Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Pentagon Denies Orchestrated PR Campaign
Aired October 14, 2003 - 08:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also from Iraq and back here in the U.S., newspapers across the country have been getting letters from soldiers patrolling Iraq, saying things there on the ground are not as bad as they are portrayed in the media. As it turns out, all the letters are identical. The Pentagon denies any orchestrated P.R. campaign.
But for more on this, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, checks into it now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment parachuted into Iraq back in March. Last month, members of the unit, now based in the relatively peaceful northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, apparently began sending neatly typed letters to hometown newspapers highlighting progress in Iraq.
"The majority of the city has welcomed our presence with open arms. Children smile and run up to shake hands," read one.
That letter went to a Washington State newspaper, "The Olympian." But when the editorial page editor got a second matching letter signed by a different soldier, his suspicions were raised.
JERRY WAKEFIELD, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE OLYMPIAN": A couple of days later, he got another letter, the second one of the two, and remembered the first one, went back, compared them and they were identical except for the signatures.
MCINTYRE: "The Olympian" exposed the form letter flap after passing the letters to the Gannett News Service, which discovered the same letter published in 11 different U.S. newspapers. The Pentagon denies it orchestrated the letter writing scheme, a spokesman telling CNN, "I am unaware of any particular campaign." But the spokesman didn't deny there's widespread frustration from the defense secretary on down that the news coverage doesn't focus on the success stories in Iraq.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What gets carried is the bad news. What gets carried is something that's harmful or unhelpful.
MCINTYRE (on camera): Soldiers contacted by the Gannett News Service admitted they didn't write the letter. One said he didn't even sign one. But they all stood by the sentiment. The Pentagon believes the form letter writing campaign began with someone in the unit and insists it wasn't a P.R. ploy.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Jamie, thanks for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 14, 2003 - 08:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also from Iraq and back here in the U.S., newspapers across the country have been getting letters from soldiers patrolling Iraq, saying things there on the ground are not as bad as they are portrayed in the media. As it turns out, all the letters are identical. The Pentagon denies any orchestrated P.R. campaign.
But for more on this, our senior Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre, checks into it now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment parachuted into Iraq back in March. Last month, members of the unit, now based in the relatively peaceful northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, apparently began sending neatly typed letters to hometown newspapers highlighting progress in Iraq.
"The majority of the city has welcomed our presence with open arms. Children smile and run up to shake hands," read one.
That letter went to a Washington State newspaper, "The Olympian." But when the editorial page editor got a second matching letter signed by a different soldier, his suspicions were raised.
JERRY WAKEFIELD, MANAGING EDITOR, "THE OLYMPIAN": A couple of days later, he got another letter, the second one of the two, and remembered the first one, went back, compared them and they were identical except for the signatures.
MCINTYRE: "The Olympian" exposed the form letter flap after passing the letters to the Gannett News Service, which discovered the same letter published in 11 different U.S. newspapers. The Pentagon denies it orchestrated the letter writing scheme, a spokesman telling CNN, "I am unaware of any particular campaign." But the spokesman didn't deny there's widespread frustration from the defense secretary on down that the news coverage doesn't focus on the success stories in Iraq.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: What gets carried is the bad news. What gets carried is something that's harmful or unhelpful.
MCINTYRE (on camera): Soldiers contacted by the Gannett News Service admitted they didn't write the letter. One said he didn't even sign one. But they all stood by the sentiment. The Pentagon believes the form letter writing campaign began with someone in the unit and insists it wasn't a P.R. ploy.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HEMMER: Jamie, thanks for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
