Editorial: Propaganda office gets a fond farewell

Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002 | 8:55 a.m.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did the right thing this week when he shut down a new propaganda office in the Pentagon that had considered using disinformation campaigns to influence public opinion with nations overseas. When the disinformation proposals were leaked and reported first in a New York Times story last Tuesday, Rumsfeld immediately told the media, including at a stop the next day in Las Vegas to visit Nellis Air Force Base, that he wouldn't allow the office to disseminate lies.

Despite Rumsfeld's assurances, the controversy regarding the Pentagon office with the ominous title -- Office of Strategic Influence -- continued into this week. President Bush also let it be known publicly that he was upset with the disinformation plans that had been under consideration, a situation that hastened the office's demise. The Washington Post reported that White House aides "hit the ceiling" when the proposals were unearthed last week.

What also was troubling was that the defense secretary and the top civilian officials in the Pentagon suggested that until the New York Times broke the story, they were unaware of the disinformation campaigns under consideration by the new office, which was being headed by Air Force Brig. Gen. Simon Worden. Fortunately, in this case, an alert press uncovered what was going on before it got too far along.

A disinformation campaign would have seriously undermined U.S. credibility abroad, an irony since those supporting the Office of Strategic Influence had contended that the office's mission was to improve the standing of the United States in foreign nations.