Iraq

SAIC: The Very Model of the Military-Industrial Complex

by Diane Farsetta — February 15, 2007 - 2:16pm

With 44,000 employees, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) "is larger than the [U.S.] departments of Labor, Energy, and Housing and Urban Development combined," Donald Barlett and James Steele write, in an in-depth profile of the military contractor. "SAIC currently holds some 9,000 active federal contracts," more than any other company.

Main Source: 
Vanity Fair, March 2007 issue

DynCorp's New Hired Guns: Qorvis Communications

by Diane Farsetta — February 12, 2007 - 12:51pm

Image from the movie "Iraq for Sale"

Military contractor DynCorp has retained Qorvis Communications for "messaging and image work," reports O

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), February 12, 2007

Manipulation of Iraq Intelligence "Inappropriate but not Illegal"

by Diane Farsetta — February 9, 2007 - 7:35pm

An investigation by the Defense Department's Inspector General -- called "very damning" by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Carl Levin -- found "inappropriate but not illegal" manipulation of intelligence in the lead-up to the Iraq War.

Main Source: 
Associated Press, February 9, 2007

Lobbyist Business Booms as Oversight Hearings Start

by Diane Farsetta — February 7, 2007 - 11:05am

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is holding hearings on "waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars"; topics include Iraq reconstruction, Homeland Security contracting, and prescription drug pricing. Companies called to testify are "scrambling to hire lobbyists with Democratic ties," reports Bloomberg.

Main Source: 
Bloomberg, January 31, 2007

Several Measures Opposing Iraq Troop “Surge” Introduced in Congress

by Conor Kenny — January 26, 2007 - 5:37pm
  • Topics: Iraq, U.S. Congress, Democracy, U.S. Government

    • In his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, President Bush asked Congress to not condemn his plan to send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq off the bat, but to "give it a chance" first.

    Phil Donahue's Statement in Support of Sarah Olson

    by Sheldon Rampton — January 26, 2007 - 3:15pm
  • Topics: Journalism, Iraq, Defend the Press, Democracy, Human Rights

    • Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue has written a column defending the rights of Sarah Olson. Here's the text:

    No Substitute for Free and Unfettered News Gathering

    By Phil Donahue

    Say what you will about Sarah Olson, she got the story. On the ground and armed with only an audio tape recorder, reporter Olson did nothing more radical than dig deep — the first law of journalism. Her interview with Lt. Ehren Watada vividly painted the portrait of a young man in anguish — to serve or not to serve.

    NEWS RELEASE -- 'Defend the Press' Organizes to Support Reporter Sarah Olson, Subpoenaed in Court Martial of Ehren Watada

    by John Stauber — January 24, 2007 - 8:40am
  • Topics: Journalism, Iraq, Defend the Press, U.S. Government

    • Contact: www.DefendThePress.org
    Scott Goodstein, Defend The Press, (202) 256-8320
    Sarah Olson, Free Press Working Group, (415) 298-5573
    John Stauber, Center for Media and Democracy, (608) 260-9713
    Email: Editor AT PRWatch.org

    SARAH OLSON, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST, FACES PRISON FOR SIMPLY DOING HER JOB

    Role Reversal

    by Sheldon Rampton — January 21, 2007 - 12:28am

    During the struggle against South African apartheid, journalist Alistair Sparks used to visit the United States to "have my batteries recharged," inspired by "the idealism of the Kennedy years, the civil rights campaign and all that followed." Now, he writes, the roles have reversed: "My own country has emerged, albeit still with many faults, as a beacon of racial reconciliation and co-existence that gives me at least some sense of personal fulfillment in my evening years, while my old moral lodestar, the U.S., has slipped into an abyss of moral degeneracy, of political lies and casuistry, of

    Main Source: 
    Nieman Watchdog, January 16, 2007

    Interview a Soldier, Go to Jail

    by John Stauber — January 17, 2007 - 9:10am

    As opposition to the war in Iraq grows within the military, the government is taking steps that appear aimed at intimidating reporters covering GI dissent.

    Main Source: 
    Free Press Working Group, January 17, 2007
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