Just Dan]

Well, technically there is a transliteration standard.

But, you guessed it, noone uses it. :-)

[Reagan is King]

So the terrorists believe what they see on the network news? Boy, are they stupid!

[Jeff Gordon]

As the story developed, we quickly made it clear to our viewers exactly what was going on in and around Fallouja,

In other words...

There is no way CNN is going to help save lives of American Troops.

[stockpirate]

Right, they only are interested in increasing the US body count.

[ApesForEvolution]

I knew we kept CNN around for something...heheheheheeee

[hchutch]

Not bad work by DOD. Watch the media complain, though.

[TastyManatees]

"As the story developed, we quickly made it clear to our viewers exactly what was going on in and around Fallouja," CNN spokesman Matthew Furman said.

So, when CNN became aware that the Pentagon was head-faking the enemy to see what their level of preparedness was in an effort to save American lives, CNN promptly informed the enemy of the truth?!

There was a time when this was known as "treason".


By the way, some Admin Mod is busily locking duplicate threads on this article, but the Free Republic search engine isn't returning any results when anyone searches on words from this article's title. Hence, multiple duplicate postings by people who think others should see it. Perhaps Admin Mod's efforts would be better spent addressing the problem with the site's architecture, instead of deleting people's comments in a huff?

[kennedy]

"As the story developed, we quickly made it clear to our viewers exactly what was going on in and around Fallouja," CNN spokesman Matthew Furman said.

And CNN wonders why the Pentagon won't tell them what is really going on?

If CNN had been around in WWII, they would have told the Germans exactly where and when D-Day was going to take place.

[The Right Stuff]

ping