Phil Taylor's papers
|
BACK TO : PSYOPS IN IRAQ 2003-6
PSYOPS in Iraqi Freedman by Herbert A Friedman 
The original is here, complete with illustrations, but it takes a little time to download because all the leaflets are here. or try here
Here is a text only version. Psychological Operations in Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001 Psychological Operations in Afghanistan Herbert A. Friedman This article is the history of psychological operations in Afghanistan from the bombing of the New York City World Trade Center until the arbitrary date of March 6, 2002. That date was selected simply because we had passed the 6000-word mark and it seemed a good place to stop. Note that although almost all of these leaflets are shown in full color, in many cases they also exist in black and white and on various grades of paper. Poorly cut specimens are common. Know also that excellent facsimiles exist and we have already seen fake copies of leaflets AFD06, AFD10c and AFD24 offered in the marketplace. Let the buyer beware! On September 11, 2001, terrorists of the al-Qaida (the Base) group, some trained and financed by Saudi Arabian exile-in-hiding Osama bin Laden, attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC. President Bush immediately demanded that the ruling fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement of Afghanistan turn over Mr. bin Laden for trial. President Bush declared a war on terrorism and stated that they would be found and attacked regardless of where they were hiding. The operation was originally named "Infinite Justice," but was altered when it was discovered that Islam reserved infinite judgment for Allah. The name was immediately changed to "Enduring Freedom." Political correctness at its best. The bombing of Afghanistan began on October 7. Along with the bombing, the United States Air Force also dropped food packets for the Afghan refugees. Aerial propaganda leaflets were not dropped the first week due to high winds. The first leaflet drop took place on October 15, coordinated with Coalition radio broadcasts. EC-130-E Command Solo aircraft from the 193rd Special Operations Wing flying out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, broadcast to the Afghan people. The modified C-130 can broadcast radio or TV signals - AM, FM and HF. It broadcasts across the band from 45 kilohertz to 1000 megahertz. On October 15th the United States government released illustrations of the first two leaflets dropped on Afghanistan. It reported that a single B-52 Stratofortress bomber had dropped 385,000 leaflets over the eastern town of Ghazni, the northwestern town of Sheberghan, and between Sheberghan and the western city of Herat. The first leaflet depicts an American soldier shaking hands with an Afghan citizen. The photograph is in full color, the text in bright blue. The leaflet was written in Pashto (spoken by the Afghan ethnic majority Pashtun) and Dari (a Persian dialect spoken by the minority Tajiks). The leaflet states on the front, "The partnership of nations is here to help." The back of the leaflets says, "The partnership of nations is here to assist the people of Afghanistan." The leaflet is coded AFD10c. Leaflet Number: AFD10c The second leaflet depicts a radio tower and two radios. Text is identical on both sides in Pashto and Dari. The leaflet states, "Information radio. 0500-1000. 1700-2200 daily. 864, 1107, 8700 kilohertz." This leaflet is coded AFD06. Leaflet Number: AFD06 This second leaflet tells the Afghan finder what radio stations to dial in order to hear the latest news from the coalition forces. Part of the PSYOP plan was to tell the Afghan people why their country was being bombed. The radio broadcasts stress that this is simply a war against terrorism and not against the people of Afghanistan. The Taliban's main Kabul radio station, Voice of Sharia, was taken off the air by an American cruise missile several days earlier. The New York Times stated that a leaflet with a similar message had been dropped to explain to the Afghan people why they were being bombed. The leaflet said, "On September 11th, the United States was the target of terrorist attacks, leaving no choice but to seek justice for these horrible crimes." Two days later a report stated that leaflets had been dropped showing pictures of food parcels and explaining how the contents should be consumed. For instance, there is a drawing showing how a tube of peanut butter should be squeezed. On October 17 it was reported that small battery-powered portable radios were dropped to those without radios or electricity. It is believed that the Americans dropped the WR-004 "World Receiver" AM, FM and short wave radio produced by the STL Group in the Netherlands under the brand name "Super Tech." They were dropped with the batteries already in the radio. The British apparently