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Report recommends covert programs, low Middle East profile for US
A new West Point military academy study recommends the United States keep a low profile in the Middle East and use covert programs to promote its image.The strategy could involve paying for favorable publications and schools that promote moderate Islamic philosophies and also proposes using Muslim allies to exploit ideological rifts within terrorist groups, USA Today reported on February 15. Titled "Stealing Al Qaeda's Playbook," the report by the Combating Terrorism Center at the academy stresses, "It is essential that the US hand not be seen." "Direct engagement with the United States has been good for the jihadi movement," the authors wrote, because it reinforces the perception in the Middle East of the United States as an anti-Islamic crusader. Last year, the US Special Operations Command issued $300 million in contracts for three companies to spread pro-US propaganda in Iraq without revealing the US connections. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-02-17 |
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