3 groups have contracts for pro-U.S. propaganda

0 Comments | USA TODAY, December, 2005 | by Matt Kelley

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's latest project to win hearts and minds in the war on terrorism relies on two large defense contractors and a small start-up firm to craft messages appealing to people across the globe.

U.S. Special Operations Command awarded three five-year contracts in June for contractors to develop slogans, advertisements, newspaper articles, radio spots and television programs to build support for U.S. policies overseas. Each contract has a maximum value of $20 million per year for a total of $300 million.

The contractors include the Lincoln Group, a small firm that's under investigation for paying Iraqi newspapers to run pro-American articles ghostwritten under a separate military contract.

Lincoln Group spokeswoman Laurie Adler says the...