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Why don’t our psy-ops work?
Ask any military person about psy-ops and hear them rattle about this being the most effective method used, especially...
The writer is author of Military Inc. and a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University, US (ayesha.siddiqa@tribune.com.pk)
Ask any military person about psy-ops and hear them rattle about this being the most effective method used, especially these days, to neutralise the opponent. In this information age media has naturally become a tool that militaries must use to break the enemy from within or defend against the enemy’s onslaught. Information is released by the state and publicised in a manner which would help seek public support or draw people’s attention towards another direction. Thus, public opinion, which governments or leaders cite as the reason for their action or inaction, is strategically constructed.
We in South Asia have a fair experience of psy-ops. The more recent examples relate to the Kargil war and the present war against the Taliban. In the first case, the images of funerals of dead soldiers in distant villages by the Indian media had built support for the government via-a-vis Pakistan, both internally and externally. Pakistan responded by filtering information to hide the fact from its own people that the concentration of firepower by the Indians had resulted in lines of communication and supply to our own brave soldiers cut even before the international community was at Islamabad’s throat. Consequently, the soldiers stuck at unfriendly heights had no option but to sacrifice their lives. The Musharraf-led GHQ’s psy-ops were also to make people believe that had Nawaz Sharif not decided to withdraw the Kargil operation was a winnable war.
Similarly, the war against Taliban is not just a conflict which will be won by weapons alone. As a matter of fact, this war cannot be won without effective psy-ops. In other words, the war cannot be won without public support for the military operation.
So, have we worked towards neutralising the enemy? The answer is a plain no. It’s true that people are angry with the Taliban. The public is not supportive of the terrorist attacks within. Men, women, children, students, teachers, artists, soldiers and many more of our nation die every day. Do we have an effective response? No. The psy-ops strategy is a proof of our erroneous approach. After every attack we are told that the Taliban are bad and that there is a heinous category of warriors called the Punjabi Taliban. But then our media gurus immediately correct people before they go too far by telling them that these are not the real Taliban but people who have been parachuted by our dire enemy India or ideological enemy Israel and America. In fact, when it comes to psy-ops we are not even sure which side are we fighting for. Take the example of the attack against the Sri Lankan team. We were informed immediately by many of our bright television anchors and even state functionaries that this was an act orchestrated by enemies next door. Every effort was made to divert attention from the enemies within resulting in a situation that the chief of a banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-i-Jhangavi is being hosted and driven around by a provincial minister of Punjab. Are we missing something here?
Despite the knowledgebase regarding psy-ops, which various military training institutions are supposed to have, we are miserably poor in this field. Friday’s attacks in Lahore against the Ahmadis or the sectarian killings are some of the glaring examples of this. It is not a question of believing in a particular faith or not but about allowing people to live as citizens of this country and build the sense of common goal as a nation. The fact that we allow television anchors to condemn a certain community to death and yet get away with the murder means that we are as responsible for this killing as we were for the millions of Bengalis and Biharis who died in East Pakistan. If all of this is India’s plan then one must congratulate the enemy for penetrating our media so effectively.
The majority may disagree with their ideology but the brutal murder of the Ahmadi community or the operation launched against them in the media – including the internet – is an example of how a state is unwilling to protect its citizens. Lest we forget, the Nazi state had forced its Jewish community, which comprised of some of the most brilliant minds, to leave.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 30th, 2010.
Reader Comments (10)
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Rural and tribal communities are likely to support those that not only meet their concerns, but seem to be winning the battle at the local level. If the Taliban is successful in welding power in parts of the country, its because in those areas the local population does not believe that there is any other alternative.
