Bush plans huge propaganda campaign in Iran

The Bush administration made an emergency request to Congress yesterday for a seven-fold increase in funding to mount the biggest ever propaganda campaign against the Tehran government, in a further sign of the worsening crisis between Iran and the west. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said the USD 75m (EUR 63m) in extra funds, on top of USD 10m (EUR 8,3m) already allocated for later this year, would be used to broadcast US radio and television programmes into Iran, help pay for Iranians to study in America and support pro-democracy groups inside the country. Although US officials acknowledge the limitations of such a campaign, the state department is determined to press ahead with measures that include extending the government-run Voice of America’s Farsi service from a few hours a day to round-the-clock coverage. The sudden budget request, which follows an outlay of only USD 4m (EUR 3,3m) over the last two years, is to be accompanied by a diplomatic drive by Rice to discuss Tehran’s suspect nuclear weapons programme. She is to begin with a visit to Gulf states. (The Guardian,February 16, 2006)

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