:: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 ::

Constructing Alliances:

Since 1 September 2001, Pakistan has hired a series of public relations firms to lobby for them in the US. Recently the PR firm, "Team Barakat," based in the President's home state of Texas has been complemented by a firm based in Lansing, Michigan, an area with a significant minority muslim population. The PR firm Stirling International Consulting Corporation will be devoting its time to generating "grassroots support" for Pakistan in the US. Stirling will work to "root out" negative stories, provide "clarifications" for journalists, and train Pakistani-Americans as "message surrogates" by giving them talking points and training in public speaking. Recruiting people to serve as mouthpieces for someone else is a classic disinformation technique perfected by US Public Relations firms.

I wonder what message it sends to Americans when their "trusted" ally in the war against terrorism hires a PR firm to manipulate their opinions...

Another firm, Rhoads-Weber Shandwick, has been hired by President Musharraf to lobby US taxpayer support for the Pakistan Human Development Fund, formed by President Musharraf in June to improve the nation's educational system and living standards by encouraging private/public sector partnership. A goal of this fund is to set up government run educational institutions to counter the religious based Madrassa system. The government of Pakistan has contributed $32 million to start the program but is looking to the US government to help support the program over the long haul.

:: Vikash Yadav 4:13 PM [Permanent Link] :: ::
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Root Out Evil:

Here is a website devoted to expanding the search for weapons of mass destruction: www.rootingoutevil.org

:: Vikash Yadav 6:27 PM [Permanent Link] :: ::
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