Broadcasters were a main target of air strikes during the Iraq war and power cuts have stopped most Iraqis seeing the few programmes transmitted.

Rumsfeld told a press briefing: "We're moving a ground station to Baghdad to expand the coverage area for radio and television broadcasts.

"We've begun broadcasting a one-hour news program and are moving to go restore Iraqi radio and television networks. We're doing this because access to free information is critical to building a free society," he added.

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