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Intelligence : Psychological cf Physical Warfare |
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Text of e-mail to The Times (Letters), 17th June 2003 (Unpublished)
From Mr. Harold Beck Sir, Surely the key to understanding the controversy over the intelligence dossiers on Iraq is that no distinction was made between the information required for psychological warfare and that necessary to justify armed operations to bring down the regime? The aim of psychological warfare is to win without a shot being fired.. The bombardment of the miscreant with half-truths, exaggerated claims and even untruths can be justified as can the threat created by the movement of Armed Forces without actually using them. And who can deny the success of the US-led campaign in producing movement by the Iraqi regime and galvanising the UN after more than a decade of the kind of stagnation which has led the UN to failing the world. However, when it came to justifying physical warfare with its inevitable casualties on both sides, an entirely different approach was needed. The step-change from purely psychological to physical warfare should have been backed by a corresponding change in the quality of information provided. Having said all this, as politicians know, the right decisions are sometimes made for the wrong reasons. Harold Beck Hon Life Member, UN Association - UK |
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