After reviewing a document called the "Information Operations Roundup", Scotland's Sunday Herald has revealed the key goals and methods of the plan by the Pentagon to take over and manipulate all forms of communication. If you thought the warrantless NSA spying program was unjust, just take a look at this:
lFirstly, the Pentagon says it will wage war against the internet in order to dominate the realm of communications, prevent digital attacks on the US and its allies, and to have the upper hand when launching cyber-attacks against enemies.
lSecondly, psychological military operations, known as psyops, will be at the heart of future military action. Psyops involve using any media - from newspapers, books and posters to the internet, music, Blackberrys and personal digital assistants (PDAs) - to put out black propaganda to assist government and military strategy. Psyops involve the dissemination of lies and fake stories and releasing information to wrong-foot the enemy.
lThirdly, the US wants to take control of the Earth's electromagnetic spectrum, allowing US war planners to dominate mobile phones, PDAs, the web, radio, TV and other forms of modern communication. That could see entire countries denied access to telecommunications at the flick of a switch by America.
We already knew that there were plans to protect against cyber attacks and that the Pentagon has shamelessly been promoting propaganda in the ways mentioned, although you have to wonder how they'll try to use music to further their efforts - John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar" blasting from rooftop speakers in the Middle East perhaps?
But the third part of the Pentagon's plan - controlling every possible method of communication available in today's technologically advanced world - ought to raise some serious concerns since we are basically defenseless when it comes to protecting ourselves from such intrusions.
Other examples of information war listed in the report include the creation of "Truth Squads" to provide public information when negative publicity, such as the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, hits US operations, and the establishment of "Humanitarian Road Shows", which will talk up American support for democracy and freedom.
The Pentagon also wants to target a "broader set of select foreign media and audiences", with $161m set aside to help place pro-US articles in overseas media.
How much of that money was spent on propaganda, "Truth Squads" and "Humanitarian Road Shows" while soldiers had to buy their own bullet-proof vests? And, how much of this complete invasion of privacy is already going on, secretly sanctioned by President Bush?
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