Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

CNN Rips Off U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor Story on Biden's Plush Parisian Jaunt

Over a month ago U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor broke the story on U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's pricey trip to Paris, during which time taxpayers shelled out $585,000 and $322,000, respectively, for hotel rooms, limos, and other vehicles. VPOTUS Biden and his staff spent those taxpayer funds during his one-day Parisian journey to meet French President Francois Hollande.

CNN this past week reported on the trip -- using the same documents that the Monitor had discovered via painstaking database research -- and tooted its own horn on international TV as if that were its own discovery.

CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer talked about this "amazing, amazing discovery" (of theirs) and how shocked they were to have found these rare documents. Blitzer asked CNN White House Correspondent Brianna Keilar about her unparalleled reporting skills in uncovering this rarity, and they both speculated that the government perhaps did not mean to upload the documents to the federal database.

From the broadcast:

“We’re getting an extremely, extremely rare glimpse at how much it costs when Vice President Joe Biden goes traveling,” Blitzer proclaimed. “Brianna we’ve covered a lot of presidential and vice presidential trips, but this is pretty amazing.”

“It kind of makes you wonder if this information was put out accidentally,” Keilar later says. “I did a search myself of the past 365 days where obviously the president and vice president have gone on other foreign trips and I could find no contracts in addition for any of those visits.”

Couldn't find any contracts, eh?

I went back into FedBizOpps to see if the White House or State Department has sanitized the site of any traces of such documents (similar to what was done to the controversial USAID/Kenya Strategic Communications Plan 2012-2013 I had reported on).

I figured that maybe she may have missed, for example, the documents I previously found specific to President Obama's and Biden's million-dollar stay in Colombia (the scandalous one when Secret Service agents were caught hanging out with hookers). In that instance I was smarter about my research, and had uploaded those contracting documents to the Monitor website rather than linking from my page to the government site (which I had done, not so coincidentally, to prevent other media from stealing my story!)

A quick search today of FedBizOpps reveals that Keilar was less than forthcoming about her supposed "research." The Colombia documents are indeed still publicly available. Here they are:

1) Acquisition of vehicle rental in support of Presidential and VIP travel.

2) Acquisition of hotel accommodation in support of presidential and VIP travel.

3) JOFOC [Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition] for Hotel Accommodations in Support of Presidential and VIP Travel.

I would link to additional, existing procurement data, but I have other more productive things to do instead -- such as performing some good old-fashioned reporting without ripping off some professional blogger-journalist and claiming it's my own work. -- Steve Peacock

Contract for U.S.-Funded Survey of Arab TV Consumption Awarded

Gauging how the Arab world consumes -- or fails to digest -- U.S. government broadcast news is about to cost $110,000 for such an assessment. The Broadcasting Board of Governors recently awarded a contract to the Syracuse, N.Y.-based Strategic Information and Communications Group LLC to carry out the survey, which also will entail an evaluation of overall news viewing, including that of non-U.S. media.

As U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor reported earlier this year, BBG wants to learn whether brand identity drives Middle Easterner choices of news sources; Phase Two will attempt to determine whether BBG's “I am the news. I am Alhurra” promotional campaign was successful. (See: Data on Desires of Middle Eastern TV-News Viewers Sought).

Source document: Contract award #BBG50-P-12-0700.

OTHER BBG COVERAGE:

U.S. Baseball as a Propaganda Tool? (Feb. 17, 2012)

U.S. Seeks Data on Libyan Media Consumption (Nov. 5, 2011)

U.S. Cancels Planned Media Barrage in Pakistan (Nov. 1, 2011)

FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF INFORMATION-DISSEMINATION ISSUES, SEE THE MONITOR’S PROPAGANDA/PR PAGE.

