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RUMSFELD MEMO TO NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL:
HOW TO WIN THE SPIN WAR
By Joel C. Rosenberg, national correspondent, WORLD magazine (www.worldmag.com)  ** ADVANCE FROM NEXT WEEK'S WORLD MAGAZINE **
(WASHINGTON, D.C., March 27, 2003) -- Fox News Channel star Ollie North is drawing huge ratings reporting from the front lines with his fellow Marines. David Bloom of NBC is suddenly a household name. CNN's Walter Rodgers breathlessly tells the Washington Post via satellite phone from deep inside Iraq, "I don't believe I've ever had such access over 36 years of reporting." ABC's Sam Donaldson calls the whole idea "a stroke of genius."
So who's behind the strategy of "embedding" reporters inside U.S. and British combat units? Bush administration insiders say it's the brainchild of Victoria "Torrie" Clarke, a former press secretary for Senator John McCain.
Clarke, now the Pentagon's Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, hatched the idea last fall. Her goal: to win the spin war. As Al Gore might say, it was a "risky scheme" -- letting journalists report live from the front lines. But by early winter, she had persuaded her boss, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who then made a detailed case to the National Security Council in a 10-page memo drafted by Clarke and obtained by WORLD magazine.
 "We need to tell the factual story -- good and bad -- before others seed the media with disinformation and distortions, as they most certainly will continue to do," Rumsfeld and Clarke wrote.
"Our people in the field need to tell our story. Only commanders can ensure the media get to the story alongside the troops. We must organize for and facilitate access of national and international media to our forces, including those forces engaged in ground operations....To accomplish this, we will embed media with our units. These embedded media will live, work and travel as part of the units...to facilitate maximum, in-depth coverage."
The Rumsfeld-Clarke memo made clear this would be no day at Disney World. "The media is responsible for loading and carrying their own equipment at all times," they wrote. All media organziations must sign an agreement not to sue the U.S. government for injury or death. "Media embedded with U.S. forces are not permitted to carry personal firearms." All media must pay for their own anthrax and smallpox vaccines. Also interesting, in light of how U.S. POWs are being treated: "No photographs or other visual media showing an enemy prisoner of war or detainee's recognizable face, nametag or other identifying feature or item may be taken."
News organizations first began receiving assignments on February 12th. Each organization received a set number of "slots," but were able to trade slots, subject to Clarke's final approval. More than 500 reporters, producers and cameramen would eventually be "embedded." Twenty percent are foreign journalists, mostly British. The rest are American.
The result: the most fascinating real-time battlefield images and reporting in the history of warfare.
"The concept was developed to dominate the information market and counter the historical lies and disinformation of the Iraqi regime," a senior Pentagon official tells WORLD.
Mary Matalin, a former Bush administration communications strategist who has worked with Clarke for fifteen years, tells WORLD, "Torrie has always been a force for clarity and truth. There is no more difficult terrain to keep true to her approach than a battlefield. This conflict will make history in the way the democracies work."
Critics say it's a mistake for reporters to let themselves become tools of American propaganda. But the real mistake may be trying to cover this war without military cooperation. Several reporters have tried to go it alone and were killed.
EXCERPTS FROM THE RUMSFELD-CLARKE MEMO  FROM: SECDEF WASHINGTON
TO: SECDEF WASHINGTON-CHAIRS
NSC WASHINGTON
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON
SECSTATE WASHINGTON
CJCS WASHINGTON
WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM
INFO SECDEF WASHINGTON
* THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) POLICY ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF FUTURE MILITARY OPERATIONS IS THAT MEDIA WILL HAVE LONG-TERM, MINIMALLY RESTRICTIVE ACCESS TO U.S. AIR, GROUND AND NAVAL FORCES THROUGH EMBEDDING. MEDIA COVERAGE OF ANY FUTURE OPERATION WILL, TO A LARGE EXTENT, SHAPE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT NOW AND IN THE YEARS AHEAD. THIS HOLDS TRUE FOR THE U.S. PUBLIC; THE PUBLIC IN ALLIED COUNTRIES WHOSE OPINION CAN AFFECT THE DURABILITY OF OUR COALITION; AND PUBLICS IN COUNTRIES WHERE WE CONDUCT OPERATIONS, WHOSE PERCEPTIONS OF US CAN AFFECT THE COST AND DURATION OF OUR INVOLVEMENT. OUR ULTIMATE STRATEGIC SUCCESS IN BRINGING PEACE AND SECURITY TO THIS REGION WILL COME IN OUR LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING OUR DEMOCRATIC IDEALS.
* UNIT COMMANDERS MAY IMPOSE TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS ON ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSIONS FOR OPERATIONAL SECURITY REASONS. MEDIA WILL SEEK APPROVAL TO USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN A COMBAT/HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT...
* THE STANDARD FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION SHOULD BE TO ASK "WHY NOT RELEASE" VICE "WHY RELEASE." DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE ASAP, PREFERABLY IN MINUTES, NOT HOURS.
* EMBARGOES MAY BE IMPOSED TO PROTECT OPERATIONAL SECURITY. EMBARGOES WILL ONLY BE USED FOR OPERATIONAL SECURITY AND WILL BE LIFTED AS SOON AS THE OPERATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE HAS PASSED.
EXCERPT: THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION ARE RELEASABLE.
-- APPROXIMATE FRIENDLY FORCE STRENGTH FIGURES.
-- APPROXIMATE FRIENDLY CASUALTY FIGURES BY SERVICE. EMBEDDED MEDIA MAY, WITHIN OPSEC LIMITS, CONFIRM UNIT CASUALTIES THEY HAVE WITNESSED.
