The White House is stepping up its information war against terrorism. An intensified public relations campaign is being planned. The goal is to counter anti-American statements from Afghanistan's Taleban rulers, and reach out to foreign audiences.
The Bush administration is opening information centers in London and Pakistan. These centers will work in tandem with U.S. officials speaking out in Washington in an all-out effort to present America's side in the war on terrorism.
Top aides to the President say military officials, diplomats and communications specialists will work out of the centers. They will offer quick reactions to news developments, and work to strengthen support for the anti-terrorism coalition.
There are strong indications President Bush will personally join the public relations campaign. Although his schedule for next week has not been released, top aides say Mr. Bush plans a series of events where he will speak out on the campaign against terrorism, both at home and abroad.
Karen Hughes, one of the president's closest advisors, tells reporters the White House wants to do a better job of getting its message to the world. She acknowledges that Taleban statements currently can go without a coalition response for hours because they occur during the middle of the night in the United States.
Ms. Hughes says these new information centers will enable the coalition to respond around the clock to, what she calls, "misinformation put out by the Taleban." She has been leading a team of communication experts within the administration, working in conjunction with the British government, to devise information strategies for the anti-terrorism coalition.