Phil Taylor's papers
|
BACK TO : PROPAGANDA AND THE GLOBAL 'WAR' ON TERROR (GWOT) Years 1 and 2, ie 9/11-2003
Apparatus of Lies by the Office of Global Communications 
One of the pre-2003 cases for an attack on Iraq by the Office of Global Communications Saddam's Disinformation and Propaganda 1990-2003
Judge for yourself. At the time the report was presented in the following terms. 'This report shines light on the apparatus used by Saddam Hussein and his cadres to deceive the Iraqi people and the international community. The oppressive and totalitarian nature of Saddam Hussein's regime enables his deception and deceit. This regime, which became expert at obfuscation during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, has now had more than a decade to perfect these practices. The Iraqi regime's intent to continue these lies is evident from recent actions. Should the United States and its allies determine that military action is necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein, the January 8, 2003, statement by Tareq Aziz illustrates what could await the international community. In this statement, the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and member of Saddam's inner circle invited friends of the dictator to serve as human shields. What Tareq Aziz does not tell them is that they will be defending Iraqi military equipment and a regime that tyrannizes its people. All the while, the regime continues to profess poverty while generating significant amounts of money from the Oil-for-Food Program. During the period of January 4-10, 2003, Iraq exported 6.7 million barrels of oil, generating an estimated $174 million, according to the UN Oil-for-Food Program. The same program projects that for the period of December 2002 to June 2003, Iraq will generate $1.4 billion from its oil. The UN Security Council intended to allow the oil-for-food exchange to keep the Iraqi people from starving. As underscored in this report, while many Iraqi citizens face near starvation, Saddam Hussein continues to use oil wealth to build castles and weapons. All the while, the regime falsely blames the plight of the Iraqi people on UN sanctions. This report puts into perspective other recent Iraqi actions, including their material breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1441. The resolution calls for a full, final, and complete disclosure of weapons of mass destruction and a verified disarmament process in Iraq. What the UN got was more lies and deception. - On January 16, 2003, previously undisclosed warheads for chemical weapons discovered by UN inspectors. - Ongoing intimidation of Iraqi scientists through the regime's shifting position on private interviews with UN inspectors. - Numerous chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons stockpiles and programs unaddressed in the Iraqi declaration. - Absence of "active" cooperation by Iraq with UN inspectors. As Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Face the Nation on January 19, 2003: "It is [Iraq's] responsibility under 1441 to cooperate fully with the inspectors in the disarmament process. Dr. Blix says he has found no smoking gun, but he has also said that all he is getting from the Iraqis is passive cooperation. 'Catch us if you can. If you find something we might admit it. But we're working hard to deceive you, to hide things and make it harder for you to get to the truth.'" This is how the BBC reported on the report's release at the time:
Wednesday, 22 January, 2003, 12:59 GMT US details Iraq's 'apparatus of lies' The use of Iraqi factories figures in the US report By Roger Hardy BBC Middle East analyst As part of its campaign to show that Iraq has misled the world, the United States has issued a detailed report called "Apparatus of Lies". It has been produced by a newly-created office within the White House - the Office of Global Communications - set up by President George W Bush as part of a more aggressive effort to influence world opinion. It is a catalogue of allegations designed to bolster the US administration's case and demonise Saddam Hussein The report - replete with photographs and satellite images and quotations from Iraqi officials - seeks to expose what it calls Iraq's "brutal record of deceit" from the Gulf crisis of 1990 until today. It accuses the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, of putting civilians in harm's way, exploiting sick and malnourished children, staging funerals and hiding behind a phoney rhetoric of Islamic piety. The report doesn't say anything new about Iraq's alleged development of weapons of mass destruction. Rather, it is a catalogue of allegations designed to bolster the US administration's case and demonise Saddam Hussein. As the Iraq crisis enters a crucial phase, the administration is stepping up its efforts to sway world opinion. Consistent message A series of speeches on Iraq by top officials - including Richard Armitage and Paul Wolfowitz - will pave the way for the president's State of the Union address on Tuesday next week. The overall message is that America will go to war to disarm Iraq - with or without a new UN resolution - and will do so sooner rather than later. That is certainly what Mr Bush wants Saddam Hussein to believe. But despite its tough talk, the administration seems well aware that to fight a controversial war with such limited international support would be a risky undertaking. |
EXHIBITS appoflies.pdf  |