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Article in the Guardian today. Pentagon Funds Pro-U.S. Network in Iraq by Jim Krane.

The Pentagon is seeking bids for a $100 million upgrade to the IMN network, adding an all-news channel that would eventually be broadcast via satellite - in direct challenge to the Arab satellite channels.

The winner of that contract will play a large role in shaping Iraq's media. The British Broadcasting Corp. is one of those in the running.

IMN and Al-Iraqiya were conceived during the State Department's war preparations and are funded by the Defense Department.

After Baghdad fell, the Pentagon sent equipment and media experts from Science Applications International Corp., a U.S. defense contractor whose staff is packed with ex-U.S. military and intelligence officials. SAIC hired 350 Iraqis for the network, which went live May 13.

It will be interesting to see who gets the new contract for $100 million. Maybe it will be Fox News who were the only television network to accompany Bush on his clandestine Thanksgiving trip to Iraq. By the way, of the 13 media personnel who accompanied Bush, at least 4 were from Fox.

Based on the news reports, below is a list of the 13 who flew on Air Force One.

Terence Hunt of Associated Press
Tim Sloan of French news agency AFP
David Shott, a Fox producer
Jim Angle of Fox News Channel
John Wallace Fox News soundman
Fox News cameraman
Richard Keil of Bloomberg News
Mike Allen for The Washington Post
Steve Holland for Reuters (implied)
Chris Usher TIME photographer (implied)
photographer from Newsweek
other
other

Since the Iraqis are probably used to lies on their television sets (see Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf), more lying liars would probably go unnoticed.