dropped crank-powered Radios at the same time. Broadcasts that same day told the people where to find the yellow cartons containing food dropped by American aircraft. On October 18 the U.S. Government released several radio broadcast texts to the public. Some of the messages were as follows, "Attention Taliban! You are condemned. Did you know that? The instant the terrorists you support took over our planes, you sentenced yourselves to death...our helicopters will rain death down upon your camps before you detect them on your radar. Our bombs are so accurate we can drop them through your windows...you have only one choice, surrender now and we will give you a second chance. We will let you live." In order to entice the Afghans to listen to the radio, about three-quarters of all broadcasts consist of music. The Taliban had condemned music. On the same day the American Forces Information Service reported two leaflet drops over northeastern Afghanistan exhorting the people to abandon, or to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida forces. The leaflet image has not yet been released yet but is believed to read, "Do you enjoy being ruled by the Taliban? Are you proud to live a life of fear? Are you happy to see the place your family has owned for generations a terrorist training site?" On October 19 the U.S. Government broadcast warnings of an impending ground attack, "Attention! People of Afghanistan. United States forces will be moving through your area. We are here for Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida, and those who protect them. Please, for your own safety, stay off bridges and roadways and do not interfere with our troops or military operations. If you do this you will not be harmed." At the same time it was reported that leaflets were also dropped over the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. The leaflets warned the people to avoid potential military targets and stay in their homes. The leaflet image has not yet been released yet, but the text may read, "We have no wish to hurt you, the innocent people of Afghanistan. Stay away from military installations, government buildings, terrorist camps, roads factories or bridges. If you are near these places, then you must move away from them. Seek a safe place, and stay well away from anything that might be a target." One day later on October 20, two hundred elite American Rangers and four PSYOP soldiers attacked a Taliban controlled fortress in Kandahar. This attack was entirely psychological because the only target in the town was the home of the Taliban spiritual leader, Mullah Omar. It was a warning that America could strike when and where it chooses, even at the center of the Taliban spiritual strength. The American troops left 2 million leaflets featuring a photograph of New York City firemen raising the flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center with the text "Freedom Endures." The Sunday Times of October 21 stated that what appeared to be genuine 100-afghanis banknotes had been overprinted and airdropped with the message "Our goals will be achieved, if not willingly, then by overwhelming force." On October 23 the Taliban showed that the leaflets and radio messages were having a result. A senior militia official announced from Kabul that the Afghan people in the eastern city of Jalalabad were burning the propaganda leaflets and radios being dropped by U.S. planes to turn the population against the Taliban. The leaflets were also reportedly dropped on the western neighborhoods of Kabul. Some Afghans said that they were afraid to pick up the leaflets and risk punishment by the Taliban. The leaflet dropped on Jalalabad shows al-Qaida terrorists at the left and right targeted by a sniper's crosshairs in red. Text at the center in Pashto and Dari read, "Drive out the foreign terrorists." The Taliban is made up of non-Afghans, particularly Pakistanis. It is believed that the Afghans fear and dislike them, and thus the leaflet tries to drive a wedge between the two groups. Leaflet Number: AFD24 The back of the leaflet shows a member of the Taliban religious police whipping a woman in a burqa at the left. Text at the right reads, "Is this the future you want for your women and children?" The Religious Police will whip women on the street that they feel are not dressing in accordance with a strict interpretation of the Koran. This leaflet is coded AFD24. On October 29 the U.S. Government released another leaflet image. This leaflet had four cartoons in full color. The first shows an American aircraft dropping humanitarian daily rations (HDR) food packets. The second shows an Afghan picking up one of the packets. When turned over, the leaflet shows the Afghan tearing open the packet. The word "Halal" is at the upper right. This term shows that the food was prepared in accordance