December 6, 2004

When a bodyguard of lies was possible

By John B. Dwyer
Once upon a time in WW2 there was a US government agency called the Office of War Information (OWI), and in England, Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously proclaimed that 'Truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.' Both the OWI and Churchill's firm belief that the truth must be guarded were grounded in what is now called 'information warfare,' which runs the gamut from wartime news and propoganda to military deception. During WW2, America and her allies were fighting a global war against Axis powers every bit as evil and deadly as the terrorist enemy we now face.  As was the case then, information in all its aspects remains a powerful weapon in the global war on terrorism.  But in this 21st Century, with its 24/7 news cycle, instantaneous worldwide communication, the internet, hostile foreign broadcasts and agenda—driven domestic media, a fundamental question must be asked. Is it still possible to plan and sustain a...(Read Full Article)