Why are private contactors running a massive - and expensive - propaganda war?

As confusing as it is to develop a coherent notion of what is going on in Washington or Iraq, and as doubtful as most Americans seem to be of Bush's daily line, it's shocking to think that the administration is spending hundreds of millions of dollars hiring private contractors to engage in psychological operations, otherwise known as propaganga, dished to news outlets across the Middle East. And where else?

Today's long article in the NTY is a must-read for anyone who worries about how we wage war, at home and abroad. There's a fine line between propaganda and disinformation, and we're seeing that line crossed more often than is comfortable. And none of us should accept the idea that it's unpatriotic to insist upon the truth, which is a near-constant rebuttal from the chickenhawks.