Coalition Information Center
About the Group
The Coalition Information Center (CIC) is mainly driven by the US and UK. Alastair Campbell and his No 10 communications colleague Phil Bassett went to see Karen Hughes in Washington in early October 2001. The trip gave birth to the Coalition Information Center, which was to be based in Washington, London and Islamabad. Coalition Information Center (CIC)[1] which co-ordinated the coalition’s public communications about the military, diplomatic and humanitarian aspects of the campaign against terrorism. The CIC - to which the FCO claims to have made major contributions and has offices in London, Washington and Islamabad - is otherwise known as the "propaganda wing of the military's Operation Enduring Freedom [2], and was "known among journalists who tried to cover the war in Afghanistan as a veritable disinformation center." [3]. The London CIC was housed within and partially staffed by the Foreign Office.[4].
Aims
The CIC was originally set up to rebut
- Taliban claims about civilian casualties and the idea that war in Afghanistan 'was becoming a Vietnam-like quagmire', while shining a harsh spotlight on the Taliban's record in human rights and the treatment of women[5]
It was also instrumental in selling the war in Iraq - a detailed breakdown of its aims and activities can be found on SourceWatch
Affiliations
People
- Jim Wilkinson, director
References
- ↑ Sourcewatch website Coalition Information Center (CIC) last accessed 23-Feb-2008
- ↑ Sourcewatch website Operation Enduring Freedom last accessed 23-Feb-2008
- ↑ Worldpress.org,"A Pretty Face for the United States," Roger Ricardo Luis, Granma Internacional (Communist Party weekly), Havana, Cuba, Aug. 22, 2002 Last accessed 23-Feb-2008
- ↑ FCO website, FCO Departmental Report 2002, Part 5 - Chapter 4, 11 September Response, P.40 Last accessed 23-Feb-2008
- ↑ Nexis® UK: Document The Independent (London) TuesdayAMERICAN SPIN DOCTOR IN LONDON 19-March-2002, Accessed 14-Apr-2008
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