Leaflets and loudspeakers go together like “hearts and
minds”. Are they as universally successful as some PSYOP/MISO experts would
like us to believe or is their use over rated?
The MISO world is famous for, as I call them, “Surrender Now
and Beat The Rush” campaigns. The classic campaigns in Iraq were touted as
resounding successes and we have probably littered the landscape in almost
every conflict we’ve been in. (see: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=20030201&id=bp5GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3PgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2995,18570&hl=en)
The US is not the only country engaged in leaflet
operations. The Koreas have traded leaflets over their borders for decades and
even Israel has gotten into the act (see: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/07/im_covered_in_leaflets.html)
Are we caught confusing Measures of Performance (MOP) with
Measures of Effectiveness (MOE)? MOP would be the number of leaflets dropped
and MOE is what happened afterwards. How many enemy (or friendly) behaved in
the manner prescribed by the leaflets.
In some conflicts such as Afghanistan the illiteracy rate is
very high. Consequently leaflets cannot contain words. Given the culture abyss
that exists between East and West – can effective leaflets be conceived that
work on illiterate populations?
Sometimes leaflets without words are like jokes you don’t
get. While the reference website for this week’s picture is not necessarily in
the best of taste, the meme captures my feelings pretty well.
I’ve been involved in a number of exercises while serving
and thereafter. Generally the faithful leaflet is called into service in just
about all of them.
Are they useful in some situations – of course, are they the
PSYOP silver bullet?
I think not.
(Photo source: http://www.quickmeme.com/Psyops-Leaflet-Drop)
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