While the Iraq war rages on, the Pentagon has launched its own secret mission against the American people. Their weapon? Lies, misinformation and propaganda.

A chilling exposé by the New York Times revealed a widespread and secret Pentagon program to spread favorable views of the Iraq war by recruiting and planting military analysts in the nation's news media.

These pundits became fixtures of war coverage on most major network, cable, radio and print news outlets -- without disclosing their considerable conflicts of interest in their own work as consultants and lobbyists for military contractors.

The Pentagon has temporarily halted its “Military Analyst Program,” and has released 8,000 pages of documents related to the propaganda program. One transcript shows an unidentified analyst suggesting they “parrot” then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

As the Pentagon trolled out at least 75 talking heads, the media were quick to oblige the Bush administration, prominently placing these military "experts" in the news without vetting them, disclosing their conflicts of interest, or offering dissenting viewpoints.

A review by Media Matters found that since January 1, 2001, the analysts named in the Times article were quoted or appeared as experts 4,500 times on ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR.

Not only is this a violation of every conceivable standard of journalism, but spreading "covert propaganda" is illegal under federal law. Free Press activists are leading the call for Congress to investigate and reveal the ties that link the Bush administration and defense contractors to our national news media.

Congress has begun to take action, with dozens of representatives and senators calling for an investigation by the Government Accountability Office and the Federal Communications Commission.

The same media outlets that bowed to the Bush administration have instituted a news blackout, refusing to report on the New York Times story, let alone offering an explanation for their part in the scheme. And in some cases, news outlets like Fox are still putting these pundits on the air without disclosure.

The mainstream media’s silence illustrates the effects of corporate owners invested in stifling in-depth reporting and dissenting views. The Bush administration's propaganda wouldn't have spread far if it weren't for its cozy relationship with media outlets like Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN.

In response to the media’s role in the Pentagon’s scheme, the Society for Professional Journalists has expressed its concern, and urged the media to use ethical standards of journalism – such as vetting and disclosure – when using military analysts as sources.

As our nation’s media reject their role as watchdog, independent news organizations and bloggers have kept the story alive, highlighting the lack of quality journalism found on mainstream TV, radio and print outlets. Some of the most extensive coverage of the scandal has come from The Nation, Democracy Now!, PR Watch, OpenLeft, DailyKos and The Huffington Post. PBS has been the only network to cover the story.

Media organizations and the Pentagon have a lot of explaining to do, and it’s up to Congress to act against illegal propaganda. The debate about America's military involvement in Iraq should be based on facts, and not on the spin of pro-war pundits and their media enablers.

Want to learn more about how the mainstream media are ignoring the Pentagon pundits scandal? Watch the video.

Take Action Now! Tell Congress to Investigate the Propaganda Pundits.