Not for conspiracy buffs!

The head of the U.S. Department of State's countermisinformation team has put together a webpage that addresses some of the misinformation about the U.S. that is circulated on the internet and elsewhere. The page also includes an email address to which questions or information regarding disinformation, misinformation, urban legends, conspiracy theories, or false rumors can be directed.

(excerpt from Washington File:) "Rumors, gossip, and conspiracy theories undermine trust and the advantages of the "Information Revolution." In an effort to correct malicious or simply misguided "information," the U.S. Department of State has created a new web collection, "Identifying Misinformation," http://usinfo.state.gov/media/media_resources/misinformation.html

"Identifying Misinformation" was developed over a number of years. It corrects false claims that the United States:

• had advance warning of the South Asian tsunami
• invented AIDS as a biological weapon
• is using chemical weapons in Iraq
• "created" Osama bin Laden.

The page is written by the State Department's countermisinformation expert. He has authored reports on this subject to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, and has 12 years of experience debunking false stories. "