THE PEACOCK REPORT (TPR)

Be Back Soon

My apologies for the two-month absence of new entries from The Peacock Report; as I am in the student teaching phase of grad school -- in other words, months away from becoming a fully ceritifed high school English teacher -- I am overwhelmed with activity. I WILL be back soon, though.  -- Steve Peacock, TPR founder.

I'm Not Lovin' It

Commentary

The downward spiral of television news continues unabated, evidenced by revelations that Meredith Broadcasting Group is engaging in product placements in its morning newscasts. The Las Vegas Sun and later The New York Times reported that Meredith Broadcasting is accepting payments from McDonald's Corp. to prominently place the fast-food giant's iced-coffee cups in front of on-air anchors at KWU, a Fox affiliate. Common sense dictates that the infusion of such advertising directly into newscasts violates journalistic integrity and opens the door for ethical breeches. Will participating news stations consequently decline to report, hypothetically, on a salmonella outbreak at Mickey Ds, to avoid upsetting a corporate business partner?

The Peacock Report (TPR) applauds the efforts of groups such as Commercial Alert, which is leading a campaign encouraging Meredith Broadcasting CEO Paul Karpowitz to halt this insidious practice. TPR urges you to visit the Commercial Alert website to send a message to Karpowitz.

Nuclear Accident Medicine-Stockpile to Undergo Replenishment

The federal government is stepping up preparations for what it characterizes as "the unlikely event of a severe nuclear power plant accident," according to a contracting document dated July 18 that The Peacock Report has located. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to distribute millions of doses of potassium iodide (KI) to communities within 10 miles of commercial nuclear facilities.

The stockpiling of KI tablets is an ongoing process that began in 2001, when the NRC revised emergency preparedeness regulations governing state-led evacuation and sheltering plans. The latest measure will help to replenish those stockpiles. When the commission revised its rules, it claimed that KI tablets

if taken in time, blocks the thyroid gland's uptake of radioactive iodine and thus would help prevent thyroid cancers and other thyroid diseases that might be caused by exposure to radioactive iodine that could be dispersed in a severe nuclear accident. 

The Commission has found that potassium iodide is a reasonable, prudent and inexpensive supplement to evacuation and sheltering for specific local conditions. The Commission left it to the states to make a final decision on whether to use it in their emergency preparedness program, but decided to fund the initial purchases of potassium iodide for any state that decided to stockpile it.

The current procurement is for about 2.5 million 65-mg doses of KI. That number is an estimate only, as the exact  amount could be higher or lower, depending upon demand, the document said.

Air Force Ups Ante For PR, InfoWar R&D

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) continues to seek private-sector help in carrying out population "influence operations" and other forms of information warfare, according to a recently renewed call for research and development ideas on the topic. The Peacock Report (TPR) broke the story on the program in 2006, when it was discovered that the USAF was incorporating network disruption and defense R&D into areas such as "psychological operations, military deception, operations security, counterintelligence operations, counterpropoganda [sic] operations and public affairs operations." Although the agency had initially budgeted $40 million for the program, it has raised that total to about $50 million. It will accept "white papers" on potential R&D concepts through Dec. 31.

See Air Force Seeks to Creat Hybrid Infowar/Public Relations Technologies (TPR, 03/24/2006) for more information.

DoE-Industry Outreach Seeks to Bring About "Commercial Nuclear Renaissance"

Nuclear technology and service providers later this month will get a chance to jointly hustle their wares to the federal government, which is planning a conference where industry representatives can set up shop, free of charge, in order to network with Dept. of Energy (DoE) officials in Denver. The aim of the department's Nuclear Suppliers Outreach, as it is known, purportedly is to help usher in a "commercial nuclear renaissance" in the U.S. and elsewhere, according to a recently obtained DoE special notice. 

DoE views the gathering as an "excellent opportunity" for:

[C]ompanies interested in working in the DOE nuclear sector to gain insights into the current and future markets for products and services, and requirements to enter or to continue to work on nuclear projects in the DOE-complex. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to interact directly with senior executives, project managers, and procurement personnel working for DOE and its prime contractors...

The event comes at a time when the federal government is gearing up for a massive expansion of its nuclear energy program. As The Peacock Report discovered more than two years ago, the Bush Administration plans to spend an unspecified dollar amount on the construction of new facilities and the modernization of existing nuclear sites; though DoE did not disclose total estimated costs, it revealed that it would award mutliple, individual contracts ranging from $1 million to $125 million (TPR, 3/13/06) over a ten-year period.

The department's Office of Environmental Management is cosponsoring the event with the National Nuclear Security Administration. It will hold the gathering July 31 at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center.

'Free' Wireless Internet Project Underway

The deployment of wireless Internet infrastructure -- and the subsequent provision of free access to the world wide web to all Americans -- is an idea that's been circulating in technology policy circles for years. Indeed, the Federal Communications Commission only recently revisited the prospect of free wireless Internet access this past month. And now the U.S. government is taking firm action on the matter -- the only problem, however, is that it is not taking action here in the U.S.

