65: PSYOP

Psychological operations (PSYOP) is a skill set used by the US military to persuade, change, and influence the behavior of the target audience. It is not performed on the American public. PSYOP is a non-lethal way to shift the friendly population's perspective or empower them. The most crucial thing in PSYOP is to understand the target audience and accordingly persuade them, change them and influence them positively, that is favorable for the United States. Military now has two ways of fighting a war, kinetic and non-kinetic. Non-kinetic teams such as COMCAM teams, the army's psychological operations, and civil affairs teams are an integral part of the battle.

The US military uses a combination of satellites, electronic warfare, multi-domain operations, and cyber-operations to gain an upper hand on its adversary. Psychological operations (PSYOPS) is a non-lethal way to change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of foreign audiences. PSYOPS soldiers are trained in persuasive techniques to execute actions and deliver messages using a variety of techniques. Intelligence agencies, such as the Lincoln Group, have been caught planting biased news articles in local newspapers. These tactics give the US military an advantage without the use of lethal force. Electronic warfare teams have the ability to disrupt and degrade facilities and equipment to carry out objectives. This multi-faceted approach is a crucial strategy in modern-day warfare.

The Lincoln Group, a propaganda contractor for the US military, continued its activities despite its secret program being revealed, and even changed its name multiple times. Jon, who was a chief counter-propaganda analyst for the United States Forces in Iraq, monitored adversary propaganda and provided suggestions for counter-messaging. He identified the messaging through local couriers who disseminated the message from Al-Qaeda headquarters to battlefield commanders. The job involved understanding the context of messaging and figuring out the methods of appeal for propaganda and then help craft a counter-messaging, when necessary. Jon also worked as the atmospherics manager in Afghanistan in 2011. The US military used non-traditional methods, such as planting stories, to provide accurate information against aggressive campaigns of disinformation.

An atmospherics manager's job involves human intelligence, which solicits information from someone else. Contractors are not allowed to do human intelligence, which is why key people like bartenders, fruit market vendors, and taxi drivers are hired to report on what they hear anonymously. These reports are aggregated to get a good sense of how a population feels about a situation across the country. Although an individual report is not useful, analyzing hundreds and thousands of reports can draw statistical significance from what the population thinks. This type of open-source intelligence gathering, or OSINT, is non-intrusive and just reads what's already been published out there in the open.

PSYOP or psychological operation is pervasive and can be a useful tool if used positively. The term may have a negative connotation, but it is just getting a sense of what people feel about a particular subject, which can help in shaping opinions and ideas. In a real-life mission, PSYOP teams can be useful in de-escalating tensions in a situation, especially when regular infantry soldiers don't have the necessary training. Armed with knowledge of language and culture, PSYOP teams can identify trusted members of the community to help calm things down. Understanding different viewpoints and using them to create a common understanding can be a key aspect of psychological operations and can help build trust.

PSYOP or psychological operations is used by the US troops to influence foreign nationals to meet US objectives, which includes persuading and changing their minds on things. It involves using various techniques like loudspeaker messages, leaflets, and shaking hands to diffuse hostile situations, uncover weapons cache and spread messages to the local population. In PSYOP missions, the selection of a cog, a center of gravity, can be critical as he can influence and calm down everyone in a particular area. The use of a native linguist to disseminate messages in the local language is also crucial. PSYOP teams are effective in spreading messages and are often targeted by the enemy, making their loudspeakers more important than their guns.

PSYOPS, or psychological operations, is a tactic used in military warfare to influence and manipulate the enemy's behavior through messaging. There are three types of PSYOPS: white, which is truthful and clear messaging; grey, which is more covert and may not be entirely truthful; and black, which is clandestine and often uses deception. Black PSYOPS can create chaos and confusion among the enemy by posing as legitimate messages from people or factions, tricking them into attacking each other. An example of a terrifying PSYOPS tactic used in Vietnam is Operation Wandering Soul, where eerie sounds and a message about wandering souls were broadcasted, potentially causing psychological distress to the enemy.

