Friday, March 26, 2010

Leaked CIA Report On How To Influence Germany And France To Fight In Afghanistan

From Wikileaks

A newly leaked classified CIA report details possible strategies for maintaining public support for the Afganistan War in Germany and France.

Here are only a couple small examples of the kinds of things found in the report:

Example 1. Obama

The confidence of the French and German publics in President Obama’s ability to handle foreign affairs in general and Afghanistan in particular suggest that they would be receptive to his direct affirmation of their importance to the ISAF mission—and sensitive to direct expressions of disappointment in allies who do not help.

Example 2. Women

Afghan women could serve as ideal messengers in humanizing the ISAF role in combating the Taliban because of women’s ability to speak personally and credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory. Outreach initiatives that create media opportunities for Afghan women to share their stories with French, German, and other European women could help to overcome pervasive skepticism among women in Western Europe toward the ISAF mission...Media events that feature testimonials by Afghan women would probably be most effective if broadcast on programs that have large and disproportionately female audiences. (C//NF)

These examples and the four page report itself offers a glimpse into how war propaganda is discussed in intelligence circles, and seems almost like a how-to manual for the Obama administration and the mainstream media to utilize to shore up public support for the conflict should it sag under the pressure of increasing war casualties.

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