To sweep the objections of their allies, the United States decided to
undertake vast propaganda campaigns in Europe by corrompant journalists and writers. The
purpose of these operations do not only aim at conquering the assent of the public
opinions to the imperial policy of Washington, they are also to eliminate the political
leaders, the companies and the intellectuals who oppose it. In mid-December, Donald
Rumsfeld indicated France and Germany like priority targets.
The expression « diplomacy public » indicates the « propaganda » in the
jargon politically correct American. During the Cold war, the United States invested
massively in the public diplomacy to counter the Soviet influence. This device was
developed by Ronald Reagan within the Security Council national, under the authority of
the vice-president of then, George Bush senior. It was surbedded gradually when the USSR
broke down. Only the international Programs of information (International Programs
Information - IIP) survived.
They are the emissions Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Radio Free
Asia.In 1999, at the conclusion of the war of Kosovo, the Secretary of State Madeleine
K Albright noted the deterioration of the image of the United States in the world and of
the impact of the alternative agencies of information on the Clear one It then instituted
an under-secretary's department of State to the public diplomacy. This station was
reserved for Evelyn Simonowitz Lieberman. Initially, the Bush administration neglected
this service which was attached to the spokesman of the State Department, Richard Boucher.
But it did not delay fully to be restored and entrusted to Charlotte Beers, who took her
functions right after the attacks of September 11 2001. A violent competition immediately
opposed the State Department to the Defence Department for the control of this function.
The secret device of US propaganda
The secretary in defense, Donald Rumsfeld, instituted in October 2001, in the greatest
secrecy a strategic Office of influence (Office for the Strategic Influence - OSI)
directed by the General Simon Pete Worden (one of the promoters of the asymmetrical war
since space). The relations between the OSI and the under-secretary's
department of State to the public diplomacy were articulated by the military Group of
international information (International Military Information Group - IMIG) of colonel
Brad Ward.
This new device was immediately activated to correct the impact of the call to the
« croisade » of George W Bush and to convince the Western public opinions that
the United States does not carry out a war against Islam. One remembers thus the sudden
rise to the crenel of intellectuals, of which some actually were duly sharpened, us
ensuring that president Bush had heard his advisers and had rectified his remarks.
Nevertheless, the New York Times revealed that part of the resolved funds had already been
used to handle the public opinion in the same United States, in violation of the legal
provisions into force. The Bush administration tried to explain why it had never sought to
poison the voters states-uniens, but only with misinformation terrorists and to
reverse the foreign public opinions. However, the universalization of information being
what it is, it is today difficult to circumscribe propaganda abroad. Also, the president
ordered it the closing of the OSI.
Actually, the OSI was immediately reconstituted in secrecy. An obscure post of
under-secretary associated in the special plans (deputy under-secretary for special plans)
was created with the Pentagon and was entrusted to the captain William J Luti (until
advising there of Dick Cheney). One is unaware of the amount of his
budget, which however is described as « très consistant ». Under its control,
the ex-OSI was physically transferred to Strategic Command, where it is always directed by
G! énéral Simon P. Worden. The
device was developed considerably in a few months. Offices of propaganda were created in
each weapon. The 8th division of the Air Force, which had conducted the air campaign
against Germany Nazi, gave up its bombers to be affected more only with the international
battles of propaganda (Worldwide Information Attacks). The Navy obtained a Command of the
war in networks (Naval Network Warfare Command). The Army lays out as for it, of permanent
structures of propaganda since the occupation of Germany, Austria and Japan, where it
allotted the authorizations of publication. Lastly, the new plan of the staff interarmes
(Joined Strategic Capabilities Plane) place from now on propaganda on the same level of
concern as the diplomatic actions, the military operations, and the economic conditions.
The under-secretary associates William J Luti works in close coordination with the old
networks « stay-behind », from now on identified under the name of code of
« Gray Fox ». The unit is supervised by the vice-secretary with the
international businesses of safety (assistant secretary for International Security
Affairs), Pete Rodman (the former adviser in barbouzeries of Dr. Henry Kissinger), itself
placed under the authority of under-secr! étaire Douglas J Feith (one protected from
Richard Beads).
