Pentagon's PSYOPs: Information Warfare Using = Aggressive Psychological Operations

Information=20 Operation Roadmap Part 4

The = Pentagon's=20 plans for psychological operations or = PSYOP in the=20 global information environment of the 21st = century=20 are wide ranging and aggressive. These = desires are=20 outlined in the 2003 Pentagon document = signed by=20 Donald Rumsfeld in his capacity as the = Secretary=20 of Defense called the Information=20 Operation Roadmap.

More = detail=20 about the origins and purpose of this = document can=20 be read in the first part of this series = here.=20 Also, a description of the Pentagon's = desire to dominate=20 the entire electro-magnetic spectrum = and their=20 need to "fight=20 the net" as outline in the = Information=20 Operation Roadmap were previously=20 described.

What is a = PSYOP?

A=20 PSYOP is not specifically defined in this = document=20 but it does provide some insight into the = wide=20 ranging activities that are considered = PSYOP.

"The customary position = was that=20 "public affairs informs, while public = diplomacy=20 and PSYOP influence." PSYOP also = has been=20 perceived as the most aggressive of the = three=20 information activities, using diverse = means,=20 including psychological manipulation and = personal=20 threats." [emphasis mine] - = 26

"One=20 result of public affairs and civil = military=20 operations is greater support for military = endeavors and thus, conversely these = activities=20 can help discourage and dissuade = enemies, which=20 PSYOP does more directly with its own = tactics,=20 techniques and procedures." [emphasis = mine] -=20 10

"PSYOP messages disseminated to = any=20 audience except individual = decision-makers=20 (and perhaps even then) will often be = replayed by=20 the news media for much larger audiences,=20 including the American public." [emphasis = mine] -=20 26

"A PSYOP force ready to conduct=20 sophisticated target-audience = analysis and=20 modify behaviour with multi-media PSYOP = campaigns featuring commercial-quality = products=20 that can be rapidly disseminated = throughout=20 the Combatant Commanders area of = operations."=20 [emphasis mine] - 63

"PSYOP = products must=20 be based on in-depth knowledge of the=20 audience's decision-making processes = and the=20 factors influencing his decisions, = produced=20 rapidly at the highest quality standards, = and=20 powerfully disseminated directly to = targeted=20 audiences throughout the area of = operations."=20 [emphasis mine] - 6

"Better = depiction of=20 the attitudes, perceptions and = decision-making=20 processes of an adversary. = Understanding how=20 and why adversaries make decisions will = require=20 improvements in Human Intelligence = (HUMINT) and=20 open source exploitation, as well as = improved=20 analytic tools and methods." [emphasis = mine] -=20 39

"SOCOM [Special Operations = Command]=20 should create a Joint PSYOP Support = Element to=20 coordinate Combatant Command programs and = products=20 with the Joint Staff and OSD [Office of = the=20 Secretary of Defense] to provide = rapidly=20 produced, commercial-quality PSYOP product = prototypes consistent with overall U.S. = Government=20 themes and messages." [emphasis mine] = -=20 15

"SOCOM's ongoing PSYOP Advanced = Concept=20 Technology Demonstration and modernization = efforts=20 should permit the timely, long-range=20 dissemination of products with various = PSYOP=20 delivery systems. This includes = satellite,=20 radio and television, cellular phones and = other=20 wireless devices, the Internet and = upgrades to=20 traditional delivery systems such as = leaflets=20 and loudspeakers that are highly = responsive to=20 maneuver commanders." [emphasis mine] -=20 15

"PSYOP equipment capabilities = require=20 21st Century technology. This = modernization would=20 permit the long-range dissemination of = PSYOP=20 messages via new information venues such = as=20 satellites, the Internet, personal = digital=20 assistants and cell phones:

- = (U) PSYOP=20 ACTD. Commencing in FY04, SOCOM [Special=20 Operations Command] initiates an Advanced = Concept=20 Technology Demonstration (ACTD) to address = dissemination of PSYOP products into = denied areas.=20 The ACTD should examine a range of = technologies=20 including a network of unmanned aerial = vehicles=20 and miniaturized, scatterable public = address=20 systems for satellite rebroadcast in = denied=20 areas. It should also consider various = message=20 delivery systems, to include satellite = radio=20 and television, cellular phones and other = wireless=20 devices and the Internet." [emphasis = mine] -=20 65

"Rapid, fully integrated nodal = and=20 network analysis providing Combatant = Commanders=20 with holistic kinetic and non-kinetic=20 solutions for a full range of = electromagnetic,=20 physical and human IO [information = operations]=20 targets." [emphasis mine] -=20 39

"Capabilities such as physical = security,=20 information assurance, counter = intelligence and=20 physical attack make important = contributions=20 to effective IO." [emphasis mine] - 23

Third Party=20 PSYOP

The Pentagon is also = willing to=20 use third parties for their PSYOP.

"Identify and = disseminate the=20 views of third party advocates that = support=20 U.S. positions. These sources may not = articulate=20 the U.S. position the way that the USG [US = Government] would, but that may = nonetheless have a=20 positive influence." [emphasis mine] - = 27

Under recommendation = number 48 -=20 "Create a Joint PSYOP Support Element" - = is the=20 following:

"Contract for = commercial=20 sources for enhanced product = development."=20 [emphasis mine] - 64

The use of third party = advocates=20 or front groups for the dissemination of = US=20 government propaganda is well documented. = A couple=20 of recent examples include the illegal = payment of=20 $1.6=20 billion for domestic fake news and simil= ar=20 activities in Iraq using the Lincoln = Group=20 among others.

Virtual=20 PSYOP

Not only is the Pentagon=20 exploiting new and old technology for = aggressive=20 behavior modification, they can also = practice and=20 refine their techniques in a virtual = simulation of=20 the entire world.

From an=20 article by Mark Baard:

"U.S defense, intel and = homeland=20 security officials are constructing a = parallel=20 world, on a computer, which the agencies = will use=20 to test propaganda messages and military=20 strategies."

"Called the Sentient = World=20 Simulation, the program uses AI routines = based=20 upon the psychological theories of Marty = Seligman,=20 among others. (Seligman introduced the = theory of=20 "learned helplessness" in the 1960s, after = shocking beagles until they cowered, = urinating, on=20 the bottom of their cages.)"

"Yank = a=20 country's water supply. Stage a military = coup. SWS=20 will tell you what happens = next."

"The sim=20 will feature an AR avatar for each person = in the=20 real world, based upon data collected = about us=20 from government records and the = internet."

How useful do you think = your new=20 MySpace or Facebook account is in helping = the=20 Pentagon develop a detailed psychological = profile=20 of you? Do you think they would be shy in=20 exploiting such a valuable source of = personal=20 data?

AIDS Awareness

PSYOP in the past, = however, often=20 was used to support U.S. Government public = diplomacy and information objectives with=20 non-adversarial audiences. These actions = include=20 counter-drug, demining and AIDS = awareness=20 programs in friendly countries." = [emphasis=20 mine] - 25

It is a minor point in = the=20 context of this document, but it is worth=20 reflecting on why US military PSYOP were = used for=20 AIDS awareness.

Are There Any = Limits to=20 Information Warfare?

An obvious = question arises from the description of = PSYOP=20 described by the Information Operation=20 Roadmap, are there any limits? Can = PSYOP be=20 conducted on the American public or just = foreign=20 audiences? On adversaries or = non-adversaries? Can=20 they be performed during peacetime? My=20 next article will attempt to show just = how few=20 limits there actually = are.