The official MNF-I website posted this PAO story today: Mosul Market District Secure, Thriving. A feel good story about how our patrols have fostered enough confidence in the locals to reopen their stores and is now a bustling hub of economic activity. I was taken aback at the touchy-feely aspects of the story when it’s actually Mosul they’re talking about…

Subsequently, I decided to fact check it against actual Iraqi reports… From just today’s Aswat Aliraq…

Civilian killed, another wounded in IED blast in Mosul

A civilian man was killed and another wounded when an improvised explosive device went off in northern Mosul on Friday, police said.

“The IED exploded near a civilian man’s house in al-Rashidiya area, northern Mosul. There was no security target in the area,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq.

and…

5 wounded in IED blast in Mosul

Five people, including two policemen, were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near a police patrol in northern Mosul on Friday, a security source said.

“The IED ripped through al-Jamea neighborhood, northern Mosul, near a police patrol, wounding two security men and three civilians who happened to be near the explosion scene,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq.

and…

Iraqi soldier killed in IED attack in Mosul

An Iraqi soldier was killed and four others wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in eastern Mosul city on Friday, a police source in Ninewa said.

“The IED blast targeted an Iraqi army patrol in al-Karama neighborhood, eastern Mosul, leaving an Iraqi soldier killed and four others, including an officer in the rank of lieutenant, wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq, not giving more information about the incident.

These are all separate incidents and had only occurred just today! Yesterday had 3 separate incidents resulting in 10 killed and wounded civilians and Iraqi soldiers… The day before that, Wednesday, had two more incidents including two bombs being detonated with numerous casualties… Need I go on…?

I don’t begrudge the PAO for doing their jobs, but, I do take offense at the apparent blinders they wear…

An excellent article was posted at Alternet…

Private Military Contractors Writing the News? The Pentagon’s Propaganda at Its Worst

Less than a week after the Washington Post reported that the Department of Defense will pay private contractors $300 million over the next three years to "produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to ‘engage and inspire’ the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government," Virginia Sen. Jim Webb wrote a strongly worded letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "I have serious reservations about the need for this expenditure in today’s political and economic environment," he wrote. "Consequently, I am asking that you put these contracts on hold until the Armed Services Committee and the next administration can review the entire issue of U.S. propaganda efforts inside Iraq."

Good for Sen. Webb! Somebody is calling them out! As Liliana Segura goes on to point out…

Circumventing Congress

In the United States, few lawmakers have had a chance to scrutinize this latest deployment of public funds for propaganda. (Like so many other contracts awarded to private defense corporations, this one was awarded with no Congressional approval.) But Webb’s letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggests that it could become an issue.[...]

Webb, who first learned about this contract as did most Americans, from the Washington Post, has called for a thorough review of the Pentagon’s "strategic communications" initiatives, including Congressional hearings." Were this to happen, says Farsetta, "I would love for those hearings to include representatives from foreign governments and civil society groups where the U.S. has major propaganda operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan. The heads of firms like the Lincoln Group, L-3 and Rendon should also testify, under oath."

She also covered some other shenanigans…

Profiting off the "War of Ideas"

Beyond the Pentagon’s pundit "scandal," the fact that propaganda contracts continue to be awarded to the very companies that have previously been implicated in ethical breaches for disseminating unattributed U.S. propaganda abroad is reason enough to renew alarm. More than the dollar amount, what is outrageous to Farsetta about the most recent propaganda contract is that it is "blatantly illegal." "If you look at this most recent contract," she explains, "one of the ‘strategic audiences’ is U.S. audiences." According to federal law going back to World War II, she says "no taxpayer money can go to propagandize U.S. audiences."

We need to have serious Congressional investigations ASAP, and, appropriate actions taken to stop this propaganda b*llshit and stop the further fleecing of the taxpayers…

I can only hope Lieberman and Collins will be ousted from the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations and real adults put in charge!

One can dream, eh?

(Cross-posted at Main & Central)