Obama/Palestinian Monitor Article Sparks Angst in Cyberspace

The response in cyberspace to the article "Obama to Exclude U.S. Companies from $300 Million Palestinian Project" truly has been phenomenal, as the piece helped generate over 1,000 page views at U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor in under 48 hours. Though responses have varied, the article clearly has grabbed the attention of taxpayers who have expressed sheer exasperation over having their money squandered overseas.

More than half of the page views reported via Google Analytics stemmed from that specific article, which likewise drove traffic to related coverage such as "USAID Contracts Start Flowing in $750 Million Palestinian Infrastructure Project" as well as "$58 Million USAID Contract to Help Steer Tourists Out of Israel and into West Bank, Gaza" and "Obama Launching Appeal to Palestinians -- Media Blitz to Promote U.S. Role in 'Building' Future State."

Unrelated to those articles -- but equally critical toward the current spike in Monitor statistics -- are the pieces COVER-UP! Contracting System Sanitized of Kenya Documents and "Kenya Sees Spike in Obama Administration-Funded Projects" (the latter of which has been followed up with "Obama's Spending Grows 'Exponentially' in Kenya"). 

Many thanks to WND for posting on its website a summary of and link to the most recent Monitor article, which likewise has gotten numerous referrals from TheDailySheeple.com, FreeRepublic.com, and ReaganCoalition.com, among others.

As always, continued gratitude goes out to Cryptome, which continues to store links to various Monitor articles in its archives, thereby regularly helping to bring critical attention to some of the federal government's activities that otherwise would remain obscured from public view.

Beyond Barbeques: How Will You Fight for Independence? (Commentary)

Though roughly one mile from the beach, instead I gladly choose to goad my fellow Americans from the comfort of my computer desk to consider what Independence Day truly is about. Don't get me wrong; I'll be in the backyard later cooking up some burgers, too, but please, right now, I urge you to consider whether you are satisfied with the state of affairs of our nation.

What are you going to do to make it better?

Nothing? It's out of your hands? Beyond your control?

Or in the pit of your gut have you discovered something whispering: take action in some way -- at some point soon -- to help preserve what's left of our liberty and to possibly restore what's been lost.

If the answer is no, or if you shrug your shoulders and say What can I possibly do that could make a difference? then all I can say is that I'm glad George Washington and the Founding Fathers didn't do that, or we'd be in a significantly worse predicament than that which we now find ourselves.

Bigger government is not the answer. Indeed, a more intrusive government that spends our money with reckless abandon all around the globe is part of the problem -- as is our tendency to spend inordinate amounts of time pursuing today's pleasures and planning tomorrow's luxuries.

What am I doing? rightfully you may respond. Well, I investigate -- reading, searching, questioning, connecting the dots when possible. We all have something we can contribute. Investigative reporting is what I do best, so that's what I do to help my country. Shining light on what is hidden in the dark. That's what I intend to continue to do here at U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor and at other news outlets such as WND and The Revered Review that frequently buy my articles.

Don't just light that grill, people. There's work to be done. Sure, enjoy the barbecue. I know I will (and don't get me started on the homemade potato salad that Jen just created -- incredible stuff!) But when we're done with the festivities, let's plan on getting down to the business of figuring out what else we can do to make our country better, without making our government bigger and menacingly stronger.

Happy Independence Day.

-- Steve Peacock, July 4, 2012

WND Piece on Obama's Kenyan Spending Spreading Quickly

The latest article I sold to WND -- "Obama's spending grows 'exponentially' – in Kenya!" -- already is making serious waves in cyberspace.  Though posted late last night, already it has gotten 2,300 Facebook "likes," 232 tweets, and 34 "InShares" via LinkedIn.  Likewise, 316 comments have been posted in response to the article -- and it is not even 10:30 a.m. yet.

To those Obama devotees out there who almost certainly will reject this piece, please keep in mind that the article is factually based. In USAID's own words, the Kenya program has grown "exponentially" as the headline indicates.

U.S. to Pay 'Selected' Foreign Journalists to Cover State Dept.

