PSYOPS: Better know what you're doing....

From Secrecy News:

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS TEST MILITARY APTITUDE

Psychological operations (PSYOP) -- military programs that seek to
influence the attitudes and shape the behavior of a target audience --
have the potential to increase the effectiveness of the armed forces
they support while minimizing violent conflict. But the U.S. military
is not notably good at conducting such programs.

To achieve their objective, PSYOP practitioners should ideally have a
clear understanding of the values and thought processes of their
audience (as well as their own), and they should have a credible and
compelling message to deliver. These have often been lacking.

According to a 2004 Army evaluation of PSYOP activities during the wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq, "it is clear that on the whole, PSYOP produced
much less than expected and perhaps less than claimed."

Two newly disclosed Army publications provide insight into Army PSYOP
planning and procedures.

"Psychological Operations Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures," U.S.
Army Field Manual FM 3-05.301, December 2003 (a revision was issued in
August 2007) (439 pages, 6.2 MB):

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-05-301.pdf

"Tactical Psychological Operations: Tactics, Techniques, and
Procedures," U.S. Army Field Manual 3-05.302, October 2005 (255 pages,
11.2 MB):

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-05-302.pdf

These documents have not been approved for public release, but copies
were obtained by Secrecy News.

A related document that was previously disclosed by Secrecy News is
"Psychological Operations," U.S. Army Field Manual 3-05.30, April 2005:

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-05-30.pdf

In the worst cases, poorly executed PSYOP activities are not merely
futile but may actually be counterproductive.

In 2003, a U.S. information operations officer produced posters
picturing Saddam Hussein as Homer Simpson and other figures of
ridicule. "The posters enraged Iraqis and led to conflict that
resulted in casualties for U.S. forces," according to a 2005 study of
PSYOP lessons learned.

See "Review of Psychological Operations: Lessons Learned from Recent
Operational Experience" by Christopher J. Lamb, National Defense
University Press, September 2005:

http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/lamb.pdf

[Use links above to read more]

Wrap...