with the Koran. The final illustration shows the Afghan sitting with his entire family and enjoying the feast sent by the Americans. The leaflet is clearly designed for illiterate Afghans and shows them what to do with the yellow packets found on the ground. This leaflet does not show a code, but it is known to be AFD16g. Leaflet Number: AFD16g On November 2 the Pentagon announced that they had dropped a new aerial propaganda leaflet. The oversized leaflet depicted three photographs of the head of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar targeted by the crosshairs of a gun scope at the far right. The Mullah had earlier forbidden any photographs of himself. To the left of the photographs were three photographs of the license plate of one of Omar's vehicles, again covered by the crosshairs. This second photo was probably taken during an earlier operation when an American Predator unmanned surveillance aircraft fitted with two "Hellfire" anti-tank missiles had targeted the car but was not allowed to fire due to a rules of engagement dispute. To the left are three pairs of eyes alternated with the text "We are watching!" The leaflet is identical on both sides except for the text, which is in Pashto or Dari. The Pentagon announced that 16 million leaflets have been produced and would be dropped in batches at intervals. On the same day, the Pentagon stated that leaflets had been dropped warning the Afghans not to pick up the yellow cluster bombs that were similar in color to the HDR food packets. Human rights groups had criticized the use of the cluster bombs because it was thought that children might be attracted to the bright yellow color. The Pentagon reported that the color of the humanitarian Daily Rations would be blue in the future. The warning leaflet is AFD39. The leaflet depicts a hand reaching toward a food packet on one side and a short message explaining that this is safe. The back of the leaflet depicts a hand reaching for a bomblet, and shows bomblets in several forms on the ground. There is a skull and crossed bones at the center of the leaflet warning finders of the danger. On November 8, the Pentagon announced that 16 million propaganda leaflets had been dropped on Afghanistan. The previous day the 4th PSYOP Group at Ft. Bragg had printed 800,000 new leaflets and packed them inside 15 propaganda bombs to be shipped to Afghanistan. The PSYOP troops were placed on a war footing at the start of the operation and regularly worked 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day. On November 8 the Pentagon announced that 16 million propaganda leaflets had already been dropped on Afghanistan. The previous day the 4th PSYOP Group at Ft. Bragg had printed 800,000 new leaflets and packed them inside 15 propaganda bombs to be shipped to Afghanistan. The Taliban showed signs of sudden collapse on November 14. They had threatened to fight to the death, but they surprised everyone by fleeing the Afghan capital of Kabul in the dark of the night. The war now entered a new phase as American Special Forces hunted bin Laden and his terrorist group in the mountains and caves of southeastern Afghanistan. They set up roadblocks along the refugee-filled roads. That same day the United States broadcast radio messages and dropped 1.5 million leaflets offering 25 million dollars to anyone willing to betray bin Laden. The front of the leaflet pictured Aiman al-Zawahiri at the left and Osama bin Laden at the right. Al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian doctor turned militant, leader of Jamaat-ul-Jihad, and suspect in the bombing of two U.S. Embassies in East Africa that killed over 220 people. He is considered a top aide to bin Laden. The text "Up to $25,000,000 reward" is at the center of the leaflet between the photographs. The back of the leaflets has the same text in Pashto and Dari at left and right that reads, "Up to $25,000,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts or capture of these two men." Osama bin laden is shown at the top center, and Aiman al-Zawahiri at bottom center. On November 19 the Army Times reported a new leaflet. This leaflet displays an American family on the left and an Afghan family on the right. Beneath the American family a map of the United States is in the form of a flag in red, white and blue. Beneath the Afghan family a map of Afghanistan is in the black, red and green colors of their national flag. A light-skinned and dark-skinned hand are clasped together at the center of the leaflet beneath the word "Friendship." The back of the leaflet has the following text, "No one should tell you how to live. The Partnership of Nations will help rescue the Afghan people from the Taliban criminals and foreign terrorists." On November 20 The United States Central Command (Centcom) released another leaflet to the public. This leaflet