Freedom's Watch affiliated organizations

Freedom's Watch has "partnered" with other right-wing organizations to help promote its pro-war in Iraq public relations campaign.

"Working behind the scenes through most of" summer 2007, Freedom's Watch president Bradley A. Blakeman "assembled big-dollar donors and quietly helped pro-war groups ranging from the American Legion to Rolling Thunder make a case for Bush's war strategy. Freedom's Watch also formed partnerships with other groups backing the war, such as Families United, Vets for Freedom and the Veterans of Foreign Wars," Jim Kuhnhenn reported September 28, 2007.

Move America Forward
"I've been working with a broad array of pro-troop advocates to help make such efforts as the 'Freedom's Watch' ad buy a reality. As the chairman of Move America Forward, the nation's largest pro-troop organization, I've been honored to work (conspire, if you are a anti-war liberal reading this column) with a coalition of pro-troop and veterans organizations that believe in peace through strength, and who also support victory for our troops," Melanie Morgan wrote August 24, 2007, in WorldNetDaily.

"During our planning meetings of this (cabal of supporters of this supposed illegal war based on lies), I've been impressed by the determination of the pro-troop movement to not cede any battlefield in the war for hearts and minds.

"For too long we were unhappily silent while the likes of MoveOn.org, Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and CodePink were grabbing media headlines for their antics," Morgan wrote.

"The most dangerous enemies are here at home, those deliberately plotting to undermine support for the missions of our troops. This fifth column in America has engaged in the psychological warfare of defeatism in a way we have not seen since the Vietnam War. Even President Bush is now acknowledging that fact," Morgan wrote.

"Pssst. You are now officially a member of the Insider War Room," Morgan wrote.

The Center for Vigilant Freedom
The Gateway Pundit reported on August 22, 2007, that "Pro-US Freedom's Watch", with help from The Center for Vigilant Freedom, "released several videos to support the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan."

"Freedom's Watch (freedomswatch.org) produced and paid for the ads independently. Vigilant Freedom just helped with distribution with some blog contacts," Kyle of CVF informs.

On July 24, 2007, D.K. Shideler of CVF wrote that the organization is "supporting efforts by Move America Forward, Vets for Freedom, Gathering of Eagles and others ... to support US troops and promote the success of the surge strategy in preparation for Gen. Petraeus’ testimony" September 15, 2007. CVF is "establishing a list of bloggers at the state level who are interested in recieving email updates on major events happening in their area as part of the campaign."

Vets for Freedom
"For the past few months, Vets for Freedom has been on the front lines of the Iraq war debate in America, with only a few allies. But this morning, in a very real sense, the cavalry appeared on the horizon in the form of a new organization called Freedom's Watch," Pete Hegseth, VFF's executive director, wrote August 22, 2007.

On August 22, 2007, Hegseth disseminated Freedom's Watch video ads embedded in viral emails. On August 23, 2007, Spree (Susan Duclos) at Maggie's Notebook Blog, and, on August 24, 2007, SWAC Girl both posted four Freedom's Watch ads which had been emailed to them by Hegseth.

At A Soldier's Perspective Blog, on August 22, 2007, the initial ad released was mistakenly identified as a "New Vets for Freedom Ad".

John Werntz, in an August 22, 2007, posting at Old War Dogs Blog, commented: "If Pete Hegseth links up to Freedoms Watch, that's good enough for me."

In VFF's September 4, 2007, WEEK 9 task for its 10-week " Win the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign, Hegseth directed email recipients to "Support our Allies"&mdash;"While we are America's largest pro-mission Iraq and Afghanistan veteran's organization, we are not the only ones working to make sure Congress supports General Petraeus and the troops in the field. Take the time to check out the great work being done by our friends": Move America Forward, Gathering of Eagles, Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, and Freedom's Watch.

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
On August 23, 2007, the neoconservative/neoliberal think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies "welcomed" Freedom's Watch, a "new non-partisan organization dedicated to winning the war in Iraq, to the national discourse."

External articles
Due to the rapid pace at which this article has grown, the chronological listing of articles dating from August 22, 2007, has been subdivided.


 * August 2007
 * September 2007
 * October 2007