British psy-ops in Afghanistan

[hellheaven1987]

I am not kidding, it is psy-operation.

The rights and wrongs of growing opium poppies may not be the usual stuff of radio station phone-ins, but Radio Tamadoun is different.

In Helmand, a young DJ plays the latest Afghan music before inviting listeners to phone in with their opinions on everything from farming and local healthcare, to politicians and the government.

Requests for songs can be left in a letterbox outside the military camp gates, and listeners are quick to complain if the station goes off air.

Welcome to the world of psychological operations, and Radio Tamadoun, or Radio Civilisation.

The world of "psy-ops" has traditionally been a secretive one. Some think of it as propaganda, though it's a description that today's practitioners in the British military reject.

But for the first time, the veil is being lifted a little, as 15 (UK) Psy Ops Group are awarded the Firmim Sword of Peace.

It is being given to them for their work over the past six years in creating seven local radio stations across Helmand, which aim to promote civil society in an area of Afghanistan where more than 80% cannot read or write.

"Psy-ops is all about communicating with people around and on the battlefield, who ordinarily might not hear what's going on," says the unit's commanding officer, Commander Steve Tatham.

"Most of our work in Helmand is about talking to Afghans, and explaining and encouraging them to engage in the debate about what's happening in their country."

He says local people know Radio Tamadoun is run by the international military force in Helmand, but insists that hasn't put them off.

Source

It is pretty interesting way to fight a counter-insurgency, and judge by the history of British military, it probably also is the strength of British war method and one of key factors how British won several important counter-insurgency campaigns in past. The example also shows that instead sending assassin drones to terrorize some countries, it may be better to use soft words to point out logical loopholes in some radical ideology and, hopefully, make the local population see the mistakes themselves. Hopefully it would achieve significant result that other countries can learn from it.

But that being said, it still does not change the poor performance of British military on ground in Afghanistan.

[Thorn777]

Well this is what Britain still does best.

[s.rwitt]

But that being said, it still does not change the poor performance of British military on ground in Afghanistan.

Oh, please tell us more about the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, hellheaven...

[Captain Jin]

I am not kidding, it is psy-operation.



Source

It is pretty interesting way to fight a counter-insurgency, and judge by the history of British military, it probably also is the strength of British war method and one of key factors how British won several important counter-insurgency campaigns in past. The example also shows that instead sending assassin drones to terrorize some countries, it may be better to use soft words to point out logical loopholes in some radical ideology and, hopefully, make the local population see the mistakes themselves. Hopefully it would achieve significant result that other countries can learn from it.

But that being said, it still does not change the poor performance of British military on ground in Afghanistan.

The United States has been doing it too for quite some time. It's really funny when you try and be crass and just end up making a fool of yourself since you're ignorant of what goes on in Afghanistan. Our program is called Radio In a Box and is pretty much the same idea as the British one.

United States Military Employment In Afghanistan

Radio is the dominant information tool to reach wide audiences in isolated, mountainous regions. The US military has deployed RIABs throughout Afghanistan in order to communicate with the residents. Due to a 70 percent illiteracy rate and lack of education in Afghanistan radio is a vital communications tool used to broadcast information where radio ownership exceeds 80 percent.[7][10] The United States military operates approximately 100 RIABs and hire local Afghan DJs in Afghanistan to broadcast information and host call-in shows.[8][11] The United States Army employed RIAB systems to broadcast anti-Taliban and anti-Al Qaeda messages and countered Taliban propaganda by pushing onto Taliban frequencies in Paktia Province.[12][13] One advantage of employing RIAB systems is the ability to broadcast vital information immediately to a large audience in the event of a crisis.[11] One Afghan DJ has 50,000 listeners.[8] Nawa District Governor Abdul Manaf uses the local RIAB station to conduct weekly call-in shows and believes the RIAB system is one of his best communication tools to inform a large audience.[14] In Afghanistan's Paktika province, which has a literacy rate of two percent, an estimated 92 percent of the residents listen to the radio every day.[8][13] Radio programs transmitted using RIAB systems provide beneficial information to Afghan farmers in remote areas.[7] In the isolated, mountainous Wazi Kwah district of Paktika Province, a RIAB system supplies the only source of outside news.[15] Afghan National Army commanders use the RIAB to communicate to villagers and elders and provide thoughts to the community.[16] Afghans trust messages from the United States military that explain important information such as what to do when a military convoy approaches and agriculture programs. For general news, Afghans prefer other outlets of information such as the BBC or VOA because RIAB systems are controlled by the US military.[17] Special Operations first employed RIAB systems in Afghanistan in 2005 which improved their ability to supply information to and communicate with the local population in their areas of operation.[18]