U.S. taxpayers soon will pay for hotel rooms, flights, and even the TV production costs of foreign journalists covering the Department of State. The purported goal of the endeavor is to communicate and promote U.S. policies and "American values."

The new project comes at a time when State separately is attempting to buy, produce, and disseminate its own media broadcasts, establishing a paid 24/7 "news" service with contractor assistance (see Obama Assembling de facto Propaganda Ministry; U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor, May 6, 2012).

The department through the new foreign media initiative will hire a contractor to provide "logistical, administrative and financial services" to journalists "selected" to travel to the U.S. on two-week "TV Co-ops, " according to a Request for Proposals (Solicitation #SAQMMA12R0228) that the Monitor located via routine database research. 

Foreign journalists working with Foreign Press Centers (FPCs) within State's Bureau of Public Affairs (PA) around the globe likewise will benefit from this project, for which the government will award an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to a single vendor.

According to the RFP, the FPCs:

organize foreign and domestic Reporting Tours for foreign media. These tours, with durations ranging from two to ten days, allow journalists to explore a key news story of theme in-depth. Each tour generates multiple news reports.

Television Co-operatives (TV CO-OPS) are collaborations between overseas posts, OBS and foreign television stations that result in powerful prime-time television magazines and documentary productions. With State Department funding, TV CO-OPS communicate U.S. policies and promote American values to millions of viewers worldwide through the eyes of foreign journalists and their cameras.

State warned potential contractors via the RFP that they are bound by perpetual silence regarding their partnership with the government:

The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters relating to their duties and functions. They shall not communicate to any person any information known to them by reason of their performance of services under this contract which has not been made public, except in the necessary performance of their duties or upon written authorization of the Contracting Officer. All documents and records (including photographs) generated during the performance of work under this contract shall be for the sole use of and become the exclusive property of the U.S. Government. Furthermore, no article, book, pamphlet, recording, broadcast, speech, television appearance, film or photograph concerning any aspect of work performed under this contract shall be published or disseminated through any media without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer. These obligations do not cease upon the expiration or termination of this contract.

State initially will award a one-year contract, but could offer as many as four additional one-year options. It did not disclose the estimated cost of the project.

FOR RELATED COVERAGE, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S STATE DEPT. PAGE.

FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF INFORMATION-DISSEMINATION ISSUES, SEE THE MONITOR’S PROPAGANDA/PR PAGE.

U.S. Baseball as a Propaganda Tool? (Updated)

Radio and television broadcasts of baseball games beamed into Cuba has become the latest brainchild of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), whose Radio/TV Marti programs will make the cherished American sport available to Cuban citizens for free.

The anticipated sole-source contract that BBG intends to award to Major League Baseball Properties, Inc., comes on the heels of a congressional report questioning the usefulness of such investments of U.S. taxpayer funds into Cuba-targeted programming. Similarly, it also should be noted that, late last year, Radio/TV Marti journalist Manuel Vazquez Portal resigned in protest of the station's alleged over-reliance on entertainment rather than news.

The BBG Special Notice, which U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor located during a routine search of the FedBizOpps contracting database, said yesterday that the agency formally will procure the MLB license within the next 15 days. 

It did not reveal the estimated cost of the endeavor.

***UPDATE (3 p.m. EST): Thanks to a major media news source who contacted U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor seeking additional information about this post (and whose identity will not be revealed for the time being), the Monitor would like to clarify that -- according to that source -- MLB already allows BBG to re-broadcast a limited number of free baseball games, including the World Series, to Cuba. Upon release of further details about the anticipated new broadcasting license the Monitor will offer a follow-up post specifying the scope of the "new" arrangement.

Source document: Solicitation #BBGCON021612-MC

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF THE BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS, PLEASE SEE THE MONITOR'S BBG PAGE.

FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF INFORMATION-DISSEMINATION ISSUES, SEE THE MONITOR’S PROPAGANDA/PR PAGE.