On the contrary, the U.S. (unrelated to the above-mentioned FCC proceeding) is handing over nearly a half-million dollars to a Palestinian company to accomplish that task in the West Bank. Specifically, the U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) will pay for a "technical assistance" contract that will be outsourced to an unidentified vendor; the vendor -- which must be a U.S. company -- in turn will map out the necessary steps for Ramallah-based BCI Communications & Advanced Technologies, Ltd. to carry out the infrastructure project, according to a procurement document dated June 9 that The Peacock Report has located.

Ultimately, the U.S. taxpayer-funded endeavor will pad the pockets of Schaumburg, Ill.-based Motorola, whose equipment BCI would use for the project.

 

Details of U.S.-Funded Pakistan Media Plan Revealed

Details of a plan to blanket Pakistani media with U.S. government-supplied messages were discovered this past week, when the U.S. Agency for Internatonal Development (USAID) stepped up its search for a contractor capable of carrying out a propaganda mission on its behalf. USAID on Thursday (June 19) released a formal Request for Proposals/Statement of Work containing specifics of the public-perception endeavor. The document asserted that, despite annually providing about a half-billion dollars in "developmental" aid to Pakistan, U.S. assistance does not receive adequate recognition." It did not, however, refer to military and technical assistance that the U.S. provides to that nation. Rather, the agency pointed out that:

A September 2007 survey by the U.S. Institute of Peace indicates that a remarkably high 86 percent of urban Pakistanis agreed that it was a U.S. goal to "weaken and divide the Islamic world," and that view is growing. The survey also highlights the urban Pakistani view that the United States is an untrustworthy superpower. A 64 percent majority expressed doubt that the United States could be trusted "to act responsibly in the world.

The U.S. Secretary of State has made the showcasing of America’s development work a priority foreign policy goal. To support this goal and to alter anti-American perceptions, the USAID Mission will launch an intensive public awareness campaign designed to reach the greatest number of Pakistanis (urban and rural) via newspaper, billboard, radio and television communication. These messages will communicate how USAID-assisted programs make Pakistan a healthier, better educated and more prosperous country.

The Peacock Report recently broke the story on this project, which formally is known as the "USAID/Pakistan Outreach Campaign" (TPR, 6/08). The initiative, though ambitious in scope, is modest in financial terms. The estimated value of the contract -- which could be awarded by summer's end -- is $600,000.

Energy Dept. Step Closer to Oil Reserve Expansion

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) could get a $36 million face lift over the next five years, during which time the Dept. of Energy (DoE)-operated facility would undergo modernization of petrochemical storage facilities and connecting pipelines. According to a "sources sought" notice that The Peacock Report (TPR) has located, the DoE is reviewing "capability statements" that companies submitted to the department by the June 13 submission deadline. 

The SPR is a crude-oil stockpile that the federal government created in response to the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973, which severely impeded U.S.-bound oil shipments during that era. Congress authorized creation of the reserve to serve "as a hedge against disruptions in the oil market," according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

A contentious debate has raged in the Congress in recent years over whether to release oil from the reserve into global energy markets -- a move that some members of Congress say would drive down record gasoline prices, a claim that the White House and other policymakers dispute and continue to resist.

DoE anticipates awarding an architectural and engineering contract for the project by May 2009. The reserve, which currently holds about 700 million gallons of crude, would be expanded to reach a one-billion gallon capacity, as spelled out by the Energy Act of 2005.

Solicitation #DE-RP96-08PO92990

Media Coverage of Obamas' 'Fist Bump' is a Disgrace

The meaningless, publicly displayed 'fist bump' between Mr. and Mrs. Barack Obama has been elevated to the level of "the gesture everyone's talking about," according to Yahoo! News and other media outlets. The Peacock Report only has this to say about media coverage of this non-issue: you should all be ashamed of wasting readers' time. It is no wonder so many people don't bother reading the so-called "news." Please cease such moronic coverage. The U.S. is embroiled in a deadly, costly war in Iraq and Afghanistan, millions are people are losing their homes and/or their jobs here in the U.S., the federal government is robbing the American people blind via massive corporate-welfare and wasteful Nanny State social-welfare programs, and the media is center-columning and jumping all over a playful 'fist bump' between a politician and his wife?!?! Truly a sad state of affairs.

Senate Report Condemns Bush Falsification of Iraq 'Evidence'

Summing up its Phase II Final Report on Prewar Iraqi Intelligence,U.S.Senate Intelligence Committee Chmn. Jay Rockefeller [D.-W.Va.) today said:

"Before taking the country to war, this Administration owed it to the American people to give them a 100 percent accurate picture of the threat we faced. Unfortunately, our Committee has concluded that the Administration made significant claims that were not supported by the intelligence.

"In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent. As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq as much greater than actually existed."

