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CHAPTER TWELVE: THE AGE OF THE NEW PERSUADERS 385
Peacekeeping operations, terrorism, and low intensity conflicts (LIC)
are challenges that confront armies and governments throughout the world. A
much overlooked manifestation associated with these phenomena is the overt
and covert manipulation of events and actions, made easier by the Information
Age. Individuals or groups can take advantage of a variety of factors, such as an
organization’s operating techniques and procedures, to augment their own
operations. Often, the rational or sources behind these covet actions are soon
forgotten.
So who was most responsible for US involvement in Somalia:
President Clinton, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Ted Turner= s news agency?
None of the above! Former President George Bush was in charge at the start of
the involvement, but nongovernmental agencies (NGOs) were initially
responsible for drawing his and CNN’s attention to the situation there.
The innocent victims of manipulation activities can include responsible
decision-makers around the world who are persuaded by media coverage that
influences public opinion and thus triggers demands for legislative action or
assistance. Nations themselves become practitioners of manipulation techniques
as well. Everyone is involved in this old art to some degree.
What is Manipulation?
Manipulation is not defined by the Department of Defense (DOD)
Dictionary of Terms or by US Army Field Manual 33-1, Psychological
Operations. The American Heritage dictionary defines manipulation as “shrewd
or devious management especially for one’s own advantage.”
For this article’s purposes, manipulation is defined as “the desired goal
or result of a process that uses specific devices—such as semantic, technical,
psychological, or behavioral—to deceive, misinform, influence, persuade, or
control an object, either concrete (a person, state, or action) or abstract
(thinking or perceptions), usually to gain an advantage.” 386 Just who are the
385 The original version of this article under the same title appeared in the May-June
1997 edition of Military Review, pp. 72-80.
386 This is the author= s definition since he found no accepted DOD definition while
preparing this article.
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