Leaked Cables: US Bureau of
International Information Programs Used to Counter Conspiracy Theories,
has Over 700 “American Spaces” Abroad
By Abreu Report
A series of documents leaked by former US Army Private Chelsea Manning has shed some light on the secretive Bureau of International Information Programs [IIP,] which is responsible for engaging foreign individuals in private conversation with the goal of advancing “U.S. policy priorities and goals.” Further, the IIP is responsible for hosting “American Spaces,” which are essentially foreign bases used in America’s propaganda war against the world.
The
IIP emerged out of the restructuring which eliminated the United States
Information Agency, which itself arose after President Eisenhower said: “Audiences would be more receptive to the American message if they were kept from identifying it as propaganda.”
Today
there are 700 “spaces” in nearly 170 countries around the world.
According to the State Department’s website, these “American Spaces” are
generally located outside of cities, in places where most individuals
are likely to harbor anti-US sentiment, and where US embassy officials
can engage local residents.
It’s unclear exactly where each “American Space” is located on the map, as is the case with US military bases — no one knows
exactly how many there are, much less where they are all located — but
one thing is certain from US diplomatic cables: Nigeria is a hotspot of
IIP activity.
A secure document sent by the US
Embassy in Nigeria shortly after the attacks of September the 11th show
that the United States was extremely concerned about the rise of
conspiracy theories in the Nigerian Media alleging that Israel was
responsible for the attacks which initiated America’s War on Terror.
Shortly after the attacks which destroyed the Twin Towers and damaged
the Pentagon, Nigeria’s Weekly Trust reported that: “4000 Israelis,
tipped off by the Israeli government, stayed away from work on September
11.”