Iraqis with television reception can now turn on their sets and see a parade of new faces delivering the evening news: Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Jim Lehrer and Brit Hume. The news programming, called "Iraq and the World," is part of an ambitious effort that White House officials say will show Iraq what a free press looks like in a democracy. The U.S. backed news programming will also include stories by journalists working for Voice of America and Radio Sawa, which are also U.S. funded media.

The Los Angeles Times reports, Norm Pattiz, the Los Angeles-based chairman of the Westwood One radio network, is spearheading the project. Critics of the U.S. propaganda effort say it may spark a backlash in a shellshocked society that is already deeply suspicious of American motives. "If we want to demonstrate the robustness of democracy, we should also be beaming in the BBC and half a dozen other sources of international news with this effort," said Marty Kaplan, associate dean at the USC Annenberg School for Communication.

Initially the news programs will be broadcast several hours a day by a specially modified U.S. military plane called 'Commando Solo.' As soon as ground transmitters are set up, the U.S. will broadcast 24 hours a day.