Psychological warfare waged in Afghanistan

Emma Young

Psychological operations will play a key role in the war in Afghanistan and, although few details are being revealed, US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld has confirmed that "PsyOps" have begun.

PsyOps has two main purposes: to persuade the enemy to surrender, and to convince local civilians that the attackers are not the real enemy. Leaflet drops and radio propaganda broadcasts are the chief weapons.

"The objective is always to shorten the conflict by demoralising the enemy and to keep civilians out of harm's way. Leaflets and radio broadcasts will be used to tell them where food is, how to reach safety and to persuade them that they are not the target of the operation," Rick Hofmann, president of the US Psychological Operations Veterans Association told New Scientist.

Six EC-130E "Commando Solo" aircraft are known to be in the Afghanistan region. These planes operate as airborne radio stations, blocking local transmissions and broadcasting replacement propaganda programmes.

On Monday, a White House spokesman confirmed that the US is broadcasting messages to the Afghan people "so they can have full knowledge about what is happening in Afghanistan from a source other than a repressive Taliban regime". There are also reports that leaflets were dropped with the first wave of bombs on Sunday night.

Raining radios

The 4^th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is the only active US Army psychological operations unit. Although Fort Bragg will not confirm that members of the unit are in the Afghanistan region, it is highly likely that the group will be coordinating PsyOps activities.

Analysts suggest that leaflets and broadcasts in Afghanistan are likely to focus on Islam's teaching of non-violence and peace. They may also point out inconsistencies in the enemy's actions, says Hofmann. "The Taliban are against pictures of any kind - against video and photographs. And yet Osama Bin Laden has appeared on television and is now one of the most recognisable faces in the world."

Only one third of people in Afghanistan are thought to be literate, so many of the US-dropped leaflets will be printed with cartoons and illustrations, says Hofmann. Portable radios tuned to the US military propaganda frequency may also be dropped.

Bart Simpson

PsyOps have been extremely successful in the past. During the Gulf War, warnings about B-52 bomber attacks were issued to Iraqi troops on the ground. Leaflets promising humane treatment if they surrendered were then dropped. Most of the soldiers who later surrendered were carrying the leaflets, army officials said at the time.

But a thorough understanding of the culture of the people targeted by PsyOps is crucial, says Hofmann.

"One of the keys is to have your message accurate in a cultural context. Enemy armies often attempt PsyOps, but often without success," he says. "In Iraq, for example, Saddam Hussein tried to demoralise US troops by broadcasting messages that while they were away fighting, their sweethearts were being seduced by movie stars such as Bart Simpson."

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