Taliban's superior information operations

[William F. Owen]

Gentlemen,

It looks like I'll be briefing some people tomorrow on why the Taliban is kicking our backsides in the IO department. If any of you have any unconventional thoughts on the matter, please pm me and I'll pass them on to the government people I'll be talking to, with appropriate credit given to whom it's due.

Well here's an unconventional thought, albeit late. Folks cannot do IO if they are dead or cannot get near the villages to pass on their message. IO only works for the winning side. It's a nice to have, and it is not and has never been decisive in the face of military success.

Boil it down. What is IO in real practical terms? In the simplest terms, what can it actually do? Really? Matching words with actions - thank you Tom Odom - is common sense, and utterly dependant on the viability and effectiveness of the action. Do not make promises you cannot keep or have not already kept.