‘Americans exposed to US propaganda aimed at foreigners’

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon acknowledged in a newly declassified document released on Thursday that the US public is increasingly exposed to propaganda disseminated overseas in psychological operations.

But the document suggests that the Pentagon believes that US law that prohibits exposing the US public to propaganda does not apply to the unintended blowback from such operations.

“The increasing ability of people in most parts of the globe to access international information sources makes targeting particular audiences more difficult,” said the document. “Today the distinction between foreign and domestic audiences become more a question of USG (US government) intent rather than information dissemination practices,” it said. Called the “Information Operations Roadmap”, the document was approved by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in October 2003.

It was made public by the National Security Archives, a private non-profit research group which obtained it through a Freedom of Information Act request. The document said that psychological operations, or “psyops,” are restricted by Pentagon policy and executive order from targeting US audiences, US military personnel and news agencies and outlets. “However, information intended for foreign audiences, including public diplomacy and PSYOP, increasingly is consumed by our domestic audience and vice-versa.” afp

Home | Foreign