Psychological operations
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Psychological Operations (PSYOP[US] or PSYOPS[UK, GE, NATO]) are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to specific foreign and (in certain countries) domestic audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals. Sometimes combined with black operations or false flag tactics, the purpose of psychological operations is to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to the originator's objectives. As such, there must always be sufficient truth to be credible.
This concept has been used by military institutions throughout history, but it is only since the twentieth century that it has been accorded the organizational and professional status it enjoys now.
Germany
In the German Bundeswehr the Zentrum Operative Information and its subordinated Bataillon für Operative Information 950 are responsible for the PSYOPS efforts (in German called Operative Information). Both the center and the battalion are subordinate to the new Streitkräftebasis (Joint Services Support Command, SKB) and together consist of about 1.000 soldiers that specialise in modern communication and media technologies. One project of the German PSYOPS forces is the radio station Voice of the freedom which is used by thousands of Afghans, another are different newspapers and magazines published in Kosovo and Afghanistan.United Kingdom
In the British Armed Forces, PSYOPS are handled by the tri-service 15 Psychological Operations Group.
United States
For main article see Psychological operations (United States).
See also
- Psychological warfare
- Information warfare
- Propaganda
- 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)
- 15 Psychological Operations Group (British Armed Forces)
- Political Warfare Executive
- Psychological Warfare Division
External links
- [PsyWar.Org - Psychological Operations and Black Propaganda] The history of psychological warfare / PSYOP with an extensive library of aerial propaganda leaflets.
- http://www.psywarrior.com/
- http://www.iwar.org.uk/psyops/
- [U.S. - PSYOP producing mid-eastern kids comic book]
- http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/branches/PsychologicalOperations.htm
- [OSS - Development of Psychological Warfare (WWII)]
- http://www.clandestineradio.com/
- http://www.psyop.tv - Psyop is an advertising company with fortune 500 customers that uses Psychological Operations.
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