Thanks to a former U.S. Air Force intelligence colleague who reseached the articles in question, I have sent the following to the Huffington Post:
The above article states:
“As documented by Newsvine, it all went down at a valedictory luncheon Rumsfeld hosted for those analysts on December 12, 2006. Many of the "message force multipliers" named in the original New York Times piece were in attendance, including David L. Grange, Donald W. Sheppard, James Marks, Rick Francona, Wayne Downing, and Robert H. Scales, Jr….”
Although I was invited to this luncheon, I did not attend. In fact, I have never attended any of the Pentagon functions. I did participate in the conference calls. The Newsvine article that Mr. Linkins cites does not mention my name – Mr. Linkins must have assumed that all invitees attended.
I would appreciate a clarification that I did not attend the luncheon.
Rick Francona, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
_____________________________________________________________
There is a series of "investigative journalism" stories about the contacts between the Pentagon and the media military analysts - do a Google news search on "rick francona" - or click here.
I have already made my case - I was not paid by the Pentagon, nor was I influenced by their alleged attempts to shape the media.
This story is particularly interesting. It is interesting because I was not at the december luncheon with then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. In fact, I have never met Rumsfeld, nor have I set foot in the Pentagon since I retired from the U.S. Air Force.
Rumsfeld On Tape: Terror Attack Could Restore Neo-Con Agenda
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet - Friday, May 16, 2008
Shocking excerpts of confidential recordings recently released under the Freedom of Information Act feature former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld talking with top military analysts about how a flagging Neo-Con political agenda could be successfully restored with the aid of another terrorist attack on America.
The tape also includes a conversation where Rumsfeld and the military analysts agree on the possible necessity of installing a brutal dictator in Iraq to oversee U.S. interests.
The tapes were released as part of the investigation into the Pentagon’s "message force multipliers" program in which top military analysts were hired to propagandize for the Iraq war in the corporate media.
In attendance at the valedictory luncheon Rumsfeld hosted on December 12, 2006 were David L. Grange, Donald W. Sheppard, James Marks, Rick Francona, Wayne Downing, and Robert H. Scales, Jr. among others.
//I have cut this here - the drivel goes on and on.//
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