Information Operations in Counterinsurgency - Human Psychology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Psychology

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Information Operations

in Counterinsurgency

• Divide, disorganize, and induce defection of insurgents
• Reduce/eliminate civilian support of insurgents
• Dissuade civilians from insurgent activities
• Win the active support of non-committed civilians
• Preserve and strengthen the support of friendly civilians
• Win popular approval (from the civilians) of the local presence of friendly

military forces

• Obtain national unity or disunity (within the civilian population) as desired

IO Goals

Fundamentals of IO in COIN

• Prepare for IO before deployment
• Involve every soldier
• Anticipate and respond with speed, accuracy, and truth
• Establish and sustain an integrated team

approach

• Intelligence supports IO
• IO supports intelligence

Fundamentals of IO in COIN

IO is tied to every aspect of COIN

• FID
• CMO
• Force Protection
• Population Security
• Kinetic
• INTEL

Plan for Contingencies

Impact of Attacks and IO Factor

• Media coverage and public outcry following

spectacular and widespread attacks will stimulate

insurgents’ efforts

• The impacts of a insurgent spectacular attacks:
  • Greatly magnifies the group’s effort
  • International and domestic press coverage
  • Damage government credibility
  • Impact public and political support in the US and Coalition countries
  • Reduce CF and morale

IO Plan

• IO understands the difference between Insurgency Phases and

Strategies

• Methods of IO based on Nature of Insurgencies
• What is the objective?
• Who is the target?
  • Sunni / Shi’a / Kurd
  • 4th Generation of Warfare (American public)
• How does IO affect Center of Gravity?

Psychological Operations

“Few insurgencies have been won or lost by large,

decisive military battles. More commonly, insurgencies

are won by a combination of military and political

means. Much of the political leverage involved in such

settlements is derived from effective psychological

operations, which have structured the environment

necessary for a political solution.”

-DA Pam 500-

Conduct of Troops During Operations

Rules of Conduct:

1. There shall be no confiscation whatever from the poor peasantry.
2. If you borrow anything, return it.
3. Replace all articles you damage.
4. Pay fairly for everything that you purchase.
5. Be honest in all transactions with the peasants.
6. Be courteous and polite to the people and help them when you can.

— Mao Tse-tung, 1928

Essential Tasks

• Success or failure depends on coordinated and thought out IO plan
• Recognize that COIN is both physical and psychological
• IO effort begins before the attacks occur
• Pre-Screen IO products (via host nation or interpreters)
• IO effort propagated at ALL levels –train your soldiers for “street” IO
• Train host nation counterparts to become the main IO effort
• Well-synchronized offensive IO can cripple insurgent armed forces and

insurgent political decision making capabilities