The Southeast European Times falls under Eucom's information operations and is "a powerful weapon to defeat propaganda," says a year-end review of the command's humanitarian assistance programs.

"It is extremely important that HA (humanitarian assistance) events such as ground breaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies receive the proper visibility," the report adds. It also stresses that senior commanders are available for photo ops which would be covered by distribution outlets such as the online newspaper.

It is ironic for the Times to highlight the lack of media freedom when the locals are shown a propaganda vehicle of the U.S. military. The article, at least, contains a disclaimer that reads, "This content was commissioned for SETimes.com."

Closer integration of humanitarian aid and information operations with the U.S. military highlights another growing trend under the Bush administration. As noted by The Economist last month, the Pentagon has been consuming what has traditionally been the domain of civil agencies. That could be potentially risky when the military does what it was designed to do--place security interests above civic needs.

Magharebia.com is another Pentagon-owned Web site with a similar purpose. It is "aimed at primarily at younger, impressionable 15- to 20-year-olds and the key communicators who influence those young people in three languages," says Eucom.