A bipartisan 10-5 majority voted in favor of the report. The panel said that intelligence was unable to substantiate "statements and implications by the President and Secretary of State" suggesting that Iraq and al-Qa’ida had a partnership, or that Iraq had provided al-Qa’ida with weapons training,

The committee also rejected:

1) "Statements by the President and the Vice President indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information;

2) Statements by President Bush and Vice President Cheney regarding the postwar situation in Iraq, in terms of the political, security, and economic, did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products;

3) Statements by the President and Vice President prior to the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate regarding Iraq’s chemical weapons production capability and activities did not reflect the intelligence community’s uncertainties as to whether such production was ongoing:

4) The Secretary of Defense’s statement that the Iraqi government operated underground WMD facilities that were not vulnerable to conventional airstrikes because they were underground and deeply buried was not substantiated by available intelligence information.

5) The Intelligence Community did not confirm that Muhammad Atta met an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in 2001 as the Vice President repeatedly claimed.

U.S. Propaganda Blitz to Unfold in Pakistan

A propaganda blitz aimed at swaying Pakistani citizens' views on U.S. involvement in the region is about to unfold, The Peacock Report (TPR) has discovered. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday commenced its search for a contractor capable of carrying out the euphemistically titled "USAID/Pakistan Outreach Campaign," as the project officially is known. According to a "presolicitation notice" dated June 5 that TPR has located, the agency envisions a multi-language delivery of U.S. government messages in urban as well as rural areas of Pakistan. The contractor will execute the campaign in English, Urdu, Pashtu, Punjabi, and other regonal languages. This USAID endeavor will place messages in newspapers, magazines, and billboards as well as radio and television broadcasts, according to the document. The agency will make available a formal and more detailed solicitation later this month. USAID hopes to launch the Pakistani campaign by summer's end.

USAID May Outsource Global Cash-Distribution Function

The multi-billion dollar distribution of U.S.-based international aid grants might be handed over to private contractors, whom the federal government would hire to deliver the funds on its behalf. According to a "sources-sought" document that The Peacock Report (TPR) has located, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is assessing the availability of private companies capable of performing such tasks on a global scale. A former State Dept. staffer, who agreed to be interviewed on condition of anonymity, expressed skepticism that State -- which has jurisdiction over USAID -- had any true intention of competitively awarding such a contract. 

"Someone in the State Department or at USAID likely already is planning to leave government service and enter the private sector to get that contract," the source said. "That's just how things are at State. You can be sure that there's an official or a group of officials who are currently making plans to start their own company, use their inside connections to secure the contract, and become millionaires at the expense of the average working stiff."

Washington Takes Action on High Gas Prices

Rising fuel prices and truck-based shipping expenses are spelling trouble for U.S. policymakers, who now are exploring ways to strengthen, as an alternative, new highways, commercial railways and ports. Specifically, the federal government is taking action through an endeavor known as... the Sub-Saharan Africa Trade Corridor Transportation Initiative.

Yes, you read correctly. The Washington, D.C.-sponsored Sub-Saharan Africa initiative.

Conflict stemming from elections in Kenya -- and the increased time its takes to transport goods in and out of neighboring countries -- purportedly has caused the governments of nearby Uganda and Rwanda to begin rationing fuel, according to a federal planning document that The Peacock Report has located. Consequently, for [Kenyan, Rwandan, and Ugandan] national security reasons, the U.S. must take action. 

"[T]he cost of shipping to the Port of Mombasa has increased 25% since the political stalemate," according to the original solicitation document. "Costs are expected to continue to rise until the power sharing accord has been reached. The cost implications for Uganda and Rwanda are tremendous and will constrain these fragile economies even more [emphasis added]. Therefore, alternative transport corridors are a necessary investment for the region."

In order to alleviate these fuel shortages while addressing the concomitant impact on the [Sub Saharan African] economy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently awarded a $94,000 contract to a private firm to assess the situation -- and to report back to USAID on whether U.S. taxpayers should bear the brunt of more significant "investments" into that region.

Interdisciplinary Research Consultants (IdRC), an international consulting firm with offices in Jordan and the U.S., will develop a preliminary plan to help modernize, among other possibilities, the East African Central Corridor. The original plan for the corridor, which links Tanzania and Rwanda, was to facilitate the transport of gold and nickel from inland mining operations to main ports. The corridor still may be expanded to Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the document says.

Be Back Soon

The Peacock Report (TPR) anticipates remaining on hiatus until mid-May at the latest. Stay tuned, as TPR is preparing to embark upon a few big FOIA-related projects.

Multibillion Nuke Facility Planned for Tennessee

A uranium processing facility with an estimated cost  of $1.4-$3.5 billion is slated to be built in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, according to a Dept. of Energy (DoE) Request for Proposals [Download y12nukecontract.doc (259.0K)] that The Peacock Report has obtained. DoE contractor Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Technical Services Y-12, LLC, currently is assessing the availability of subcontractors to assist in this nuclear design and construction endeavor.

Goodbye 'Exhortations'

Exhortations to the Oblivious, the political humor sister-site of The Peacock Report (TPR), exists no more. It's not that I didn't enjoy engaging in such humor, but I just don't have the time to devote to a separate writing venture. Plus, by eliminating the site, I have freed up enough space via Typepad to devote that alloted segment to what I hope what will come to represent a more noble endeavor. Stay tuned for more on that new initiative. In the meantime, I have imported most of the archived Exhortations posts to TPR.

Now, moving on to more serious matters.