The Lincoln Group [3], which planted Pentagon-written stories [4] in Iraqi newspapers [5], won U.S. military contracts "after claiming to have partnerships with major media and advertising companies, former government officials with extensive Middle East experience, and ex-military officers with background in intelligence and psychological warfare [6]," reports the New York Times. "But some of those companies and individuals say their associations were fleeting. ... 'They appear very professional on the surface, then you dig a little deeper and you find that they are pretty amateurish,'" said former Marine officer and former Lincoln "strategic adviser" Jason Santamaria. Lincoln had short-lived partnerships with The Rendon Group [7] and the New York ad firm Della Femina Rothschild Jeary and Partners [8]. Lincoln also told U.S. Special Operations Command [9] that it worked with the ad conglomerate Omnicom Group [10], but an Omnicom spokesperson said, "We're not aware of any relationship with Lincoln Group." Lincoln continues to bid for U.S. government contracts.