Many Americans may have felt betrayed after learning that U.S. Army officials in Iraq paid editors and TV producers to publish stories friendly to the United States, some without attributing the source.
My only question was, did planting those stories help turn Iraqi hearts and minds to U.S. favor?...
...my support is conditional. It's based on the distinction I draw between the American media and foreign outlets.
Under no condition, except for extreme exceptions, should government public affairs officials lie or manipulate facts to reporters responsible for keeping the American public informed.
But the rule changes overseas, where a local population's support of U.S. involvement is a war-tipping issue. Specifically, it's important for the Iraqis to believe that the United States and its allies have more to offer for the future than the Islamic extremists we're confronting.
The extremists believe the opposite, and that must be challenged, or else we will lose the war by default. Demonizing them doesn't necessarily defeat them. More is needed.
Because propaganda is a force multiplier, both sides use it to their advantage. It's also been a practice accepted in warfare. Does propaganda really work? Is it worth the price?
Looking back to the Vietnam War, there have been recent revelations from Hanoi about how effective the anti-war movement was in the United States, ultimately forcing us to withdraw all material support to South Vietnam. It's no secret now that the North Vietnamese fueled the anti-war movement with slogans and suggestions and even initiated "cultural exchanges" with American war protesters, presumably to embellish their credentials.
If we are only half as successful in Iraq as North Vietnam was in the United States, the outcome of the war may depend on our ability to influence hearts and minds, as much or more than the military situation on the ground...
Winning over the local population, however, cannot be ignored by public affairs professionals. But they should enlist the help of those who speak the language and know the culture. This is part of the skill in the psychological warfare community. I suspect that community is understaffed and overcommitted...
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