The Los Angeles Times reports that an anonymous source has confirmed that the campaign of planting pro-US stories originating from the military in the Iraqi press, operated by Lincoln consulting and exposed in December, (see previous posting) was still in operation as recently as a week ago.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has asserted that as soon as information concerning the program appeared in the press, he ordered the program to be shut down. Additionally, he has expressed concern about the program while simultaneously criticising the US media's negative portrayal of it, stating that such coverage has a "chilling effect" on US troops' creative initiatives to 'win hearts and minds' in Iraq.

Source: Los Angeles Times