Our government on the other hand, debates, discusses and makes suggestions to tackle militancy. The psy-ops war is lost without a statement made! On the one hand national commentators “can not rule out the involvement of RAW” even though “investigations have not begun”. On the local level, those who have become used to seeing the Taliban patrol in their are can hardly be expected to believe statements such as, “we will begin operations at a time of our choosing”.Recommend
We are as euqally confused and beguiled as our Opponents and enemies.As a nation we shift the responsibilty attributing these henious acts of humanity to our traditional opponents including Israel,America and of course India.Our media and media personalities have no concientious portraying Taliban as devoted and patriot thus confusing the nation who is our enemy.Recommend
Dear Miss Ayesha,
I don’t know whether you will ever read this comment or not but i hope it gets to you safely. I’m surprised that you want a war to go on. A war which has bought misery and death to us. It has bought hatred and envy amongst all. Civilians have been killed on both sides (taliban,army). Psy-Ops or conventional, mongering war is not a way to attain peace. I adhere to realist principles but i have recently started to doubt my perspectives…were we not better off prior the Waziristan Operation?
Maybe you’re not living in Pakistan right now, but we do. We know how it feels to be in a constant war and fear. Yes we can proudly cheer the army, consider taliban as our enemies and strike them with all our might. Not that it is happening intellectually, but by bombs and guns. Both results in Collateral damage , helping the psy-ops of the enemy. In return , we face the same consequences in our cities and gear up for another round to kill some more ‘terrorists’. It has been happening for nearly 10 years now (9 actually).
How did they become our real enemies?? are you mongering for war just so that Pakistani army gains warfare experience ? or are you mongering for war so that a certain element is eliminated from the Society which has not been done since the creation of Pakistan.
So we rid all of them in Pakistan, Afghanistan is their hood. Do we wage another war once Us leaves?? and how about the enemy on the east? We are at a point where strategies have to be redrawn. Eliminating the taliban triggers a war of Revenge once US leaves and the most probable government in Afghanistan would be that of the taliban.
Perhaps , it is easier to talk about psy-ops, tanks and bombs but the ground realities are harsh. There should be a stop to war altogether. It has provided a breeding ground for the militants and the radical Islam all over to rise.
A reasonable article has been written by Khalid Munir, “Dynamics of North Waziristan war”.Recommend
Absolutely right.Our state is least bothered to protect his citizen against such type of heinous crime.It is need of the time to devise a comprehensive strategy to tackle this menace.Govt should take a concrete steps to win the support of the public to curb militacny.Recommend
It is an incredible piece of work which is enough to incite the slumbering soul of our government in regard to protection to our minorities. It is basic right of minorities to be protected in Islamic Repulbic of Pakistan. As far as media’s prejudiced role is concerned, there is no external force that can change it except that they(anchors and Media men) should be well educated and virtuous as Socrates wanted the people to be.
regardsRecommend
Very true.Recommend
Good/bad taliban stance suggests that our army wont let go of its strategic assets. A non professional army can only dream of having such cheap disposable assets in the 21st century. Many believe that once US leaves Afghanistan, all internal militancy will come to an end. Religious parties, madrassas and clerics in urban areas get billions in jihadi funds coming from middle east; their survival depends on proxy wars. Urban middle class is sympathetic to taliban due to the jihadi dose it got for 3 decades. Major vote bank for mainstream parties like PML N lie in this conservative middle class; for PML N, a stance against extremism could hurt them politically. Majority of media personnel grew up during Zia’s dark era, so sympathy towards taliban comes natural to them. Our youth is more concerned with revival of caliphate, zionists, conspiracies etc. You wont find moral brigades roming around in Cantt areas or DHAs, so the elite class isnt concerned about taliban. Poor want food and shelter; a poor man whose own kid doesnt go to school, cant be concerned with taliban blowing up schools. We are in a holess state.Recommend
We have consistently failed to recognize that the “Taliban Revolution” is in progress. It is on its way to success in Afghanistan. It will have definitely effects on Pakistan too.
Pir Monafiq ShahRecommend
From our historical and cultural heritage; we could only create a society which abhors the concept of social justice, where the rulers are above law, the middle class is shrinking and the common man is looking towards a bloody revolution for his salvation.
It is not just the generals who are to be held responsible for this malaise but the entire Pakistani Intelligensia.Recommend
We can not avoid it just by burying our head in sand like Ostrich.
After each accident the law enforcing agencies circulate the reports that we caught the important members and put blame on some one . after a week every one forget it and we see another terrorist accident.It is happening for the long timeRecommend