Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.”

What struck me the most was the implicit assumption that the Pentagon had to do war for the minds of the American people. "We the People" were the target of a psychological operation to support going into a war-of-choice, and we paid for it ourselves!

But winning or not, they bluntly warned, the administration was in grave political danger so long as most Americans viewed Iraq as a lost cause. “America hates a loser,” one analyst said.

Much of the session was devoted to ways that Mr. Rumsfeld could reverse the “political tide.” One analyst urged Mr. Rumsfeld to “just crush these people,” and assured him that “most of the gentlemen at the table” would enthusiastically support him if he did.

In addition, these retired millitary officials also have a financial interest in on-going war, because many of them work for defense contractors, companies that supply arms, armor and services. TV news outlets like Fox and NBC never disclosed any of these conflicts of interest.

Coverage on Democracy Now

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