Military spends $10M to build Web sites aimed at squelching anti-US messages

08.09.2009
Can a series of customized Web sites written in specific, actually influence how the world perceives our government’s policies? And by-the-way help fight the war on terror? Sounds like a stretch but that is indeed the goal of the project known as the Trans Regional Web Initiative.

t to start the project the officials hope would quell any anti-US communications out on the Web. Specifically the project requires “the capability to posture for rapid, on-order global dissemination of Web-based influence products and tools in support of strategic and long-term US Government goals and objectives.”

The project will build a minimum of two and no more than twelve websites focused on Modern Standard Arabic, French, English (British dialect and spelling), Portuguese, Spanish, Armenian, Azeri, Chinese, Farsi, Georgian, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, Bahasa (Indonesian and Malay), according to the group supporting the contract, the US Special Operations Command, which is devoted to fighting “unconventional warfare.”

The contract sounds like no picnic. It calls for a “network of native/indigenous content contributors with backgrounds in politics, academics, security, culture, entertainment, and other aspects of the Global War on Terror, which appeal to identified foreign target audiences."

In addition General Dynamics will ensure adherence to all applicable copyright laws, the contract states. Content shall include but is not limited to original features, news, sports, entertainment, economics, politics, cultural reports, business, and similar items of interest to targeted readers.

The government requires that all of the influence websites Web sites be operational and accessible on the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a 99% reliability rate. The contractor must provide the analytical, technical, and consulting support required to execute the concept of operating 24-hours per day, 7 days per week, worldwide and geographically/culturally targeted websites.