showed the strength of the Partnership forces and threatened the Taliban with death if they did not flee. The leaflet has four drawn illustrations, two on each side. On the front an armed Taliban truck is shown. The second picture shows a large bomb under a parachute dropping on three of the vehicles. This is certainly the BLU-82, the Volkswagen-sized bomb that is dropped from the back of a C-130 aircraft. Text at the bottom states, "Taliban: we know where you are." The pictures on the back show an large burning crater. Two Taliban soldiers, identified by their black turbans, throw down their weapons and flee the carnage. Text at the bottom says, "Stop fighting for the Taliban and live." This leaflet is coded AFD62. Leaflet Number: AFD62 There is a second variety of this leaflet. The vignettes are identical, although the color is slightly different by a few shades. The second version has text at the top and bottom of the leaflet and the front is slightly smaller in size. Leaflet Number: AFD62 No further leaflets were released to the public until December 8. That day three leaflets were partially illustrated in an article published in the London Daily Telegraph. The article was entitled "Hippy who Waged War with Music and Posters," and was written by Toby Harnden. The first leaflet shows four members of al-Qaida or the Taliban. The individual at the far left is identified as "Muttawakil," and is believed to represent the Taliban Foreign Minister Mullah Abdul Wakil Muttawakil. The next figure is Osama bin Laden. The third figure is identified as "Haggani," and would appear to be Jalaluddin Haggani, a senior Taliban commander who was quoted as saying "We are eagerly awaiting the American troops to land on our soil, where we will deal with them in our own way." The fourth individual wears the black Taliban turban, but is otherwise unidentified. Three Afghans are seen hanging from a gallows in the background. The text on the leaflet is "The Taliban reign of fear..." At the left and right of the leaflet we can just make out the fearful face of a snarling Jinn. The Koran identifies the jinn as creatures created from a smokeless fire. They lie and practice deceit to fulfill their own desire for evil. Showing them with the Taliban implies that the leaders have been deceived and turned toward evil by the supernatural creatures. When turned over, the back of the leaflet shows the four faces altered slightly to resemble skulls, an American bit of trickery that was practiced during WWII when Adolf Hitler's face was changed to a skull-like countenance in an attempt to say that he represented death. In place of the gallows an explosion is shown with debris thrown into the air. The text goes on to say "...is about to end!" This leaflet is coded AFD56b. Leaflet Number: AFD56b The second leaflet is in a vertical format and shows bin Laden playing chess and moving Taliban figures around the board. It should be noted that the Taliban had banned chess in Afghanistan. The text on this leaflet is, "Expel the foreign rulers and live in peace." The back of this same leaflet shows a figure identified as bin Laden holding a chain to the collar of a "kuchi," a dog of nomads. The dog has the head of Mullah Omar. The text asks, "Who really runs the Taliban?" It had been reported earlier that this leaflet was dropped over Kandahar. This leaflet is coded AFD51c. Leaflet Number: AFD51c The right side of the third leaflet shows Osama bin Laden giving a speech. There is an arrow drawn across a heap of United States $20 bills pointing to a vignette at the left. On the left side of the leaflet a saddened bin Laden is shown in prison dress behind bars. Text on the front says "Usama bin Laden / $25,000,000 reward." The back of the leaflet is all text and says "$25,000,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts or capture of Osama bin Laden. Contact Coalition authorities." This leaflet is coded AFD29n. Leaflet Number: AFD29n A final item is mentioned but not shown. The article states that Ft. Bragg had printed a "greeting card" type leaflet depicting a date palm and a bowl of dates - a traditional food for celebrating the end of Eid al-Fitr, the month-long fasting period of Ramadan. The text is "People of Afghanistan - Eid Mabaruk - We wish that God will accept your prayers and fast. People of America." It is worth noting that the American translation misspells one Arabic word which should be "Mubarak." The translation of "Eid Mubarak" is "Have a blessed holiday." The leaflet illustration was finally released to the public by the Pentagon in February of 2002. At that time it was also reported that California dates had been dropped along with the leaflets. Dates are a fruit that the Muslims traditionally use to break the fast of Ramadan. By including dates in the air drop bundles, the United States showed respect for