Return-Path: <sentto-279987-2667-1002156965-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com> Delivered-To: fc@all.net Received: from 204.181.12.215 by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.1.0) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 03 Oct 2001 17:59:40 -0700 (PDT) Received: (qmail 4059 invoked by uid 510); 4 Oct 2001 00:56:11 -0000 Received: from n21.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.71) by 204.181.12.215 with SMTP; 4 Oct 2001 00:56:11 -0000 X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-2667-1002156965-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com Received: from [10.1.1.222] by n21.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Oct 2001 00:56:05 -0000 X-Sender: fc@big.all.net X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com Received: (EGP: mail-7_4_1); 4 Oct 2001 00:56:05 -0000 Received: (qmail 51092 invoked from network); 4 Oct 2001 00:56:05 -0000 Received: from unknown (10.1.10.26) by 10.1.1.222 with QMQP; 4 Oct 2001 00:56:05 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO big.all.net) (65.0.156.78) by mta1 with SMTP; 4 Oct 2001 00:56:01 -0000 Received: (from fc@localhost) by big.all.net (8.9.3/8.7.3) id RAA21477 for iwar@onelist.com; Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:55:55 -0700 Message-Id: <200110040055.RAA21477@big.all.net> To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List) Organization: I'm not allowed to say X-Mailer: don't even ask X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL1] From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net> Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com> Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:55:55 -0700 (PDT) Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com Subject: [iwar] [fc:Psyops.troops.poised.to.wage.war.of.the.mindı] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Psyops troops poised to wage war of the mindı By Andrea Stone USA Today Among the U.S. special-operations forces massing along the border of Afghanistan are a small cadre of troops whose mission is not to capture bodies as much as hearts and minds. In this new war on terrorism, specialists in psychological operations or ³psyops² will use old methods of persuasion to influence the behavior and emotions of enemy forces and hostile civilians in Afghanistan. Armed with mobile broadcast stations, leaflets and loudspeakers, these information warriors will seek to demoralize and strike fear in the Taliban while bucking up Afghan refugees and reassuring them that bin Laden, not the United States, is their real enemy. To get the message out, the 193rd Special Operations Wing in Harrisburg, Pa., has been deployed. The Air National Guard unit flies six EC-130E ³Commando Solo² aircraft, which are airborne broadcast stations that can monitor and jam electronic transmissions. A spokesman declined to say where they are, but they are likely at air bases in Afghanistanıs neighbors Uzbekistan or Tajikistan. Analysts say it is almost certain that soldiers from the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., which operates Commando Soloıs radio and TV equipment, have been sent to the region. The groupıs 1,200 active-duty members are among 5,000 psyop soldiers in the Army. The remaining 76 percent are reservists who have not been called up, military officials say. ³The information campaign is very important both strategically and with respect to Afghanistan,² says William Nash, a retired Army two-star general at the Council on Foreign Relations. ³We need to talk directly to the Afghan people.² Strategically, the Pentagonıs tight-lipped policy about its plans is part of a global psyops war to deny bin Laden and his Taliban hosts any clues as to when, where or how U.S. forces will strike. But on a tactical level, the military will be eager to get its side of the story to Afghan fighters and civilians. ³Psyops are more critical now because itıs an information war,² says Edward Rouse, a former Army psyops officer. In a conflict in which no shots have yet been fired, ³this becomes more of a war of the mind than a war of the body.² Advocates of psyops chafe at what they say is an unfair reputation for spreading propaganda. Prohibited by U.S. law from trying to influence Americans, psyops soldiers say they share facts with foreigners and market democracy and the American way of life to them. ³The very essence of any kind of psychological operation is telling the truth,² Nash says. Like all special-operations missions, psyops are veiled in secrecy. But psyops veterans say past wars point to the kinds of methods and messages the Army is likely to use in Central Asia. It will be a two-pronged approach aimed at two audiences: civilians and Taliban fighters. ³We will use divide-and-conquer leaflets that attempt to separate the people from the Taliban,² says Herb Friedman, a retired Army psyops soldier. Whether through radio broadcasts, leaflets or bullhorns, U.S. forces will try to ³make it clear this is not a war against the Afghan people, that this is a war against bin Laden,² says James Phillips, a Middle East and terrorism expert at the Heritage Foundation. ³We could exploit existing cleavages² by targeting Taliban commanders whose loyalties stem more from bribes than ideology by promising them payoffs or a role in a future Afghan government, he says. Broadcasts and written materials will be tailored and tested with Afghan-Americans before they are used. ³The worst thing we could do is throw out a message that would anger them even more,² Rouse says. He says comparing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and Hitler backfired during the Gulf War in 1991. Thatıs because the enemies of Hitlerıs occupation of Europe 60 years ago Britain, France and Jews were seen as occupying powers in the Middle East. Cultural sensitivities are crucial, Friedman says. He expects messages to appeal to Afghansı Muslim beliefs. ³There will be religious leaflets taking various phrases from the Quran that speak of peace and not killing oneıs neighbors,² he predicts. ³There will be photographs of dead women and children and the question Is this what Allah teaches?ı ³ The largest audience may be refugees fleeing Afghanistan in advance of an expected U.S. strike. Psyops soldiers will likely spread the word that food being distributed by relief organizations to prevent widespread famine was paid for by the United States. How effective is psyops in turning adversaries into allies? ³The trick is to convince the people of Afghanistan or the Taliban that theyıre going to lose the war,² Friedman says. Fiona Hill, a Central Asia analyst at the Brookings Institution, is skeptical about using psyops in Afghanistan because most of the people will be heading toward refugee camps, she says. ³There will be a big problem of establishing communication with the populations. They arenıt highly literate, theyıre scattered, thereıs little power and few people have access to a radio.² Despite such obstacles, analysts say itıs worth trying to win Afghans over with words rather than weapons. Rouse says, ³Psyops is a humane weapon because it can prevent death on both sides ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Pinpoint the right security solution for your company- Learn how to add 128- bit encryption and to authenticate your web site with VeriSign's FREE guide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/yQix2C/33_CAA/yigFAA/kgFolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ------------------ http://all.net/ Your use of Yahoo! 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