AMERICA'S WAR ON THE WEB

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Apr 3, 2006 | by Neil Mackay

AFTER electronic warfare, the US war planners turn their attention to psychological operations: "Military forces must be better prepared to use psyops in support of military operations." The State Department, which carries out US diplomatic functions, is known to be worried that the rise of such operations could undermine American diplomacy if uncovered by foreign states. Other examples of information war listed in the report include the creation of "Truth Squads" to provide public information when negative publicity, such as the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, hits US operations, and the establishment of "Humanitarian Road Shows", which will talk up American support for democracy and freedom.

The Pentagon also wants to target a "broader set of select foreign media and audiences", with dollars-161m set aside to help place pro-US articles in overseas media.