PSYOPS is a strategic way of propagating information, and although grey and black operations exist, the army mostly sticks to clear and honest messages. Jon, an atmospherics manager, received a report from an unvetted and single-sourced actor on an IRC channel that Pakistani missiles were headed towards him. He handed that report to the intelligence people and went to bed. The next day, he received multiple reports about a Pakistani missile hitting a village in Kunar province. He went back to IRC and found out that the person reporting to him was Junaid Hussain's crew who offered him a job in America to lead the threat intel analyst team for identifying ongoing and upcoming attacks to the clients.

Threat intelligence helps organizations to be aware of possible cyber-attacks by having a team that provides early warnings on who may be doing an attack and why. If an attack happens, like a NTP DDoS attack, organizations can investigate it by identifying potential perpetrators on the internet, like in IRC chatrooms, and might even trace them to specific small cities. Google can also help trace a username, IP, and city to find a perpetrator leading to further investigations. PSYOPS are being conducted not only by the US army but also by private companies who aim to permanently etch their jingles into people's brains with the hope that all will have them memorized.

Online ad agencies have become sophisticated in tracking and targeting consumers by gathering data on their online activities. Russia has a history of interfering with US elections, and in 2016, Russia mounted a multi-dimensional and aggressive propaganda campaign to influence the voters by spreading fake news, using bots, trolls and social media, and hacking DNC emails. Their motive was to cast doubt on the US electorate and promote animus towards Secretary Clinton. Therefore, it is important to remain vigilant about fake news and biased media, and we should exercise critical thinking when consuming online content to avoid being influenced by propaganda campaigns.

The Russians used PSYOP campaigns to influence the US election against Hillary and in favor of Trump. They evolved their objectives as the campaign unfolded. Memetic warfare is an emerging tactic where memes are used as weapons. Memes are easily distorted and are designed to confuse and divide us. We consume information online in a staccato way and memes satisfy this quick need, influencing us in subtle ways. Addictive social media algorithms present us with controversial or outrageous content designed to keep us addicted. The internet molds what we see, who we are, and changes us as a society. We are constantly being targeted by PSYOPS, and we need to be vigilant about what we consume and how we consume it.

Algorithms and AI have become advanced enough to predict and understand human behavior and preferences. Companies and organizations heavily rely on such algorithms to influence our decisions and keep us hooked to their services. Our browsing history and online activities are being constantly monitored, leading to a possible manipulation of our preferences. The complexity of free speech rights in the US and foreign propaganda adds to the concerns. This highlights the need for greater transparency and regulation around the use and sharing of user data. It's important for individuals to be aware of the use of algorithms and to recognize that their choices might be influenced even without their knowledge.

MISO, formerly known as PSYOPS, is a type of propaganda aimed to influence people's emotions and behavior by using fear, disinformation and manipulation. Edward Bernays, known as the father of public relations, was a master of propaganda and instrumental in convincing the American people to support World War I. He understood that people are emotional beings and it's better to sway them using their instincts rather than trying to logic with them. Bernays also believed in changing the names of things to sound better, such as convincing women to smoke cigarettes by calling them 'torches of freedom'. The US government also manipulates public opinion using news contracts, press releases and retired generals as spokesmen without revealing their affiliations.

The US Department of Defense is spending nearly five billion dollars to influence public opinion around the world and at home. However, some in congress are questioning if it's also breaking the law by engaging in domestic propaganda. Domestic propaganda has been prevalent in the US since World War I and World War II. The US government has conducted psychological operations on American civilians such as the Waco siege, causing confusion about the legality of such actions. The Smith-Mundt Act banned the State Department from disseminating information to US civilians. However, President Obama lifted the ban on domestic propaganda in 2013 to combat Al-Qaeda, allowing the State Department to push propaganda materials to US citizens. The legality of the US government persuading citizens remains a topic of debate.

Media can be used as a powerful weapon to influence public perception, and it's crucial to question the source of any message that is trying to provoke emotion, especially negative emotions like fear or hatred. Such messages can be propaganda or PSYOP tricks designed to influence people's behavior. To stay safe from this malware that affects the brain negatively, individuals need to use their logic and facts as antivirus and avoid being part of any group or politician that instills fear as a central point to their ideology. While symbols like the toppling of a statue can have a significant emotional impact, it's essential to be mindful of the underlying message behind such images.