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Banned
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CNN and all of the other major broadcast TV networks have still not reported on the successful effort of the NY Times to convince a federal court to order the pentagon to provide documents related to it's domestic media psy-ops program, but here is CNN, this past week, without disclosure to it's viewers, disclaimer or qualification, continuing to participate in the pentagon's domestic disinformation operation:
Quote:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...rns_to_cnn.php
Pentagon Shill Returns to CNN to Talk About Iran
By Andrew Tilghman - May 27, 2008, 12:49PM
Brig. Gen. David L. Grange doesn't wear a star on his shoulder much since his retirement in 1999. But he's on the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html?_r=1&hp&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin">list of retired officers</a> the Pentagon has cultivated in an effort to influence domestic news coverage of military matters.
In fact, Grange, a CNN analyst, was tagged as the <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200805130001">most visible shill</a> for the Pentagon since 2002.
The Pentagon suspended the analysts' program and its weekly briefings shortly after the Times published its story in April revealing the extent of the Pentagon's message massaging.
When Grange appeared again on CNN late last week, host Lou Dobbs made no mention of Grange's previous participation in the Pentagon program. But he did ask him about Iran:
Quote:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIP...22/ldt.01.html
LOU DOBBS TONIGHT
Battle Continues over Florida Primary; McCain Rejects Pastor Hagee; Foreign Workers Over American Workers; Fighting for Ramos and Compean
Aired May 22, 2008 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
....(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
<h3>DOBBS: Well, joining me now to talk about the progress of -- that's right, progress of the war in Iraq, I'm joined by former general, David Grange.
Good to have you with us, General.</h3>
GEN. DAVID GRANGE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: David Petraeus, it looks like he's having real impact. We're not hearing a lot about it, but casualties are down. Last week, one of the best weeks of this war in terms of casualties. What's going on?
GRANGE: Well, the surge is working, even though it's just a military surge. You know, if we want better results, we want to withdraw quicker, I think we need to put some more, other governmental agencies involved with more resources in order to fill out the surge.
DOBBS: Well, General, good luck, because the State Department's having trouble staffing that great big old embassy over there. If you want State Department folks, it looks like you may have some uphill work.
GRANGE: Well, it's -- resourcing is obligated to give to the Department of State, and they do need other training programs to build their force. They've been underresourceed for years.
DOBBS: Well, here is -- on another issue. Let's take a listen to what General Petraeus had to say today about Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, CMDR. MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ: Iran continues to be a destabilizing influence in the region. It persists in its nontransparent pursuit of nuclear technology and continues to fund, train and arm dangerous militia organizations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
<h2>DOBBS: What are we supposed to do with that?
GRANGE: Believe it.</h2>
DOBBS: OK. Then what?
GRANGE: Then we take -- make sure that we take the diplomatic informational (ph), military and economic measures to make sure Iran understands the line in the sand that must be drawn.
DOBBS: All right. Let's turn to something else.
I was talking with Senator Jim Webb here last night, and they stripped the Iraq War Funding Bill and added the G.I. Bill.
Are you for it or against it -- the G.I. Bill and improving it for our veterans?
GRANGE: I'm for the G.I. Bill --
DOBBS: Yay.
GRANGE: Well -- it's deserved, it's something that the country owes the G.I. It's the nation's responsibility. But the problem is they better make sure they don't underfund other programs that are required for readiness in order to do this.
DOBBS: Right, well --
GRANGE: So yes, I support it.
DOBBS: And -- Senator John McCain, fighting the legislation. Do you think it will cost him the vote of veterans?
GRANGE: It'll cost some votes I'm sure about it. But I think people will come around because it's the right thing to do.
DOBBS: Well, I hope he comes around.
You're saying he'll come around?
GRANGE: I said I hope he'll come around, yes sir.
DOBBS: Well, one would hope everyone would, to support our men and women in uniform.
General Grange, as always it's great to have you with us. Appreciate it.
GRANGE: Thank you, Lou, and thank you for the subject tonight.
DOBBS: Yes, sir.
Thanks for being with us tonight. Join us tomorrow.
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Grange, who led much of the U.S. military operations in the Balkans in the 1990s, is now the president and chief executive of the McCormick Foundation, a Chicago-based charity.
Apparently, Grange doesn't really see himself as a direct surrogate. He told the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html?_r=1&hp&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin">New York Times</a> that he thought all those background sessions with Pentagon leaders were "just upfront information."
But a Pentagon memo called them "message force multipliers." The Defense Department often paid their travel expenses and hired a <a href="http://www.omnitecinc.com/">private defense contractor</a> to monitor everything the analysts said in public.
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Last edited by host; 05-27-2008 at 01:30 PM..
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