Rendon Gp

<p><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group</a></p>

<p>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/White_House_Iraq_Group">http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/White_House_Iraq_Group</a></p>

<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading">Rendon Group</h1>

<h3 id="siteSub">From SourceWatch</h3>

<div id="jump-to-nav">Jump to: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#column-one">navigation</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#searchInput">search</a></div>

<p>The <b>Rendon Group</b> is a secretive <a title="Public relations firms" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Public_relations_firms">public relations firm</a> that has assisted a number of U.S. military interventions in nations including <a title="Argentina" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Argentina">Argentina</a>, <a title="Colombia" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Colombia">Colombia</a>, <a title="Haiti" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Haiti">Haiti</a>, <a title="Iraq" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraq">Iraq</a>, <a title="Kosovo" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kosovo">Kosovo</a>, <a title="Panama" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Panama">Panama</a> and <a title="Zimbabwe" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</a>. Rendon's activities include organizing the <a title="Iraqi National Congress" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraqi_National_Congress">Iraqi National Congress</a>, <b>a PR </b><a title="Front group" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Front_group" class="mw-redirect"><b>front group</b></a><b> designed to foment the overthrow of Iraqi dictator </b><a title="Saddam Hussein" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Saddam_Hussein"><b>Saddam Hussein</b></a><b>.</b></p>

<p>

In a 1998 speech to the National Security Conference (NSC), company founder <a title="John Rendon" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_Rendon">John Rendon</a> described himself as "an information warrior, and a perception manager. This is probably best described in the words of <a title="Hunter S. Thompson (page does not exist)" href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hunter_S._Thompson&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new">Hunter S. Thompson</a>, when he wrote 'When things turn weird, the weird turn pro.'"</p>

<p>

"Through its network of international offices and strategic alliances," the Rendon Group website boasted in 2002, "the company has provided communications services to clients in more than 78 countries, and maintains contact with government officials, decision-makers, and news media around the globe."

The <i>Chicago Tribune</i> reports that the Rendon Group has garnered more than $56 million in Pentagon work since September 2001. <a title="http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/121305E.shtml" href="http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/121305E.shtml" rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber">[1]</a></p>

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<h2>Contents</h2>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#John_Rendon_and_the_Democratic_Party"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">John Rendon and the Democratic Party</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Pentagon_work"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Pentagon work</span></a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Vetting_reporters_requesting_embeds"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Vetting reporters requesting embeds</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Organizing_for_combat"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Organizing for combat</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Office_of_Strategic_Influence"><span class="tocnumber">2.3</span> <span class="toctext">Office of Strategic Influence</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff"><span class="tocnumber">2.4</span> <span class="toctext">Joint Chiefs of Staff</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Strategic_Command"><span class="tocnumber">2.5</span> <span class="toctext">Strategic Command</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Kuwait"><span class="tocnumber">2.6</span> <span class="toctext">Kuwait</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Afghanistan"><span class="tocnumber">2.8</span> <span class="toctext">Afghanistan</span></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Colombia"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Colombia</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Empower_Peace"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Empower Peace</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Overspending.3F"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Overspending?</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Influencing_Vieques_vote"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">Influencing Vieques vote</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Personnel"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Personnel</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Clients"><span class="tocnumber">8</span> <span class="toctext">Clients</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Contact_information"><span class="tocnumber">9</span> <span class="toctext">Contact information</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Articles_and_resources"><span class="tocnumber">10</span> <span class="toctext">Articles and resources</span></a>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#Related_SourceWatch_articles"><span class="tocnumber">10.1</span> <span class="toctext">Related SourceWatch articles</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#References"><span class="tocnumber">10.2</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#External_resources"><span class="tocnumber">10.3</span> <span class="toctext">External resources</span></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#External_articles"><span class="tocnumber">10.4</span> <span class="toctext">External articles</span></a></li>

</ul>

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<h2><span class="mw-headline">John Rendon and the Democratic Party</span></h2>

<p>John Rendon began his career as an election campaign consultant to Democratic Party politicians. According to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Franklin_Foer&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Franklin Foer (page does not exist)">Franklin Foer</a>, "He masterminded <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Michael_Dukakis" class="mw-redirect" title="Michael Dukakis">Michael Dukakis</a>'s gubernatorial campaign in 1974; worked as executive director of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Democratic_National_Committee" title="Democratic National Committee">Democratic National Committee</a> in the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jimmy_Carter" class="mw-redirect" title="Jimmy Carter">Jimmy Carter</a> era; managed the 1980 Democratic convention in New York; and subsequently worked as chief scheduler for Carter's reelection campaign." James Bamford reports Rendon and his younger brother Rick went into consulting in 1981.<a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story//id/8798997?pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single7&rnd=1132271793151&has-player=true" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story//id/8798997?pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single7&rnd=1132271793151&has-player=true" rel="nofollow">[2]</a> In the mid-1980s, he began working for clients in the Caribbean and other places outside the United States. His "career took an unlikely turn in Panama, where his work with political opponents of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Manuel_Noriega&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Manuel Noriega (page does not exist)">Manuel Noriega</a> kept him in the country straight through the 1989 American invasion. As U.S. forces quickly invaded and quickly pulled out, he helped broker the transition of power." This in turn led to contacts with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CIA" class="mw-redirect" title="CIA">CIA</a>, and in 1990 the government-in-exile of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kuwait" title="Kuwait">Kuwait</a> hired him to help drum up support for war in the Persian Gulf to oust <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a>'s occupying army.<a href="http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20020520&s=foer052002" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20020520&s=foer052002" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>

