Editorial: Deception campaign should be discarded

Monday, Dec. 23, 2002 | 8:33 a.m.

Last week it was revealed that the Pentagon was considering giving the military the power to conduct covert operations to influence public opinion overseas. The secret plan, disclosed by The New York Times, would include paying foreign journalists to plant favorable news stories about the United States in their media outlets. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had not made a decision on whether to implement the program, but fortunately the White House distanced itself from the plan, noting that the administration wouldn't condone spreading lies to foreign media outlets. Not only would such an effort be inimical to our nation's values, but it also could be a tactical disaster once stories were discovered to have been planted -- and ultimately those revelations would happen. In addition, once we start what really is a campaign of deception, people can never be assured when our government actually is telling the truth.

This isn't the first time the Pentagon has contemplated a misguided propaganda program. In February the Pentagon was considering a disinformation campaign to change public opinion in other countries. But Rumsfeld shut down the ominously named Office of Strategic Influence as soon as President Bush made it clear that he wouldn't tolerate the U.S. government disseminating lies to foreign countries. After that first controversy, it is mind-boggling that the Pentagon would consider a second plan remotely similar to the first one. The president should remind Rumsfeld that these kinds of programs will not be tolerated -- and that's a message Rumsfeld also had better communicate fully within the Pentagon so that no more propaganda campaigns such as these get resurrected.