this significant Muslim holiday. The leaflet code number is AFD89. Leaflet Number: AFD89 Richard Leiby, reporting in the Washington Post of December 10 gave an updated PSYOP leaflet count when he stated that "In Afghanistan, with a population of 26 million, some 18 million leaflets have been distributed - often via fiberglass leaflet bombs (M129) that explode in midair. On December 13 Centcom released several more leaflets to the public. A second variety of the reward leaflet similar to one mentioned earlier was shown. This leaflet depicts Ayman al-Zawahiri at the left and Osama bin Laden at the right. The text is "$25,000,000 reward." The back has al-Zawahiri above bin Laden in the center, and text at right and left that says "Any information leading to the whereabouts of these men contact Coalition authorities." This leaflet is coded AFD29m. The leaflet also exists in a black and white version coded AFD29o. Leaflet Number: AFD29m Another leaflet shows hungry children at the left and Afghan men unloading sacks of food labeled "USA" at the center. The text at right is "America has provided over $170 million in aid to Afghanistan." The back shows images of destroyed buildings, wounded Afghans, and an execution. The text is "This is what the Taliban has done?" This leaflet is coded AFD12b. Leaflet Number: AFD12b There was no news on the propaganda front for almost a month as the shooting war slowed and the military priority became the search for the fleeing Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar. Then, on January 4, the Pentagon released 11 new leaflets and one poster being distributed in Afghanistan. The leaflets can be broken done into four general categories. The first category is the "threat" leaflet with a warning of the forces arrayed against the Taliban and predictions of their imminent death. Four such leaflets are shown. The first leaflet shows a dead al-Qaida soldier. The text is "Usama bin Laden the murderer and coward has abandoned al-Qaida. He has abandoned you and run away. Give yourself up and do not die needlessly. You mean nothing to him. Save your families the grief and pain of your death." These illustrations of dead or mangled fighters were dropped in great numbers in Vietnam. During Desert Storm the Arab states in the Coalition warned against using them against Iraq, as it was believed that they were counter-productive. There are no Saudi Arabian officials making recommendations to the United States in Afghanistan, and apparently the American propagandists have fallen back into their old ways. Leaflet Number: TF11RP03 The back of the leaflet shows what may be a young bin Laden, shaved except for his mustache, in a western style suit and tie. The text is "Usama bin laden the murderer and coward has abandoned you." It is unknown if this is a picture of the young bin laden, or a computer image of what the propagandists think he might look like today. This leaflet implies that bin Laden has abandoned his fundamentalist ways and is hiding in the west. This leaflet is coded TF11RP03. The second leaflet shows a group of mines in the desert. The back shows two burning trucks. This leaflet is coded AFD94. Leaflet Number: AFD94 The United States military has been tasked with locating and destroying buried mines in the many nations that it aids. Since 1993, the U.S. has sent forces into dozens of countries to help identify and safely dismantle mines. In 1997 the President of the United States supported a plan to eliminate all land mines that endanger civilians by the year 2010. During the recent wars in Somalia, Kuwait, Bosnia, and Kosovo millions of leaflets, coloring books, and comic books were distributed to warn civilians of the danger of approaching and handling mines and other explosives. The mine awareness leaflet is a standard PSYOP product of American Special Operations. One of the first American soldiers severely wounded in Afghanistan lost a foot to a hidden landmine. The United States has destroyed mines and other explosives when found. One dropped leaflet pictures seven types of dangerous mines and grenades with a skull and crossed bones in the background. The leaflet also appears as a small poster. The text is "ATTENTION. Partnership of Nations forces are destroying unexploded ordinance and weapons to keep the citizens of this region safe. There is no reason to be alarmed. For your own safety, stay away! STAY AWAY." The code number of the leaflet poster is AE1A-11-P3. A similar leaflet poster is coded AFD-DG2. It shows the seven explosives and the skull and crossed bones. The leaflet text is "Danger! Unexploded ordanance (sic) can kill! Do not touch! Help us keep you safe." Leaflet Number: AFD-DG2 Another mine leaflet that was found more recently is in bright red to attract attention and shows a skull and crossed bones at the left and six mines at the right. The