DOD Rescinds Report That Found No Evidence Of Pundit Propaganda

The Defense Department's Inspector General's (IG) Office last week rescinded a report that had concluded there was insufficient evidence that the Pentagon's imbedded pundit program violated the prohibition on using appropriations for publicity or propaganda. But DOD also said it would not issue a new report. The January IG report had been demanded by 45 congressmen unhappy with the program, which had been uncovered in an April 2008 New York Times story -- which recently won a Pulitzer -- about a DOD program to "imbed" military analysts, so-called "force multiplyers," in news programs to talk up administration policy. In the pundit program, retired military officials were armed with administration talking points about the war in Iraq and other Bush administration policies and were sent to the media front lines--mostly cable and broadcast news channels and programs. Some of the pundits also had ties to military contractors -- ties not disclosed to viewers.