KABUL, Afghanistan — "You've all heard of strategic communications," said the high-ranking U.S. official, holding an off-the-record briefing for journalists in Kabul last month. "It used to be called 'psyops,' and before that, 'propaganda.' Well, the United States is about to unroll a major stratcom initiative. We cannot let men on motorcycles and flatbed trucks win the information war."
Welcome to the Battle for Afghan Hearts and Minds, where — using the language of strategic communications, or "stratcom" — combat becomes "kinetics," an accidental shooting becomes an "escalation of force" and assassination squads are known as "counterinsurgency operations."
In this world, the message is king, and reality is fungible. Clearly discernible in every briefing, interview or conversation with a military official is the stated policy of the U.S. administration.
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