Gasp! And doing it since 2005.

[s.rwitt]

That's because he doesn't know that.

[motiv-8]

You mean, he doesn't know that....

[Father Jack]

this thread....

[Arbitrary Crusader]

British psy-ops....

*read Op*

, I thought it was about British soldiers using their mind to control bad guy....Should take a break from X-com.

[The Edain]

*read Op*

, I thought it was about British soldiers using their mind to control bad guy....Should take a break from X-com.

What I thought it was...would of been a lot more interesting

[nein]

well theres a couple of government disinformation agents who post on here... so crap like this is hardly surprising

[Slaytaninc]

well theres a couple of government disinformation agents who post on here... so crap like this is hardly surprising

Damnit, he's on to us.

Col. Tarleton, it's time to scramble out of here.

[Heinz Guderian]

Rep+ for this thread hellheaven. Our brave British lads have been doing their best over there with limited funds. We build up trust and in comes an F-18 to blow it the **** up. We've been doing Empire for 800 years. We listen and adapt. We dont just kill our way out of trouble. And we try not to overstay our welcome. We are a thoughtful enemy.

[Captain Jin]

Rep+ for this thread hellheaven. Our brave British lads have been doing their best over there with limited funds. We build up trust and in comes an F-18 to blow it the **** up. We've been doing Empire for 800 years. We listen and adapt. We dont just kill our way out of trouble. And we try not to overstay our welcome. We are a thoughtful enemy.

Couldn't be further from the truth.

[Caelius]

This thread is epic.

Hellheaven (once again) tries to draw jingoistic soapbox commentary about a subject he's gravely ill-informed about and it blows up in his face.

I can't say i'm surprised, but damn if it isn't funny.

[Derpy Hooves]

I thought this thread was about how the Brits have harnessed the power of Yuri from Red Alert 2.

[Erwin Rommel]

Nothing beats this psy ops.

The operation was a truly ingenious one that was coordinated by a certain Major General Edward G. Lansdale. Born in 1908, Lansdale served with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services during the Second World War. Then, in 1945, he was transferred to HQ Air Forces Western Pacific in the Philippines; and, in 1957, he received a posting to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, working as Deputy Assistant to the SoD for what were vaguely termed as “Special Operations...." In his own words, Lansdale would later say that: “To the superstitious, the Huk battleground was a haunted place filled with ghosts and eerie creatures. A combat psy-war squad was brought in. It planted stories among town residents of an Asuang living on the hill where the Huks were based. Two nights later, after giving the stories time to make their way up to the hill camp, the psywar squad set up an ambush along the trail used by the Huks.”
Lansdale continued: “When a Huk patrol came along the trail, the ambushers silently snatched the last man of the patrol, their move unseen in the dark night. They punctured his neck with two holes, vampire-fashion, held the body up by the heels, drained it of blood, and put the corpse back on the trail. When the Huks returned to look for the missing man and found their bloodless comrade, every member of the patrol believed that the Asuang had got him and that one of them would be next if they remained on that hill. When daylight came, the whole Huk squadron moved out of the vicinity.”

[Babur]

anyway it is interesting that the OP has neglected to mention that the Drone campaign has been relatively successful.