Thu
Dec 1, 2005
WASHINGTON
(Reuters) - The White House expressed concern on Thursday at reports that the
U.S. military has secretly paid Iraqi newspapers to run dozens of pro-American
articles written by a special military task force.
The
Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday the program began this year and the
articles were written in English, translated into Arabic and then given to
Baghdad newspapers to print in return for money.
"We're
very concerned about the reports. We are seeking more information from the
Pentagon," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
He
said Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had indicated that
Pentagon officials are looking into the reports.
"We
need to know what the facts are. Gen. Pace indicated it was news to him as
well," McClellan said.
The
Los Angeles Times said it based its story on interviews with U.S. military
officials who spoke on condition of anonymity and with Iraqi newspaper
employees, as well as documents it obtained.
A
defense contractor, a Washington-based public relations firm called Lincoln
Group, helped translate the stories and used staff or subcontractors posing as
freelance journalists or advertising executives to bring them to Iraqi media
outlets, the Times reported.
The
Times depicted the stories as "basically factual," but said they
omitted information that might not reflect well upon the United States or the
U.S.-backed Iraqi government.
The
newspaper also reported that the "Information Operations Task Force"
in Baghdad has bought an Iraqi newspaper and taken control of a radio station,
and was using them to disseminate pro-American views as well.
The
Bush administration was embarrassed early this year when it was disclosed that
the Education Department had paid commentator Armstrong Williams $240,000 to
tout President George W. Bush's landmark education plan, "No Child Left
Behind."