Weapons of Mass Deception - Page 69

"Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq" (Sheldon Rampton, John Stauber)

Speaking of Hill & Knowlton, I've starting re-reading Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq. Page 69 reads:

Information Operations includes sections titled "psychological operations," "electronic warfare," "information attack," "counterdeception" and "military deceptions." In today's world, it states, "There is a growing information infrastructure that transcends industry, the media, and the military and includes both government and non-government entities. It is characterized by a merging of civilian and military information networks and technologies…In reality, a news broadcast, a diplomatic communiqué, and a military message ordering the execution of operation all depend on the [global information infrastructure]." In this environment, psyops "are designed to convey selected information and indicators to foreign leaders and audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately their behavior," while "military deception misleads adversaries, causing them to act in accordance with the originator's objectives." Indeed, it says, quoting Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, "All warfare is based on deception."

Babies From Incubators

A story of "babies torn from incubators" by Iraqi soldiers helped build public support for the first U.S. war in the Persian Gulf. The story was widely believed at the time of its telling and was not discredited until after the war ended. Since then, journalists and human rights organizations have investigated and concluded that the story was false.

Turns out that Hill & Knowlton took the government-in-exile of Kuwait as a client, nine days after Iraq's army marched into Kuwait. H&R, through its front group, Citizens for a Free Kuwait, spent nearly $12 million ($11 million of which went directly to H&R in the form of fees) creating the public perception that "something must be done!" The hook of the campaign was the "Babies From Incubators" story.