Afghanistan News: Not to Inform but to Recruit

There was an interesting comment in an interesting article on the MOD trying (as always) to control the story on the failing war in Afghanistan. Buried in the article was this:

The Guardian's James Meek, embedded in Helmand in 2006, says he was allowed to speak freely, and had no problems with minders. However, he was sent to a relatively quiet zone, and his requests to visit bases where soldiers were engaged in combat were refused. "I was told quite candidly that the priority was the tabloids and television because it was important for recruitment," he says.

Wow - so the reports on the front line of a war done in our name and paid for with our money, is being controlled to create a story of excitement and combat, 'because it was important for recruitment'. Nice; reminds me of the line in the Young Ones when Neil is looking for a job and the ad in the aper says; Join the Army: It's great you can have a gun if you want one.