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November 17, 2003

Smart? Or Self-Deluding and Dangerous?

Okay, Bush may even be putting his administration's lying skills to good use, creating fake muslim leaders to preach moderation in the Islamic world:

"We are taking over radio stations and supporting clerics," a CIA source was quoted as saying. "It's back to propaganda. We are creating moderate Muslims."

Kessler said the CIA also paid for mullahs to issue fatwas, or religious edicts, urging Iraqis not to resist American forces. He did not specify the countries this took place in.

Of course, there are two big dangers.

First, if moderate mullahs are now suspected of being bought and paid for by the United States, it may discredit the legitimiate theological moderates.

Even more dangerously, we may delude ourselves based on media quotations from our own paid agents that the US is more respected and in less danger than reality. Or the administration will just flat out create disinformation for domestic consumption, using paid puppets in the middle east to electioneer.

The bottom line is the next time you hear a mullah praising the US occupation in Iraq, you may just be hearing paid propaganda.

Posted by Nathan at November 17, 2003 05:47 PM

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