A recent article on Yahoo News describes a recent PsyOp, or psychological operation, that the U.S. Army executed against the rebels in Falluja.
Though the information surrounding this particular operation is interesting, it is the information concerning PsyOps in general that is the most
interesting.
news.yahoo.com
Officials at the Pentagon and other U.S. national security agencies said the CNN incident was not an isolated feint � the type used throughout
history by armies to deceive their enemies � but part of a broad effort underway within the Bush administration to use information to its advantage in
the war on terrorism.
The Pentagon in 2002 was forced to shutter its controversial Office of Strategic Influence (OSI), which was opened shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks,
after reports that the office intended to plant false news stories in the international media. But officials say that much of OSI's mission � using
information as a tool of war � has been assumed by other offices throughout the U.S. government.
Although most of the work remains classified, officials say that some of the ongoing efforts include having U.S. military spokesmen play a greater
role in psychological operations in Iraq (news - web sites), as well as planting information with sources used by Arabic TV channels such as Al
Jazeera to help influence the portrayal of the United States.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
So, the U.S. initially set up the OSI to plant false news stories in the international media, but the OSI is ineffective, because other U.S.
Government offices are already planting enough false news stories for everyone. Frankly, this disgusts me. Though I understand the importance of
PsyOps and their effects on the battlefield, this brings the veracity of major media stories into question across the board.
I do not see the manipulation of U.S. media outlets as being separate from this overall dis-information effort. I have no idea what to believe
anymore, just that I can't believe what the current administration has to say. They have demonstrated that they are intent on misleading the entire
world into doing their bidding and I cannot say that I am proud to be an American at this point in human history.
We have become a nation of cheats and liars, and the sad fact is that we are beginning to embrace that nature. Welcome to reality TV folks...to quote
a line from the movie 'Sneakers':
"You won't know who to trust."
[edit on 1-12-2004 by chaosrain]
[edit on 1-12-2004 by chaosrain]