Taliban's superior information operations

**IntelTrooper** · 10-26-2009

Originally Posted by omarali50

information operations cannot change the reality on the ground all by themselves. If the taliban look like they are coming back and the infidels are visibly planning to get out and their only local agents are corrupt and incompetent, then what kind of smart IO will convince the local population to support the infidels? (I am not saying that is the entire reality of Afghanistan, just that wherever things are closer to this scenario, no IO can fix them).

I agree that IO is not a fix-all for the horrible situation, especially in relation to local governance. However, a good IO campaign will provide a little buffer for when you screw up. In Nangarhar, for example, the total absence of an IO campaign gave us (coalition and ISAF) no room to screw anything up. When it inevitably happened, the outcome was always bad.

**Spud** · 10-26-2009

A simple fix

practice the art of mission command in the information battlespace. We're so caught up on approvals and authorisations that we are never ahead of the curve. Let’s allow our professionals to operate within their domain without second guessing every decision they make or commenting on the perceived effectiveness of product they develop.

**davidbfpo** · 10-26-2009

Meh,

From this armchair and having done some reading and listening I'd go for:

a) Boosting the hours broadcast by the BBC World Service Pashtun's service
b) Identify other popular, existing radio stations and consider them too
c) Provide repeater stations for radio signals
d) Remember the adult literacy rate is poor

davidbfpo

**IntelTrooper** · 10-27-2009

Originally Posted by davidbfpo

d) Remember the adult literacy rate is poor

And handing out pamphlets trying to explain complex concepts with stick figures is not a good substitute.

**marct** · 10-27-2009

One additional thing you can look at is sponsoring anti-Taliban songs - a song has two advantages: it can be played on a radio, and it can be sung by a person in a f2f situation. Songs are also critical for establishing status in oral cultures, so find ones with the messages you either want or related to them and support the performer by jazzing them on the play lists.

**Spud** · 10-27-2009

Originally Posted by IntelTrooper

And handing out pamphlets trying to explain complex concepts with stick figures is not a good substitute.

Actually ... handing out pamphlets without an ability to communicate F2F and explain the meaning behind the stick figures is the issue ... not the product itself. Handbills have very good success in increasing understanding if we get in and explain them (they are then used for further education/information within the community) as we distribute. This means going through and identifying all the elements of the imagery at a very basic level (like you'd do for a two-year old kid -- this is your Mullah, this is an ISAF soldier -- he's here to help you, this is Terry -- he's bad, this is you -- see your beard is the same) The issue is when we air drop 100,000 leaflets and let Terry come out of the hills and provide his interpretation of what is meant by the imagery or just give them to units to distribute without guidance on how to do it. Product rarely stands alone in an environment like AFG ... convincing people that we need to do more than just hand them out as a tasker is the issue.