by Scott Ott
(2004-12-02) -- The Pentagon announced today it will launch an internal investigation to determine whether media reports that the Iraq war is a hopeless quagmire may have originated from Pentagon spokesmen engaged in "psy-ops" (psychological operations) to deceive the enemy.
The probe follows a report in the Los Angeles Times that CNN passed along Pentagon disinformation about the timing of the offensive to liberate Fallujah. A Pentagon source intentionally planted the false story to observe the reaction of terrorists to the announcement that an attack had begun.
If the 'quagmire' stories have also resulted from the Pentagon's psy-ops against the enemy, it could shatter the relationship of trust shared by reporters with their defense department sources.
"It makes me wonder whether things are going as badly in Iraq as we've been reporting," said one CNN producer. "If the defense department has tricked us into putting negative spin on U.S. progress in the war, the insurgents will have a false sense of confidence, which sets them up for a crushing defeat. And CNN has become an unwitting accomplice in this Pentagon scheme. I feel dirty."
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