<h2><span class="mw-headline">Pentagon work</span></h2>

<p>John Rendon "insists that information is terrain and someone will occupy it, either the adversary, a third party, or US." <a href="http://www.iwar.org.uk/iwar/resources/usaf/maxwell/students/2002/urrutia.pdf" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.iwar.org.uk/iwar/resources/usaf/maxwell/students/2002/urrutia.pdf" rel="nofollow">[4]</a>

<h3><span class="mw-headline">Vetting reporters requesting embeds</span></h3>

<p>In August 2009, the military newspaper <i>Stars and Stripes</i> reported that Rendon was vetting reporters requesting to embed with U.S. forces in <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, as part of a $1.5 million media-management contract for the Pentagon. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-0" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">[1]</sup></a> The firm produced profiles of the reporters, grading reporters' past coverage as "positive," "neutral" or "negative," even sometimes suggesting how to "neutralize" expected negative future coverage or how to design embeds to "result in favorable coverage." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-1" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[2]</sup></a> In some cases, the profiles prompted military officials to reject reporters' embed requests. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-2" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference">[3]</sup></a></p>

<p>

After the series of exposés, the Pentagon announced that it was terminating the Rendon contract. Rear Admiral <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Gregory_J._Smith&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Gregory J. Smith (page does not exist)">Gregory J. Smith</a> told <i>Stars and Stripes</i>, "As the senior U.S. communicator in Afghanistan, it was clear that the issue of Rendon's support to US forces in Afghanistan had become a distraction." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-3" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference">[4]</sup></a> In a statement on the firm's site, Rendon maintains that its profiles did not rank reporters, and weren't "provided as the basis for accepted or rejecting a specific journalist's inquiries." The statement doesn't mention that the profiles suggested how to shape reporters' future coverage. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-4" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference">[5]</sup></a>

A second statement on the firm's site reads, in part: "Background briefings on content generated by journalists comprised roughly 10% of the work requested from us by the client. The vast majority of our work was focused on wider analysis of the impact of operations on national, regional and global media coverage against mission objectives as a function of content analysis. This was used to provide critical feedback on measures of effectiveness, attitudes and sentiments as reflected in the media (not directed towards the reporter) and to track and measure perceptions of violent extremist elements as reflected in the media (again not directed at the reporter)." This statement also doesn't address the firm's recommendations on how to shape reporters' future coverage. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rendon_Group#cite_note-5" title=""><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference">[6]</sup></a>

<h3><span class="mw-headline">Organizing for combat</span></h3>

<p>"In the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pentagon" title="Pentagon">Pentagon</a>, in addition to the normal public affairs structure, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Office_of_Special_Plans" title="Office of Special Plans">Special Plans Office</a> was deeply involved in this effort, supported (with information) by the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraqi_National_Congress" title="Iraqi National Congress">Iraqi National Congress</a>. There was the Rendon Group, headed by John Rendon who gave media advice to OSD, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Joint_Chiefs_of_Staff" title="Joint Chiefs of Staff">Joint Staff</a> and the White House.<b> Finally, there were connections to large </b><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Psyops" title="Psyops"><b>PSYOPS</b></a><b> activities.</b></p>

<p>

"The Rendon Group worked for the Government of Kuwait during the Gulf I. John Rendon proudly tells that it was he who shipped small American flags to Kuwait for the citizens to wave as troops entered Kuwait City. He suggested the same technique for [the war in Iraq], but the Joint Staff information operations office turned down the idea.

"The Rendon Group worked for both OSD and the Joint Staff during this war. John Rendon says he was part of the daily 9:30 phone calls with the key information players to set themes." <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/documents/truth_6.pdf" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/documents/truth_6.pdf" rel="nofollow">[5]</a>

<h3><span class="mw-headline">Office of Strategic Influence</span></h3>

<p>The <i>New York Times</i> reported in February 2002 that the U.S. Pentagon was using the Rendon Group to assist its new <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propaganda" title="Propaganda">propaganda</a> agency, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Office_of_Strategic_Influence" title="Office of Strategic Influence">Office of Strategic Influence</a> (OSI). However, the OSI was publicly disbanded following a backlash when Pentagon officials said the new office would engage in "black" propaganda (disinformation).<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/19/international/19PENT.html?pagewanted=print" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/19/international/19PENT.html?pagewanted=print" rel="nofollow">[6]</a><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/international/21INFO.html?pagewanted=print" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/21/international/21INFO.html?pagewanted=print" rel="nofollow">[7]</a></p>

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<p> 

...</p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline">Clients</span></h2>

