Information Operations: Warfare and the Hard Reality of Soft Power

by Edwin L. Armistead (Editor)

The modern means of communication have turned the world into an information fishbowl and, in terms of foreign policy and national security in post-Cold War power politics, helped transform international power politics. Information operations (IO), in which time zones are as important as national boundaries, is the use of modern technology to deliver critical information and influential content in an effort to shape perceptions, manage opinions, and control behavior. Contemporary IO differs from traditional psychological operations practiced by nation-states, because the availability of low-cost high technology permits nongovernmental organizations and rogue elements, such as terrorist groups, to deliver influential content of their own as well as facilitates damaging cyber-attacks (“hactivism”) on computer networks and infrastructure. As current vice president Dick Cheney once said, such technology has turned third-class powers into first-class threats.

Conceived as a textbook by instructors at the Joint Command, Control, and Information Warfare School of the U.S. Joint Forces Staff College and involving IO experts from several countries, this book fills an important gap in the literature by analyzing under one cover the military, technological, and psychological aspects of information operations. The general reader will appreciate the examples taken from recent history that reflect the impact of IO on U.S. foreign policy, military operations, and government organization.

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

Reviews

[Dan Pfeiffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expectedly this is a somewhat dry read as it's written by military personnel for the same audience. However, as is often the case in obscure offical texts there are nuggets of interest to those who are willing to read through the jargon and obvious topical expositions. In the chapter, "Recent Campaigns" frank matter of fact discussion is given to Russian military IO efforts including occult and mysticism studies, brainwashing techniques, Anti-ESP training is strategic rocket forces, mental firewalls, military defensive astrology, subliminal messaging, electromagnetic impulses directed at the cranium to adjust psychophysical data, remote viewing and psychotronics.

One could suppose such topics listed as fact in a military text could warrant some logical speculation as to the nature of counter-measures adversarial militaries would engage in. Additionally, equal consideration could be given to why the Russian military feels the need to research and employ "mental firewalls," defensive astrology and mind influence against enemies unnamed in this book. But that's just me. ;)