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

Can a series of customized Web sites written in specific, strategic foreign languages 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. General Dynamics Information Technology said it was awarded a $10.1 million contract 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."