-- CONFIRMED FIGURES OF ENEMY PERSONNEL DETAINED OR CAPTURED.
-- SIZE OF FRIENDLY FORCE PARTICIPATING IN AN ACTION OR OPERATION CAN BE DISCLOSED USING APPROXIMATE TERMS. SPECIFIC FORCE OR UNIT IDENTIFICATION MAY BE RELEASED WHEN IT NO LONGER WARRANTS SECURITY PROTECTION.
-- INFORMATION AND LOCATION OF MILITARY TARGETS AND OBJECTIVES PREVIOUSLY UNDER ATTACK.
-- GENERIC DESCRIPTION OF ORIGIN OF AIR OPERATIONS, SUCH AS "LAND-BASED."
-- DATE, TIME OR LOCATION OF PREVIOUS CONVENTIONAL MILITARY MISSIONS AND ACTIONS, AS WELL AS MISSION RESULTS ARE RELEASABLE ONLY IF DESCRIBED IN GENERAL TERMS.
-- TYPES OF ORDNANCE EXPENDED IN GENERAL TERMS.
-- NUMBER OF AERIAL COMBAT OR RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS OR SORTIES FLOWN IN CENTCOM'S AREA OF OPERATION.
-- TYPE OF FORCES INVOLVED (E.G., AIR DEFENSE, INFANTRY, ARMOR, MARINES).
-- ALLIED PARTICIPATION BY TYPE OF OPERATION (SHIPS, AIRCRAFT, GROUND UNITS, ETC.) AFTER APPROVAL OF THE ALLIED UNIT COMMANDER.
-- OPERATION CODE NAMES.
-- NAMES AND HOMETOWNS OF U.S. MILITARY UNITS.
-- SERVICE MEMBERS' NAMES AND HOME TOWNS WITH THE INDIVIDUALS' CONSENT.
* THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION ARE NOT RELEASABLE SINCE THEIR PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST COULD JEOPARDIZE OPERATIONS AND ENDANGER LIVES.
-- SPECIFIC NUMBER OF TROOPS IN UNITS BELOW CORPS/MEF LEVEL.
-- SPECIFIC NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT IN UNITS AT OR BELOW THE AIR EXPEDITIONARY WING LEVEL.
-- SPECIFIC NUMBERS REGARDING OTHER EQUIPMENT OR CRITICAL SUPPLIES (E.G. ARTILLERY, TANKS, LANDING CRAFT, RADARS, TRUCKS, WATER, ETC.).
-- SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF SHIPS IN UNITS BELOW THE CARRIER BATTLE GROUP LEVEL.
-- NAMES OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS OR SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF MILITARY UNITS IN THE CENTCOM AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR AUTHORIZED BY THE CENTCOM COMMANDER. NEWS AND IMAGERY PRODUCTS THAT IDENTIFY OR INCLUDE IDENTIFIABLE FEATURES OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR RELEASE.
-- INFORMATION REGARDING FUTURE OPERATIONS.
-- INFORMATION REGARDING FORCE PROTECTION MEASURES AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS OR ENCAMPMENTS (EXCEPT THOSE WHICH ARE VISIBLE OR READILY APPARENT).
-- PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWING LEVEL OF SECURITY AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS OR ENCAMPMENTS.
-- RULES OF ENGAGEMENT.
-- INFORMATION ON INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION ACTIVITIES COMPROMISING TACTICS, TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES.
-- EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IN REPORTING WILL BE REQUIRED AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES TO MAXIMIZE OPERATIONAL SURPRISE. LIVE BROADCASTS FROM AIRFIELDS, ON THE GROUND OR AFLOAT, BY EMBEDDED MEDIA ARE PROHIBITED UNTIL THE SAFE RETURN OF THE INITIAL STRIKE PACKAGE OR UNTIL AUTHORIZED BY THE UNIT COMMANDER.
-- DURING AN OPERATION, SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON FRIENDLY FORCE TROOP MOVEMENTS, TACTICAL DEPLOYMENTS, AND DISPOSITIONS THAT WOULD JEOPARDIZE OPERATIONAL SECURITY OR LIVES. INFORMATION ON ON-GOING ENGAGEMENTS WILL NOT BE RELEASED UNLESS AUTHORIZED FOR RELEASE BY ON-SCENE COMMANDER.
-- INFORMATION ON SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNITS, UNIQUE OPERATIONS METHODOLOGY OR TACTICS, FOR EXAMPLE, AIR OPERATIONS, ANGLES OF ATTACK, AND SPEEDS; NAVAL TACTICAL OR EVASIVE MANEUVERS, ETC. GENERAL TERMS SUCH AS "LOW" OR "FAST" MAY BE USED.
-- INFORMATION ON EFFECTIVENESS OF ENEMY ELECTRONIC WARFARE.
-- INFORMATION IDENTIFYING POSTPONED OR CANCELED OPERATIONS.
-- INFORMATION ON MISSING OR DOWNED AIRCRAFT OR MISSING VESSELS WHILE SEARCH AND RESCUE AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS ARE BEING PLANNED OR UNDERWAY.
-- INFORMATION ON EFFECTIVENESS OF ENEMY CAMOUFLAGE, COVER, DECEPTION, TARGETING, DIRECT AND INDIRECT FIRE, INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION, OR SECURITY MEASURES.
-- NO PHOTOGRAPHS OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA SHOWING AN ENEMY PRISONER OF WAR OR DETAINEE'S RECOGNIZABLE FACE, NAMETAG OR OTHER IDENTIFYING FEATURE OR ITEM MAY BE TAKEN.
-- STILL OR VIDEO IMAGERY OF CUSTODY OPERATIONS OR INTERVIEWS WITH PERSONS UNDER CUSTODY.
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