Editorial: Campaign of lies would be damaging

Friday, Feb. 22, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

Earlier this week the New York Times reported that the Department of Defense was considering proposals to plant news items, possibly false information, with foreign media outlets in an attempt to sway public opinion overseas. The new Department of Defense agency that wanted to head up the project, the Office of Strategic Influence, was created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because of concerns that the United States was losing support for its policies in foreign countries, especially in Islamic nations.

When he visited Las Vegas on Wednesday, Rumsfeld assured reporters that spreading falsehoods wouldn't be part of a U.S. information campaign. "I don't lie. People who work for me don't lie. And that's just a fact," he said. We hope that Rumsfeld sticks by his pledge, which should include stopping any disinformation program before it gets off the ground. Planting disinformation with foreign nations to counter their propaganda -- including our allies as was proposed -- ultimately would undermine our credibility with the very nations whose views we are trying to change. Besides, if we're disseminating lies, who is going to know when we're telling the truth? Instead of turning to lies, the Pentagon should try something that's a proven winner: the truth.

In a positive step, the White House wants to create a permanent office of global diplomacy, which would improve the outreach of U.S. government communications -- both diplomatic and military -- so that our nation's foreign policy is better understood by other countries. As the New York Times reports, one of the biggest complaints that foreign journalists have is not getting meaningful information from U.S. officials in Washington. Other nations, such as Great Britain, are more open to foreign journalists, an receptiveness that helps get their message out.

It's often said that the first casualty of war is the truth, but it doesn't have to be this way. If the U.S. government wants a reasonable chance to win the hearts and minds of people who already distrust our nation, it will require a policy that places a premium on the truth, not one that toils in deception.