<p>Clients of the Rendon Group have included a number of foreign nations, as well as major corporations. Known specific clients have included:</p>

<ul>

<li>American Housing Consortium (based in Kuwait)</li>

<li>American Business Council of Kuwait</li>

<li>Bulgaria</li>

<li><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;">Colombian army</span></li>

<li>Indonesia</li>

<li>KPMY/Peat Marwick</li>

<li>Kuwait</li>

<li>Kuwait Petroleum Corporation</li>

<li>Kuwait University</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto" title="Monsanto"><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;">Monsanto</span></a><span style=" background-color: #FFF200;"> Chemical Company</span></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Russia" title="Russia">Russia</a></li>

<li>U.S. Strategic Command</li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=U.S._Agency_for_International_Development" title="U.S. Agency for International Development">U.S. Agency for International Development</a> (USAID)</li>

<li>U.S. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Central Intelligence Agency">Central Intelligence Agency</a> (CIA)</li>

<li>U.S. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pentagon" title="Pentagon">Pentagon</a></li>

<li>Uzbekistan</li>

<li>Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (which it helped promote a ban on landmines)</li>

</ul>

<p>In Massachussetts, Rendon has worked for the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.<a href="http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=42547" class="external autonumber" title="http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=42547" rel="nofollow">[24]</a>

<h2><span class="mw-headline">Contact information</span></h2>

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<h3 style=" font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 95, 153);"><a target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=hoZVr6kTDCpxenjzLq7gxLeErZcpEtE2" rel="nofollow">Psywar Film Reveals The Hidden Battle for Your Mind</a>

<span style=" font-size: 10px;">Source: Metanoia Films/The Exposure Room, August 25, 2010</span></h3>

<p>The new documentary "Psywar," featuring CMD founder <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ehtNPeOJdbydd7y39KPKxbeErZcpEtE2" title="reference on John Stauber" rel="nofollow">John Stauber</a>, explores corporate and government use of <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=k5WGQiA%2FGL0LKuu6vnl%2Bwaqb%2FNioQVCS" title="reference on propaganda" rel="nofollow">propaganda</a> and <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=G6gldNdrYg9KoPbHNo0ymCs6Uy411aPn" title="reference on public relations" rel="nofollow">public relations</a> to manipulate American people. The movie explores how the U.S. government staged events to manipulate public opinion about the Iraq war, like the rescue of Private <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xm72XGsmnDhvcQXaTzcGVbeErZcpEtE2" title="reference on Jessica Lynch" rel="nofollow">Jessica Lynch</a>, the supposedly spontaneous mob that pulled over the larger-than-life statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. It also discusses the <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ASwDddhUM%2FKW09HzFo84sqqb%2FNioQVCS" title="reference on Pentagon pundit" rel="nofollow">Pentagon pundit</a> scandal, and the hidden activities of the <a target="blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jbykPbcSQMKw4Z59g%2BrN6reErZcpEtE2" title="reference on Rendon Group" rel="nofollow">Rendon Group</a>, a PR firm specializing in spinning war. The film exposes government and corporate activities to blur the lines between real news and fake news, as well as the development over time of public relations misinformation campaigns, strategic corporate campaigns to generate goodwill and the perception of good works, the use of staged photo-ops, and other manipulative PR tools that have turned the land of the free and the home of the brave into a place where citizens are now manipulated with great efficiency, and on a massive scale. Watch the entire film for free online <a target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sDZY7wYuh47biRHBqNtBlLeErZcpEtE2" title="reference on here" rel="nofollow">here</a>.

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<div><font size="3">Building a new Iraq in the Chalabi Vision</font></div>

</font></div>

<div><font size="3">Perception Management: New Bridge Strategies, LLC</font></div>

<div><font size="3">inside the underbelly with Ahmed Chalabi and John Rendon</font></div>

</font></div>

<div><font size="3">Having close ties to Dick Cheney, Ahmed Chalabi, also ethically tone deaf, is our man in Baghdad working out the details of who gets what and when. Ahmed has settled in to the task at hand with passion, and the full faith and credit of the Bush Administraton.</font></div>

<div><font size="3">Chilling With the WHIG: <b>White House Iraq Group </b>and AIPAC are perfect partners for Chalabi. Ahmad Chalabi</font></div>

<div><font size="3">in conference with Joe Allbaugh, Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Dick Cheney. </font></div>

</font></div>

<div><font size="3">Ahmad Chalabi freedom fighter </font></div>

<div><font size="3">Ahmad Chalabi in perception management conference</font></div>

<div><font size="3">The close friend of Dick Cheney has made over one of Saddam's Palaces as his own. Petit Pale Chalabi is lush with decor.</font></div>

<div><font size="3">A man of sophisticated tastes, Ahmed Chalabi has brought in feng shui (gay eye) metrosexual decorators from New York thanks to The Rendon Group and New Bridge Strategies, LLC, Douglas Feith has arranged all the details...</font></div>

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<div style=" color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: verdana, helvetica, san-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.scari.org/chalabi.html">http://www.scari.org/chalabi.html</a></div>

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Rendon Gp

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