Pentagon message machine

The Pentagon message machine is a propaganda operation of the U.S. Department of Defense first revealed in a lengthy New York Times exposé published in April 2008. Created after the September 11th attacks, the goal of the operation is to spread the George W. Bush administration's talking points on Iraq by briefing retired military commanders for network television and cable television appearances, where they have been presented as independent analysts. The newpaper based its report on 8,000 email messages, transcripts and records it secured after winning a two year lawsuit against the Pentagon.

Conflicts of interest
A number of the military analysts used by US television have extensive business interests in promoting the administration's views as employees of, or investors in, various military contractors or as lobbyists for such contractors; however, viewers have not been made aware of such ties. Colman McCarthy had warned of the potential conflicts of interest many of the same analysts had in a Washington Post op-ed in April 2003. The analysts suppressed doubts about the Bush administration's misinformation out of fear of jeopardizing their access or government contracts.

Grooming
Records show the analysts had been wooed in hundreds of private briefings with senior military leaders, including officials with significant influence over contracting and budget matters, taken on official tours to Iraq, and given access to classified intelligence. The Times itself published “at least” nine op-eds by members of the Pentagon’s military-media cabal, and the Pentagon helped two of the retired commanders craft a Wall Street Journal piece. The Nations Katrina vanden Heuvel urged the U.S. Congress to investigate the program, and Free Press launched an online petition also supporting such an investigation.

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