Four principal objectives had initially been laid down jointly by the secretariat of
State and the secretariat at Defense. To convince the international public opinion
that : 1) attacks of September 11 did not aim the United States, but the whole
of the civilized nations. 2) The United States does not carry out a war against Islam, but
against the Islamic terrorists. 3) The United States did not attack Afghanistan, but
constant the Afghan people in his fight against Talibans. 4) For to come to end of
international terrorism, all the civilized nations must be linked behind the United
States.
Each day, each US embassy in the world
Each day, each US embassy in the world addresses Charlotte Beers, to under-secretary
with the public diplomacy, a report on the evolution of the perception of this message in
the country host and a statement of the articles and emissions favorable which it
succeeded in making pass in the local press.
The publication of a survey carried out in 44 countries by Pew Research Center, under
the authority of the former Secretary of State Madeleine K Albright, at the beginning of
December 2002, started again the debate in Washington. It shows a strong degradation of
the image of the United States in the world and a hostility growing with their
international politics in France and Germany.
DoD Directive 3600.1 Information Operations
Learning the lessons from this report, the Bush administration decided to reinforce its
« diplomaty public ». At the conclusion of the iron arm between rival
departments, it is ultimately the Defense which will play the
major part as regards propaganda. If it is him which will fix the targets, the topics of
countryside will be worked out by the under-secretary's department of State to the public
diplomacy which has greater experience of the handling of the foreign populations. The
president of the Commission of the international Businesses of the
Room of the representatives, Henry J Hyde, favours so that the modest budget of the
under-secretary's department of Charlotte Beers is increased on this occasion and passes
from 400 to 655 million dollars.
Top secret instructions, identified under name « DoD Directive 3600.1
Operations » Information, were signed by Donal Rumsfeld in mid-December. They
authorize operations of propaganda on a large scale to influence the public opinions in
the allied countries and the decision-making of their political leaders. The environment
of the debates in progress in Washington had been reported by France 2 at the time of an
interview of Edward Luttwak, diffused on December 9. The famous strategist y said :
« Chirac has an addition to pay in
Washington ! It has a long addition to pay in Washington, and, in Washington, there
is a decision obviously to make him pay the addition. Chirac, it wanted to eat and to puff
out with depend on the United States on the diplomatic scene and, obviously, it goes to
pay… »
Two principal targets were indicated in this cadre : France and Germany. These
States must be discredited on the international scene so as to put a term at their
influence against the war in Iraq. They are regarded as all the more dangerous since
Germany will stay into 2003 and 2004 like temporary member of the Security Council and
like chair Committee of the sanctions, while France will chair in January the 2003
Security Council. Their leaders must be discredited with the eyes of their voters, so as
to be évincés public life. The company image of the large companies which support the
national policies of hostility with regard to the United States must be tarnished at the
point to make them lose their row economic ; and the leaders of these companies must
be blamed in their competence and their probity. The leaders of opinion who develop in the
public of the hostile feelings with regard to the policy of Washington must be ostracized
medias. Lastly, the Moslem groups which could relativize the concept of « war
civilizations » must be placed out of state of
« to harm ».
With regard to France, the targets principal sont : the president Jacques Chirac,
Total-Elf-Fina, consortium EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space) and its leaders
Jean-Luc Lagardère and Philippe Camus, Thalès (here a long time that one had not
intended to speak about the frigates of Taiwan), Renault, and the Voltaire Network.
According to this plan, defamatory charges will be published in foreign medias of low
importance, then included in the French press by journalists « solicited ».
France will be presented like an
intolerant country out of religious matter and anti-semite because invaded and dominated
by the Moslems. The companies and industrialists target will be presented like corrompus
and unfair. To amplify this countryside, of the books will be also published by
intellectuals « solicited ».
In Washington, one does not doubt to be able to transmit the messages as one wishes as
well in the newspaper industry as audio-visual Frenchwoman. One evening of strike of the
drafting, didn't one succeed in making diffuse by France 2, in the place of the newspaper
of 20 hours, an episode of JAG, a serial of propaganda of CBS very officially Co-writing
by the CIA, without raising least the protestation ?
Right now, we can reverse this small jeu : who, in the press and the French
edition agreed to box fatty the
« sollicitations » of Pentagone ?
Thierry Meyssan
Journaliste et écrivain, président du Réseau Voltaire. |