text is "Stop and turn away. Stay out! Mines. Help us keep you safe!" This leaflet is coded AFDDG1. Leaflet Number: AFDDG1 A mine clearing conference was held at MacDill Air Force Base on February 13, 2002. At that time it was estimated that a minimum of 2-million mines were still buried in Afghanistan. That number is probably low. The third leaflet shows five Taliban fighters in a cave about to eat a meal laid out on a rug. In the background a "smart bomb" is seen falling near the cave entrance. The back of the leaflet shows three Taliban soldiers with their eyes wide open in fear, the cave entrance blocked with rubble. This leaflet is coded AFD69b. Leaflet Number: AFD69b The final threat leaflet shows an AC130U "Spooky" gunship above the clouds with guns firing downward. These gunships are armed with a 25mm GAU-12 Gatling gun, one 40mm Bofors cannon, and one 105mm M102 howitzer. The text is "Taliban and Al Qaida Fighters - We know where you are hiding." The back of the leaflet depicts three Taliban fighters with crosshairs over their faces and the text "Taliban / Al Qaida fighters: you are our targets." This leaflet is coded AFD40d. This leaflet exists in several different variations. AFD40e is similar on the front. Except that the gunship is depicted further away and it is now firing tracers downward through the night sky. The intention was certainly to warn the Taliban and al Qaida fighters that they were not safe even in the pitch-black of a starless night. The back of the leaflet has also been changed. The faces of Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar have been added to the targeted terrorists. Leaflet Number: AFD40d One of the new leaflets is a reward leaflet. Similar to the earlier bin Laden reward leaflet, an unnamed Taliban member is shown at the right in profile, and again at the left behind bars. U.S. $20 bills are pictured at the center of the leaflet. The back of the leaflet is all text. Although the individual portrayed is not named, he is evidently Mullah Omar, the leader of the former Taliban government. This leaflet is coded AFB29p. The same general vignettes and text were used on a leaflet poster. It showed the US currency at the upper left and bottom right, and Omar at the upper right and lower left. The text was the same: "Reward for information leading to the whereabouts or capture of Taliban and al Qaida leadership." This leaflet poster was coded AFG06. Leaflet Number: AFG06 Another reward leaflet released in February of 2002 showed a beautiful city at the left and an Afghan elder at the right. The text on the front is "Get wealth and power beyond your dreams - help the anti-Taliban force to rid Afghanistan of murderers and terrorists." Text on the back is "You can receive millions of dollars for helping the anti-Taliban force catch al-Qaida and Taliban murderers. This is enough money to take care of your family, your village, your tribe for the rest of your life - pay for livestock and doctors and school books and housing for all your people." The leaflet is coded TF11-RP09. Leaflet Number: AFB29p The third category might be called a "morale" leaflet. It is aimed at destroying the confidence and morale of the Taliban and al Qaida troops. A serious Osama bin Laden is shown on the front with the text "Usama bin Laden sends his murderers into the world to kill for his cause." The back of the leaflet shows a smiling bin Laden and the text "Usama bin Laden laughs at you because you don't know he has sent you to your death." This leaflet is coded TF11RP05. This leaflet is in regard to the captured bin Laden video tape where is jokes that many of the terrorists on the hijacked aircraft sent to destroy the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were not aware that it was a suicide mission. This leaflet is coded TF11RP05. Leaflet Number: TF11RP05 The final category consists of five "consolidation" leaflets. These might best be described as leaflets directed toward populations of either liberated or occupied areas to facilitate military operations and promote maximum cooperation with the liberating or occupying power. They are also used to build confidence and loyalty to the new government. All of these leaflets attempt to bring the various ethnic tribes and clans of Afghanistan together into one cohesive people. The first leaflet show three Afghans building a house together with the text, "Brick by brick..." The back shows seven hands holding a map of Afghanistan. This leaflet is coded AFD85. Leaflet Number: AF D85 The second leaflet shows eight spools of thread and a rug. The back shows the same seven hands and map as the previous leaflet. This leaflet is coded AFD88a. Leaflet Number: AF D88a The final three leaflets are very similar. They are all in black and white and of a more "cartoonish" nature. Each has the exact same illustration and