Obama Launching Appeal to Palestinians -- Media Blitz to Promote U.S. Role in 'Building' Future State

The Obama administration is launching a media- and public-outreach program to improve Palestinian opinion of U.S. policy – a project that also seeks to promote the U.S. role in financing "Palestinian development and building the future Palestinian State," a federal contracting document reveals.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, through its Development Outreach and Communications Office, is overseeing U.S. State Department efforts to change its image among Palestinians.

USAID's strategy includes the delivery – carried out by a private-sector contractor – of U.S. government-approved feature articles and video productions to media outlets and to pass them off as news coverage.

The selected contractor primarily will be tasked with influencing Palestinian, pan-Arab and, to a lesser degree, international news organizations, while also directly engaging Palestinians via "community" events.

The agency recently released a draft Request for Proposals, solicitation #RFP294-2011-210, seeking comments from potential contractors on the viability of its preliminary plan.

Until fairly recently, according to the RFP, few Palestinians knew that USAID since 1995 has "provided more than [$]3.4 billion in assistance to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza."

USAID points to a comparison of 2009 and 2010 poll results, which indicate an 8 percent jump in the number of Palestinians "who have heard of both USAID and the U.S. Agency for International Development" and a corresponding rise in the percentage of those who recognized the USAID logo.

Likewise, whereas in 2009 only 31 percent of Palestinians were aware that USAID was implementing projects in their area, the level of awareness rose to 44 percent by 2010, according to the RFP.

USAID attributes that heightened consciousness of U.S. efforts to previous communications outreach programs, but it says many Palestinians nonetheless remain wary of U.S. intentions.

There is a growing percentage of the population that has flat-out refused U.S. assistance, a development that otherwise contrasts elevated USAID name and logo recognition, the agency laments in the document.

"Despite this growing awareness, the 2010 survey indicates that the number of Palestinians refusing aid from the American people increased to 33 percent from 27 percent in 2009," the agency acknowledges. "Also, a majority of Palestinians (54 percent) believe that the motive behind aid from the United States Government is political rather than humanitarian."

USAID, therefore, is reaching out to contractors capable of stemming the negative perceptions.

The selected vendor will carry out various media and public awareness activities, ranging from the cultivation of relationships with regional and global news outlets to the distribution of USAID-branded "visibility items."

The RFP stops short of calling for the exclusion of journalists who are not overtly sympathetic to USAID and Palestinian causes. The document, however, explicitly advocates a reporter-filtering process to accommodate U.S. government needs.

Indeed, the RFP calls on the contractor to selectively, "Identify friendly or potentially friendly journalists and organize visits to USAID projects for Palestinian and international journalists and community representatives, as per the instructions of the Outreach Office."

The media outreach segment of the project entails the traditional acquisition of print, billboard and broadcast advertising of USAID endeavors.

But the plan also calls on the contractor to create and successfully place "news" products for public consumption – products that are distinct from ads and public service announcements:

"In coordination with the Outreach Office, the contractor will produce and publish or broadcast at least 6 success stories and project features a year in local newspapers, on local radio and TV, as well as design at least once a year special paid newspaper ads or inserts to showcase USAID's assistance activities."

The contractor, likewise, must produce video news releases, or VNRs, for broadcast via Arab satellite stations.

A corollary component of the initiative will assess the "internet and social media habits of Palestinians and the Arab world."

The goal of that effort is to enable USAID and the U.S. Mission to more effectively leverage platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The selected contractor will be responsible for monitoring overall media coverage of USAID in the West Bank and Gaza, the provision of English translations and statistical analysis of that coverage to agency officials, and subsequent advisement on how to counteract negative reporting.

"In addition to providing monitoring, it is expected that the contractor shall make its own assessments of the coverage and suggest communication strategy modifications in order to improve the volume and tone of media coverage of USAID activities," the RFP says.

