Terrorism

U.S. Invades Cyberspace

by Diane Farsetta — September 26, 2007 - 5:34pm

The U.S. State Department is upgrading "foreign policy to Web 2.0 interactivity for the new electronic information age," with its first-ever blog, "Dipnote." The department "has already vastly expanded its Web presence and ...

Main Source: 
Associated Press, September 25, 2007

Busting an Energy Lobby Front Group

by Sheldon Rampton — September 14, 2007 - 11:04am

"Americans for American Energy," a front group for oil and gas companies, sent around an email incorrectly claiming that Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal supports its agenda.

Main Source: 
Casper Star-Tribune (Wyoming), September 13, 2007

Framing the War on Terror

by Sheldon Rampton — September 12, 2007 - 2:56am

The Gallup polling organization marked the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by publishing a thoughtful analysis challenging the assumption that "religious fanaticism fuels extremism and therefore replacing Muslims' worldview with Western liberalism is the path to victory against terrorism. ... As a starting point, Muslims do not hold a monopoly on extremist views.

Main Source: 
Gallup World Poll, September 11, 2007

Saddam Did 9/11 -- One-Third of Americans Believe the Big Lie

by John Stauber — September 10, 2007 - 10:34am

An important New York Times/CBS News survey finds that six years after the terror attacks of 9/11, "33 percent of all Americans, including 40 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats, say Saddam Hussein was personally involved." In reality, of course, Saddam and Iraq had absolutely no connection to the terror attacks.

Main Source: 
New York Times, September 10, 2007

Afghanistan Lobbying Now "Critical Work"

by Diane Farsetta — September 4, 2007 - 5:39pm

"DLA Piper, which has repped Afghanistan on a pro bono basis for the past five years, wants some cash from its client to cover the 'critical work that lies ahead,'" reports O'Dwyers. The Afghan government will pay the law and lobby firm $10,000 per month; expenses over that amount will be waived by the firm. The document (PDF file) that Piper filed with the U.S.

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily (sub req'd), September 4, 2007

YouTube Wars - Freedom's Watch vs. IVAW. Which is Real Grassroots, Which is a Front Group?

by John Stauber — August 23, 2007 - 9:22am
  • Topics: Astroturf, Internet, Front Groups, Terrorism, Politics, Propaganda, War / Peace

    • What's the difference between a slick pro-war front group exploiting Iraq veterans to pour gasoline on the fire in Iraq, and a grassroots group of Iraq veterans leading the battle at home to end Bush's war of occupation?

    Watch these YouTube videos and decide for yourself.

    The latest addition to Bush's pro-war lobby is Freedom's Watch, and they have

    The Pro-War Lobby's Latest Addition is Freedom's Watch

    by John Stauber — August 22, 2007 - 8:27pm
  • Topics: Right Wing, Iraq, Front Groups, Pundits, Terrorism, Lobbying, Politics, Propaganda, War / Peace

    • The business of pro-war propaganda is booming as "Freedom's Watch" joins Vets for Freedom, Move America Forward and other pro-war advocates for a stepped up war in Iraq in line with the Bush/Cheney Global War on Terror.

    Ari Fleischer, former White House PR flack who jumped ship into the private sector shortly after the 2003 US invasion, is the public face and a founding board member of Freedom's Watch, which is being rolled out this week with emotional advertisements featuring wounded veterans imploring Americans to keep the money flowing for the occupation.

    One such advertisement is up on YouTube. Once again the war in Iraq is being falsely linked to and justified by the terror attacks of 9/11, one of the Bush Administration's Big Lies that was was used to mislead America into war. In the Freedom's Watch advertisment on YouTube a war vet with prosthetic legs beseeches:

    SourceWatch Tracks the Pro-War Lobby and Vets for Freedom

    by John Stauber — August 15, 2007 - 9:37am
  • Topics: Citizen Journalism, Right Wing, Iraq, Front Groups, Terrorism, Third Party Technique, U.S. Congress, Lobbying, Public Relations, War / Peace

    • SourceWatch citizen journalist Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a dogged and prolific investigator of the pro-war lobby. AI began digging into the pro-war front group Vets for Freedom in June 2006. AI's research exposing the neoconservative agenda and Republican operatives behind VFF has been used by scores of journalists. Just do a Google search for "Vets for Freedom" and you'll find AI's work in our SourceWatch article right at the top of your returns, next to the VFF's own website.

    Pro-war funding appears plentiful for VFF as it gears up to lobby Congress in September. Here's some of the latest from AI and the VFF article on SourceWatch:

    Rendition Lawsuit Against Boeing Subsidiary Grows

    by Bob Burton — August 14, 2007 - 5:06am

    A lawsuit against airservices company Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc., has been re-filed to include two more victims of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's extraordinary rendition program. In December 2002, Bisher al-Rawi was kidnapped from Gambia and flown to a secret U.S. prison in Afghanistan and then the Bagram airbase.

    Main Source: 
    Chicago Tribune, August 2, 2007
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