Big Brother's Brother

The Pentagon's own little spin machine:

The US defense department has set up a new unit to better promote its message across 24-hour rolling news outlets, and particularly on the internet.

The Pentagon said the move would boost its ability to counter "inaccurate" news stories and exploit new media.

Of course, the Pentagon would determine what is 'inaccurate', a definition I suspect has less to do with truth, and more to do with getting people to believe what they want them to believe:

A Pentagon memo seen by the Associated Press news agency said the new unit would "develop messages" for the 24-hour news cycle and aim to "correct the record".

The unit would reportedly monitor media such as weblogs and would also employ "surrogates", or top politicians or lobbyists who could be interviewed on TV and radio shows.

Mr Russ said the move to set up the unit had not been prompted either by the eroding public support in the US for the Iraq war or the US mid-term elections next week.

So a subtle claim that this is not political. Is there any decision at all that is made in Washington that is not political.