Brother, Can You Spare $3 Million for "Strategic Communication"?

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The U.S. Defense Department's budget request for fiscal year 2008 includes $3 million for "strategic communication and integration," the Pentagon's attempts to "understand and engage" key audiences worldwide, through "coordinated information, themes, plans, programs and actions synchronized with other elements of national power." But, just before Congress' summer recess, the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee denied the funds. The House committee objected to what it called an "unsupported program initiation," while the Senate committee expressed concern that blending public diplomacy, public affairs and information operations "could compromise the integrity of each of these functions." Public affairs and public diplomacy communications are supposed to be truthful, while information operations includes psychological operations, or attempts to cause "dissidence and disaffection" within enemy ranks. Debate on the funding bill will continue after Labor Day.