Contractors support military's psychological operations
Inside the hazy history of the Lincoln Group, whose work to covertly place articles written by American troops in Iraqi media has suddenly made headlines.
In its quest to win hearts and minds in Iraq and elsewhere, the United States military is increasingly turning to contractors to support its psychological operations. Wednesday's Los Angeles Times, for example, reported that one contractor has been working with U.S. forces in Iraq to covertly place U.S.-written propaganda in Iraqi media.
In the December issue of Government Executive, staff correspondent Jason Vest not only investigates the hazy history of that contractor, The Lincoln Group, but also explores the debate within the national security establishment as to how military psychological operations should function at the tactical and strategic level in the post-9/11 era.
Not a Government Executive subscriber? Click here to sign up for your free subscription.