Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush’s War on Iraq

Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

Marketing the War

The “Iraq roll-out”: Marketing the WarOffice of Global Communications (OGC): White House PR offensive “was

created to ‘coordinate the administration’s foreign policy message and supervise America’s image abroad.’” [Wash. Post]

Marketing the War

The “Iraq roll-out”: Marketing the WarOGC $200 million was spent on a “PR blitz against Saddam Hussien” “aimed

‘at American and foreign audiences…’” [Times of London]

The Making of War

War with Iraq was Ten Years in the making:

Rendon Group: US Propaganda instrument1) Iraqi National Congress 2) Ahmed Chalabi

The Making of War

Chalabi’s history

1) Chalabi was exiled from Iraq in 1958. 2) Was then educated in the US. 3) Started Petra Bank in 1977. 4) Owing to some banking scandal, the Bank’s assets were later seized by the Jordanian government in 1989.

“Chalabi fled the country and was tried and convicted in absentia for embezzlement.”

The Making of War

Failure of INC as an dissident group in Iraq: Bad IntelligenceINC made few contacts with Iraqis. Under Chalabi’s leadership, the INC

focused instead on cultivating connections in Washington, on plans to privatize Iraqi assets and feeding neo-conservatives what they wanted to hear.

What did Neo-Cons Want to Hear?“Iraqis will welcome United States forces liberating them…” Chabali promised

in an NBC interview on March 21, 2003.

The Making of War

INC distrusted by US intelligence Community:The group was widely distrusted by US military and Intelligence community.

Gen. Anthony Zinni (Head of US Central Command under Clinton) referred to INC military initiatives in Iraq as a “Bay of Goats.”

Reports Robert Dreyfuss: “The US intelligence community regards “the INC’s intelligence gathering abilities to be nearly nil…”

Chronicle of a War Foretold: the PNAC

Chronicle of a War Foretold: the PNAC

Project for the New American Century (PNAC)

1998 Iraqi Liberation Act: “Regime Change” Becomes US policy PNAC and 9/11:

The Information War

Rendon Group and War on Terror: New work for old PR hand

Office of Strategic Influence (OSI) [Pentagon]Bush prefers INC analysis over that of the CIA: Pentagon feuds with Agency.

The Information War

CIA Pressured to Support WarCIA was initially pressured to produce intelligence supportive of Bush’s policy

objectives, and was then ultimately circumvented.

CIA View of INC: CIA views INC as a fraud. “At the CIA and at the State Department… Chabali, the INC’s leader, is viewed as the ineffectual head of a self-inflated and corrupt organization skilled at lobbying and public relations, but not much else.”

The Information War

CIA Pushes Back at White House“Vincent Cannistraro, a former senior CIA official and counterterrorism

expert” claims “the [INC’s] intelligence isn’t reliable at all…Much of it is Propaganda. Much of it is telling the DOD what they want to hear. And much of it is used to support Chalabi’s own presidential ambitions.” (p. 52) (FN # 33)

The Information War

PNAC off-shoot: Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (CLI):Committed to Saddam overthrow regardless of WMD.

CLI suggests it is independent, but is closely to Bush White House.The groups performs PR functions for the White House.

The Information War

Groups perpetuate Pro-War Campaign:

Benador Associates“A media-relations organization that assisted pro-war groups: helped them

disseminate their message in the media.”