Public outreach events will target "marginalized communities" with a particular focus on Palestinian women and girls as well as all youth from 16 to 30 years of age.

"These events include, but are not limited to, Palestinian Mothers' Day celebrations, International Youth Day events, community sports events, school outreach activities, and trainings and contests in the fields of sports, arts, IT, and media."

Finally, the project will involve buying, stocking and distributing "high-quality visibility items branded with the USAID logo."

Possible items include basketballs, baseball caps, notebooks, pens, schoolbags, soccer balls, tee shirts and even computer USB cords.

USAID expects to award a two-year base period contract followed by a two-year option and an additional one-year option period. The agency did not disclose an estimated cost of the project.

USAID, which provided a five-day comment period on the draft RFP ending July 15, expects to release a formal RFP in the coming weeks.

Source document: Solicitation #RFP294-2011-210.

This article originally appeared July 23 in WorldNetDaily (Reprinted with permission). 

FOR ADDITIONAL COVERAGE OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S USAID PAGE.

FOR ADDITIONAL REGIONAL COVERAGE, SEE THE MONITOR'S ISRAEL PAGE AND GAZA/WEST BANK PAGE.

ALSO VISIT OUR MIDDLE EAST PAGE.

U.S. to Ramp Up Afghan Infowar with 'Aggressive Actions' -- Contractor to Bring About 'Desired Effects' in Global Media

The next phase of a global information-warfare campaign to influence public and media perceptions about U.S. operations in Afghanistan is unfolding, according to an updated U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) planning document that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor has located.

“The information domain is a battlespace, and it is one in which USFOR-A must take aggressive actions to win the important battle of perception,” according to the project’s modified Performance Work Statement (PWS), dated June 7.

Consequently, the Dept. of Defense, via the U.S. Army Contracting Command-Rock Island unit, is enlisting the assistance of the private sector not only to monitor how the media reports on Afghanistan, but to sway the opinions of the Afghan people about their government:

USFOR-A requires the ability to develop and implement a comprehensive, self-sustaining, long term media operations capability, to include stand-alone studio and regional communication collection and distribution hubs. This initiative also addresses efforts to collect public information and interpret it to support senior leader decision making, specifically regarding the attitudes of the public and the media concerning political, social and economic issues. This initiative will allow Government representatives in USFOR-A to inform key audiences (media and civilian populations internationally and within the region) to achieve desired affects. (Emphasis added)

Although dozens of vendors have expressed interest in the Public Affairs Operations-Afghanistan endeavor—and though no contract award has been announced—the Arlington, Va. and Los Gatos, Cal.-based Strategic Social Holdings already is hiring specialists to carry out duties for a USFOR-A project in Kabul that mirrors the above-mentioned initiative.

The co-founder and CEO of Strategic Social is Matt Bigge, whom the corporate website describes as a former U.S. Army ranger and Harvard Business School graduate.

Among the various duties and positions that the PWS describes (and for which Strategic Social is hiring) are Afghan Linguists/Media Monitors, who would provide “a minimum of 300 media monitoring hours per week.” At least one Pashto- and one Dari-speaking linguist/monitor “should be available at all times.”

An English-speaking media monitor also would be hired for the project, for which that person will assess and summarize “international, regional, and Afghan” Internet, radio, audio, video, and print media outlets.” That position will provide at least 144 media monitoring hours per week to “supplement three media monitor military personnel” who also will perform those tasks.

The contractor also will provide a comprehensive suite of public affairs services to USFOR-A and to Afghan authorities, including the deployment of media analysts,  media monitoring website/database developer and manager, the provision of social media and new media management, and advisement on how to engage in “strategic communications.” The management and maintenance of a Defense Video Information Distribution System (DVIDS) also will fall under the purview of the contractor.

This project is critical, according to the PWS, because insurgents have succeeded in undermining the credibility of USFOR-A, the international community, and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) “through effective use of the information environment, albeit without a commensurate increase in their own credibility.”

