On a little different note, but in the same field, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research is also conducting a study of blogs. It's a collection cell on steroids program in short. I think a few members here may know a little more

Sounds like the CENTCOM purpose is to counter disinformation. They go as far as to even "ask websites to put a link to CENTCOM?"

http://www.defenselink.mil/transform...ta062906b.html

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research recently began funding a new research area that includes a study of blogs. Blog research may provide information analysts and warfighters with invaluable help in fighting the war on terrorism.

Dr. Brian E. Ulicny, senior scientist, and Dr. Mieczyslaw M. Kokar, president, Versatile Information Systems Inc., Framingham, Mass., will receive approximately $450,000 in funding for the 3-year project entitled “Automated Ontologically-Based Link Analysis of International Web Logs for the Timely Discovery of Relevant and Credible Information.”