One of the problems we have with things like "info coloration" in disordered environments is that we tend to work through official media, which people in these environments have for the most part ceased to trust. They trust their own networks, variants of the old bush telegraph, and we've little capacity to influence that.Originally Posted by Ken White
Our info ops often shoot themselves in the proverbial foot by vastly underestimating the sophistication, access to information, and ability to detect BS that prevail among the populace. It's harder to fool people than we sometimes seem to think. I once read a comment (on OEF/Philippines) from an American offcier to the effect that we needed to conduct information ops so that the populace of Basilan would know how cruel the Abu Sayyaf are. That was a bit of a laugh out lou moment: the citizens of Basilan already know all there is to know about the Abu Sayyaf. Many of them know more about the Abu Sayyaf than the CIA does. It's not a big island, and word gets around.
Again re the Philippines, another point from the referenced article that could use clarification... and another example of how our interpretation of information ops can vary with perception.
The picture is a bit more complex than that. Attacks on the US presence from the mainstream (Manila-based) media and intelligentsia are dominated by the left, which has little popular credibility; they're loud, but nobody listens. The broader populace in the Christian north views the Muslim populace as an uncontrollable and irretrievably violent blight that needs to be brought under control by the harshest available methods ("it's the only language they understand". This audience is happy to get any possible help and if anything thinks we haven't gone far enough: many would be perfectly delighted to see the US go in en masse and put the boot down.Recognizing that actions speak louder than words, the current Western message is dominated by our operations in Iraq. One of the most notable aspects of U.S. actions in Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines, is that because the operations there are so clearly consistent with the West’s message, that it not only sends a powerful Strategic Communication throughout South East Asia, it has also proven to be quite resilient to regular attacks by various Muslim and Philippine media. Applying what is termed the “Indirect Approach,” no U.S. actions are done unilaterally, no U.S. bases have been built, and most importantly, nationalist insurgents are recognized as distinct from terrorist organizations, and all actions, be they counterterrorist or counterinsurgency, are done by, through and with the forces of the government of the Philippines.
On the other side, the US presence in Basilan in particular has won widespread approval from the Muslim populace, not because of projects and funds but because of a near universal recognition that Philippine forces are far less abusive when Americans are around. It is fairly ironic that with all the talk of protecting the populace from the insurgents, we have in this case won over much of the populace by protecting them from our allies.
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