Nearly 17 years into America's involvement in Afghanistan, key observers see little hope for a clear U.S. military victory in the central Asian nation, with news emerging from the country painting an increasingly dire picture, even as America once again builds up its presence there. In a recent interview with Defense News, Chuck Hagel, the … Continue reading Critics see dismal Afghanistan prospects as DoD defends troop buildup
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In a recent Small Wars Journal article, "Losing the Information War and How to Win," U.S. Army infantry officer Michael Anderson contends that America's adversaries have been beating the U.S. in the propaganda battles of recent years. While not the first to suggest that the U.S. has been grasping for an effective messaging strategy against … Continue reading How to keep losing the information war
If one thing has become clear in the past year or two, it is that even more than in the rest of our lives, on the internet and social media, appearances can be deceiving. From Russian trolling operations that we've heard so much about in the news, to less widely covered (and seemingly less effective) … Continue reading Iraqi security forces latest weapon? Facebook
It has been nearly three weeks since the horrific Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds, yet key questions about the incident remain unanswered. After canceling several interviews and going missing for several days, Jesus Campos, the security guard allegedly shot by alleged lone gunman Stephen … Continue reading Lingering questions surround Las Vegas shooting
The Pentagon's propaganda activities -- what it now euphemistically refers to as "military information support operations" (MISO) -- have a long history of both using trickery and deception to provide incredible tactical advantages in some cases, and failing spectacularly in others. "When employed correctly Military Information Support Operations (MISO--formerly PSYOP [psychological operations]) as a force … Continue reading U.S. should test propaganda before using it, psy-ops commander says
Two "official use only" government documents published this week offer insight into federal investigators' perceptions of the domestic terrorism suspects they pursue, making them especially relevant in light of revelations in a recent in-depth article from The Intercept exploring the murky world of undercover terrorism stings. "Analysis of 57 fully adjudicated FBI international terrorism cases … Continue reading New documents show how feds view domestic terror cases
The Pentagon's recent admission that more U.S. troops are deployed to war zones than previously disclosed has caused some controversy. But another consistently underestimated number -- that of civilian casualties of America's wars -- has received less attention, even as the death toll continues to mount seemingly without interruption. On Friday the U.S.-led coalition fighting … Continue reading U.S. acknowledges civilian casualties as death toll keeps rising
Nearly three years after the U.S. began bombing the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and Syria, and just in time for Memorial Day weekend, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called for a new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in the ongoing conflict on Thursday, echoing past proposals. "Congress should be … Continue reading Lawmakers renew push for counter-terrorism military force authorization
Less than a year after U.S. special operations forces sparked an international controversy when they were photographed wearing patches representing a Syrian Kurdish militia group, it has emerged that this same militia is now armed with sensitive U.S. weaponry and equipment in its fight against ISIS, though the Pentagon denies supplying it. The militia in … Continue reading Syrian Kurds armed with U.S. special ops gear the Pentagon denies supplying
Last week, a top propagandist for the Islamic State extremist group (a.k.a. ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) was reportedly killed in an airstrike. The death comes as new details of the group's internal propaganda instruction strategy are emerging. Despite such setbacks for the media-savvy terrorist organization's psychological warfare initiatives, however, ISIS' propaganda continues to threaten the … Continue reading ISIS propaganda suffers setbacks, but remains steps ahead of US
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