text on front and back, with the only difference being the language, one side in Pashto, the other in Dari. The first shows two Afghans, one with a white turban, one with a black turban shaking hands. the text is "The time has come for all Afghans to make peace." This leaflet is coded AFD91. Curiously, this consolidation leaflet was still in use long after the formal cessation of fighting. They were dropped once again in early February 2002 after a flare-up of tribal violence in Gardez, capital of Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. United Nations and Afghan government envoys entered the city to negotiate a peace plan after Pastun tribal factions killed at least 61 people in a local power struggle. Leaflet Number: AF D91 The next leaflet shows bin Laden sitting cross-legged on a pile of dead Afghans. It should be noted that during Desert Storm Saddam Hussein sometimes was shown sitting on a throne of skulls. This leaflet is coded AFD93. Leaflet Number: AF D93 The final leaflet shows three heavily-armed Taliban fighters. This leaflet is coded AFD92. Leaflet Number: AFD92 Another leaflet that is very similar to this group was released in February of 2002 and shows Mullah Omar feasting while bin Laden sits on the pile of dead Afghans. The text is "Mullah Omar is a murderer and a coward and a traitor." Text on the back is "Mullah Omar is a murderer, a coward and a traitor to the freedom-loving Pashtun people - he let Usama bin Laden's foreign murderers come to Afghanistan to hide - now Omar the coward and traitor to the Pashtun people hides in safety and comfort while his people suffer." This leaflet is coded TF11- RP07a. Leaflet Number: TF11-RP07a A fancier leaflet appears in full color. It shows Mullah Omar feasting at the left, and two Afghans making a drug deal at the right. The text on the front is "Mullah Omar is a murderer and a coward and a traitor." Text on the back reads "Mullah Omar is a murderer, a coward and a traitor to the freedom-loving Pashtun people - he made millions of dollars selling evil drugs to Muslims - he did not use his fortune to help the Pashtun people - he used his fortune to help Usama bin Laden murder innocent civilians - now Omar the coward and traitor hides in safety and comfort while Pashtuns suffer." This leaflet is coded TF11-RP07b. The single poster shows al-Qaida terrorist Mohammed Atta, and offers rewards to people who report suspicious activities to the U.S. State Department. The title text is "He was spotted in Hamburg, Prague, Florida and Maine. And if someone had called us, his picture wouldn't be spotted in this ad." The poster offers rewards of up to $25 million. The poster contains numerous errors and some details were actually borrowed from other terrorist acts. An unidentified State Department spokesman said that the poster's creators "took some liberties with some of the content." On January 8 the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press Agency reported that U.S. planes had dropped leaflets in eastern Afghanistan urging civilians not to give fleeing al-Qaida fugitives refuge, warning that they could be the victim of aerial bombing. On February 9 the United States Centcom site showed two new leaflets regarding the occupation of Kandahar Airport. United States Marines from the 15th and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) secured the airport December 15, 2001 during Operation Swift Freedom. Two leaflet-posters are known. The first pictures a Marine in silhouette with jet fighters in the background. the text is "WARNING. The Partnership of Nations has secured the Qandahar Airport to insure that humanitarian aid will reach the people of this area. For your own safety please stay away. STAY AWAY." This leaflet is coded AF1A-11-P1. The second leaflet poster depicts a number of helicopters and a C17 Globemaster aircraft. The text is "STOP! TURN AWAY NOW! The Partnership of Nations has secured the Qandahar Airport to insure that humanitarian aid will reach the people of this area. For your own safety please stay away. HELP US KEEP YOU SAFE!" Centcom released over a dozen leaflets to the public on February 18, 2002. Many of these were obviously from previous series that we have already mentioned. Most were consolidation and nation-building types, but there were some variations of the morale and reward leaflets we have seen in the past. In February a number of armed skirmishes took place among the various ethnic and religious factions of Afghanistan. It became clear that Hamid Kamil did not have the full support of his people. Local warlords were consolidating their power and dividing Afghanistaninto private fiefdoms. The United Stateshad no interest in sending a large occupying force to that nation, so every effort was made to bring the people under control of the new government through the use of propaganda