Research: Vital to PSYOP Success

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a listing of materials captured along with Osama Bin Laden (OBL) (see: http://www.odni.gov/index.php/resources/bin-laden-bookshelf?start=3, which is also the photo source)

It was apparent the OBL was intent on learning about his enemy. The Al Qaeda leader also recognized the need to appeal to emotions and to understand ‘how’ his enemy felt, which is not the same as knowing about the events and experience that influences the enemy.

I’ve taken a few of the titles and listed them below:

·      America’s Strategic Blunders by Willard Matthias

·      America’s “War on Terrorism” by Michel Chossudovsky

·      Al-Qaeda’s Online Media Strategies: From Abu Reuter to Irhabi 007 by Hanna Rogan

·      The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast

·      Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins

·      Military Intelligence Blunders by John Hughes-Wilson

·      New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David Ray Griffin

·      Obama’s Wars by Bob Woodward

Life long learning is part of the PSYOPers stock in trade. We need to keep abreast and perhaps a bit ahead of world events, social media trends, communications trends and of course cultural, economic and political issues.

Many CDR provide a reading list for their junior leaders. Now that summer is around the corner – it’s a good time to update yours.