Obama Campaign's Multi-Million Dollar Propaganda Firm Deployed in Iraq to Advise on "New Media"

By Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet. Posted April 21, 2009.

will provide conceptual input as well as ideas on how new technologies can be used to build local capacity, foster greater transparency and accountability, build upon anti-corruption efforts, promote critical thinking in the classroom, scale-up civil society, and further empower local entities and individuals by providing the tools for network building. As Iraqis think about how to integrate new technology as a tool for smart power, we view this as an opportunity to invite the American technology industry to be part of this creative genesis.

During the trip the delegation will meet with representatives from the Government of Iraq, the public and private education sectors, Iraqi technology companies, and groups active in Iraqi civil society.

Let's re-read one of the above lines: "As Iraqis think about how to integrate new technology as a tool for smart power, we view this as an opportunity to invite the American technology industry to be part of this creative genesis." Putting aside that this sounds like some crap-ass Tom Cruise movie description or a brochure for some Scientology ceremony, the State Department description is so kooky and vague that one is left to guess what the end game is here. Presumably, it will eventually mean contracts for U.S. companies either with the U.S. government in Iraq or the Iraqi government.

Just because Blue State Digital was used by Obama and now is heading to Iraq where it could potentially make substantial money down the line as a contractor doesn't mean there is necessarily any conflict outside of the normal way business is done in Washington. Similar concerns could be raised about the presence on the State Department delegation of (warrantless wiretap facilitator) AT&T, which was a major corporate sponsor of the Democratic National Convention in Denver last year. (AT&T has also worked with Blue State).

"We work with Democratic candidates," Blue State says on its Facebook Page, "We are partisan in the candidates we work with." Fair enough. But imagine if the Bush White House deployed a firm in Iraq that was a major player in the Bush campaign fundraising machinery that was "partisan in the candidates" it worked with and its name was Red State Digital -- it would surely be all over the blogosphere.

Oh, and here is one final, interesting tidbit from The Times of London:

Even Karl Rove, the Republican political adviser who masterminded George W. Bush's two election wins is an admirer [of Blue State Digital], saying that the company does "good things for the wrong people".

See more stories tagged with: iraq, democrats, obama, web 2.0, new media, fundraising, blue state digital, contracts

Jeremy Scahill, an independent journalist who reports frequently for the national radio and TV program Democracy Now!, has spent extensive time reporting from Iraq and Yugoslavia. He is currently a Puffin Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. Scahill is the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. His writing and reporting is available at RebelReports.com.

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