Scientific Dictatorship

Another ‘runaway general’? Military reportedly employed ‘psyops’ against US Senators

Raw Story

Michael Hastings has struck again.

The reporter who's story for Rolling Stone forced the resignation of former Gen. Stanley McChrystal has a new story out, this time focusing on what he calls "psyops" employed against elected officials by yet another "runaway general."

However, when told to target high-profile individuals such as Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), Carl Levin (D-MI) and even Adm. Mike Mullen -- one unit resisted, citing federal law that information warfare not be used against Americans.

"At minimum," Hastings writes, "the use of the [information operations] team against U.S. senators was a misue of vital resources designed to combat the enemy."

The report added that documents provided to the magazine showed the operations cost taxpayers over $6 million.

Those that resisted, the report said, were targeted for retaliation...

[Full Article]

Labels: psychological operations, psychological warfare, psyops, Senate, U.S. Army

Army drops 'psy ops' name for influence operations

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Army has dropped the Vietnam-era name "psychological operations" for its branch in charge of trying to change minds behind enemy lines, acknowledging the term can sound ominous.

The Defense Department picked a more neutral moniker: "Military Information Support Operations," or MISO.

U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw said Thursday the new name, adopted last month, more accurately reflects the unit's job of producing leaflets, radio broadcasts and loudspeaker messages to influence enemy soldiers and civilians.

"One of the catalysts for the transition is foreign and domestic sensitivities to the term 'psychological operations' that often lead to a misunderstanding of the mission," McGraw said.

Fort Bragg is home to the 4th Psychological Operations Group, the Army's only active duty psychological operations unit. Psychological operations soldiers are trained at the post.

The name change is expected to extend to all military services, a senior defense official said in Washington. The official, who has direct knowledge of the change, spoke on condition of anonymity because not all services have announced how they will revamp or rename their psychological operations offices.

The change was driven from the top, by Pentagon policymakers working for Defense Secretary Robert Gates. It reflects unease with the Cold War echoes of the old terminology, and the implication that the work involved subterfuge...

[Full Article]

Labels: Department of Defense, psy ops, psychological operations