Consequently, U.S. Forces and the GIRoA must “wrest the information initiative from the INS” in order to “maintain and strengthen the Afghan population's positive perception” of Afghan government institutions and the support that USFOR-A and the international community provide, the document says.

As a courtesy to readers and researchers, tomorrow, July 1, the Monitor will make available for download the full text of the Army's Performance Work Statement for the Public Affairs Operations-Afghanistan initiative.

FOR ADDITIONAL REGIONAL COVERAGE, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S AFGHANISTAN PAGE.

PLEASE ALSO CHECK OUT THE MONITOR'S INTELLIGENCE/SPYING PAGE.

The Monitor Celebrate Two Months of Journalistic Excellence (and not just because it scooped WIRED.com on a major article)

There is much cause for celebration today at U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor. Despite being launched just two months ago, statistics provided via TypePad and Google Analytics clearly indicate that the Monitor is making a name for itself in the world of serious online journalism. (But before proceeding, please keep in mind that the Monitor neither collects nor sells personally identifiable information).

A steadily growing following—along with a small yet far-reaching international audience—is evidenced via the following numbers for this brief period of time. The numbers likely are somewhat higher, as Google Analytics began measuring this site several weeks after its commencement:

Page views: 7,004

Unique visitors: 3,978

Geographic source of visitors: 84 countries/territories

While these numbers, in the grand scheme of things in the blogosphere, do not compare to the magnitude of which the most popular blogs can exert bragging rights, the Monitor (composed of its sole proprietor Steve Peacock) is nonetheless delighted.  Not bad for one guy sitting at his computer and phone just a bike ride from the beach somewhere in New Jersey!)

Many readers have written both to express outrage over various government programs and to express gratitude to the Monitor for bringing such endeavors into the public light.

The top articles that have garnered their attention are:

1) Multimillion-Dollar Crystal Glassware Project Renewed at U.S. State Dept.

By far, this piece—which exposes a U.S. State Dept. plan to basically spend a chunk of change on new champagne glasses from high-end retailers such as Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman—infuriated many of the 903 visitors who read the article. Much thanks to Cryptome.org, which by linking to the piece was responsible for sending 655 of those visitors.

2) Next Phase of Advanced Global Data-Mining & Intelligence System Unfolds

Despite its second-place standing, it should be noted that this article generated 738 views in just the past couple of weeks. Once again, the Monitor credits Cryptome.org, which directly delivered 616 of those visitors.

IMPORTANT DEADLINE NOTE: Just as the Monitor was about to post this celebratory editorial, it was discovered that the highly regarded online version of WIRED magazine today published an article ("One Brain, Hundreds of Eyes: Darpa Plots Manhunt Master Controller") about the above-mentioned DARPA data-mining endeavor -- ELEVEN DAYS AFTER THE MONITOR ALREADY HAD DONE SO!

So why should you come back time and time again to the Monitor? See the above paragraph.

3) Fat Contracts Drift Toward Former Obama Official's Company—Vendor Gets Yet Another Multi-Million-Dollar Award

FreeRepublic.com and WhatReallyHappened.com sent 162 and 140 readers, respectively. Much appreciation for that.

4) Four More Contractors to Get Piece of $10 Billion Global 'Civilian Police' Pie

Thanks again to FreeRepublic.org for sending 85 readers this way. Likewise, much appreciation for the 52 readers sent via civiliancontractors.wordpress.com

5) USAID Reaches Out to Contractors for Agent Orange Cleanup in Vietnam

Despite a total 187 views of this article (129 which came directly from Cryptome.org, with additional traffic coming from a dozen other sources), the Monitor has learned that numerous veteran’s have organizations widely distributed this article in its entirety. Indeed, in several e-mails from representatives of such groups, I’ve been told that the article, as well as an earlier, related piece, has been widely distributed.

May this be just the beginning of great things to come!