How to Manipulate the Press

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Beginning on page 17 of this document, there’s a conversation about how to spin friendly fire incidents in the initial invasion phase of the Iraq war. Press officer LTC Kenneth McClellan notes:

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“That’s what I like about the American press. The dirt clods used to come before and during the fight - - as they would tend to do internationally. Now they seem to come principally afterwards.”

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The subject? How they’re going to explain why, after 3 White Sands studies on friendly fire issues, they’re still relying on “foil on plywood and glint tape on helmets” for air-to-ground IFF and why the three services purchased different IFF systems that didn’t work together.

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Friendly fire incidents, the talking points pack issued to the pet analysts notes, killed 35 and wounded 72 U.S. troops. [Let's not even talk about British losses to u.S. fire, OK?] That’s an increase to 17% from WW2’s 12-14% and Vietnam’s 10-14%.

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Callous bastard, this McClellan, eh? But he’s sure they’ve got a tame press - and thus the public are subjected to another kind of friendly fire, pushing the administration’s spin.