and the occasional implied threat of bombing. A series of bright green and black leaflets supporting the government were prepared and dropped. The first shows a white dove of peace over a map of Afghanistanand clasped hands with the text "A United Afghanistan offers peace and prosperity." This leaflet-poster is coded AF-8-B-11-HB1. Leaflet Number: AF -8-B-11-HB1 A second similar leaflet shows a map of Afghanistan at the left, clasped hands in the center, and the planet Earth at the right. The text is "Afghanistan- The partnership of nations is here to assist the people of Afghanistan." This leaflets is coded AF5-C-11-HB1. This same leaflet also exists with the code AF5c11L1. Leaflet Number: AF5-C-11-HB1 A fourth leaflet shows the exact same illustration and text as leaflet AF-8-B-11-HB1 on the front. The back shows Afghan musicians at the left and a young girl at the right. The text is "A new government offers new freedoms. The future of Afghanistandepends on your support of the new government." This leaflet is coded AFD105. Leaflet Number: AF D105 A second series of four similar leaflets were coded AFG7-AFG10. The first shows a young girl at the left, a group on smiling children below, and two boys at the right. One of the boys has some cash showing prominently from his pocket. The text is "Help bring back happiness to Afghanistan. Supporting your new government offers a brighter future for you and your children." This leaflet is AFG07. Leaflet Number: AFG07 The next leaflet shows a photograph of a young female, an older male in turban, an Afghan family, and a group of musicians. The text is "A united Afghanistan= peace prosperity. The future of Afghanistandepends on your support of the new government. A new government offers new freedoms." This is leaflet AFG08. Leaflet Number: AFG08 Leaflet AFG09 has the exact same text as the previous leaflet, but just two photographs, that of the Afghan musicians and the young female. Leaflet Number: AFG09 The final leaflet of this series shows the four photographs of the young female, the older male in turban, the Afghan family, and the group of musicians over a map of Afghanistanwith the text "A new government working for all Afghans. The future of Afghanistandepends on your support." This is leaflet AFG10. Leaflet Number: AFG10 Although the major fighting portion of the war was believed to be over, a vicious battle erupted once again in early March of 2002. A group of from 400 to 2000 Taliban and al-Qaida fighters were found to be regrouping near Gardez in the Paktia Province of eastern Afghanistan. Over 1000 American troops were deployed along with other members of the coalition and Afghan government forces in "Operation Anaconda." A number of new leaflets were dropped during the operation. One shows what appear to be seven Taliban and al-Qaida troops sitting on a vehicle. The text is "Hand over Taliban or al-Qaida or you will be destroyed. Give any information you have about al-Qaida or Taliban to the coalition forces." Another leaflet pictured five armed Taliban or al-Qaida in a cave. The leaflet texts published so far are "The International community is watching. Do not help al-Qaida or the Taliban or you will be destroyed," and "The Taliban and al-Qaida are not good people. They use your women and children as human shields. Turn them in to the coalition. They are bad people." Al-Qaida was also active on the propaganda front. Although the Taliban was unable to drop leaflets from aircraft, they used other means to distribute their propaganda. On October 30 a report from Kazakhstan told of three men detained for spreading leaflets that claimed that support for the anti-terrorist coalition against Afghanistan meant betrayal of the cause of Islam. The fundamentalist party Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan released a number of propaganda leaflets and statements. They included such phrases as "the war criminal Bush is waging an unjust war on the Muslims..." and in regard to Bin Laden's guilt, "We are used to America's lies and willful deception in such situations." Osama bin Laden produced a number of propaganda videotapes that were sent to Al-Jazeera, an Arabic satellite TV news network. In his messages he claimed that the United Nations was anti-Muslim for supporting the American bombing of Afghanistan. United States Navy SEALs discovered an al-Qaida propaganda poster showing Osama bin Laden and a civilian passenger aircraft striking the N.Y.C World Trade Center during a search and destroy mission in the Zhawar Kili area on January 14, 2002. Despite some Muslim protestations that bin Laden was innocent of the crime, he appears to be taking credit for the terrorist act in the poster. |
EXHIBITS Iraq1.jpg  iraq2.jpg Iraq3.jpg Iraq4.jpg Iraq5.jpg iraq19.jpg iraq20.jpg iraq21.jpg iraq22.jpg iraq23.jpg iraq24.jpg Iraq25.jpg iraq26.jpg |
