Operation Desert Storm Case Study

Psychological Operations (PSYOP), or currently known as Military Information Support Operations (MISO), are “planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals in a manner favorable to the originator’s objectives. ” In other words, PSYOP uses a variety of information mediums to influence a target audience (foreign civilian leaders, enemy forces or civilian populations) to change their beliefs, attitudes, or decision making in support of the commander’s objectives. During Operation Desert Storm, PSYOP had two major objectives: the MILDEC program and weaken Iraqi morale and increase desertion and surrendering. Accomplishing these objectives was projected to minimizing causalities with both the Iraqi and Coalition
forces. PSYOP reinforced MILDEC program and the “Left Hook” maintaining the Iraqi pre-existing belief that the Marines were going to storm the beaches and destroy everything in their way. This was done by dropping very effective leaflets on the occupying Iraqis depicting the Marines storming the beach like a huge wave (Figure 2). Figure 2. PSYOP Leaflet for MILDEC
Supporting the VII Corps ground offensive, PSYOP used loud speakers broadcasting toward the Iraqi defense nearest the Wadi Al-Batin contributing to the deception of a much larger force preparing for an attack directly north into Western Kuwait.

The Coalition PSYOP forces used a combination of leaflets, radio broadcasting and loudspeaker operations to entice the Iraqi forces to lay down their weapons and surrender to the coalition forces. The most effective tactic was the dropping of leaflets on Iraqi forces informing then to surrender within 24 hours in order to avoid destruction (Figure 3 and Figure 4). Over a seven-week period, 29 million leaflets consisting of 33 different messages were disseminated reaching a majority of the Iraqi troops.

Figure 3. Leaflets with instructions how to surrender

Figure 4.
Leaflets informing the Iraqi forces to stay away as their equipment will be bombed.

The “Voice of the Gulf” Coalition radio network began broadcasting on 19 January 1991 and operated continuously through 1 April 1991, 18 hours a day. The radio program consisted of programs providing news, counter Iraqi propaganda and disinformation and encouraging Iraqi forces to surrender. ”
A best example of loudspeaker was against a large element of Iraqi forces on Faylaka Island. Rather than conducting a direct assault, a PSYOP team flew aerial loudspeaker mission around the island. The message told the adversaries to surrender the next day in formation at the radio tower. “The next day 1405 Iraqis, including a general officer, waited in formation at the radio tower to surrender to the Marines forces without a single shot being fired. ”
The international Red Cross reported that nearly 87,000 Iraqi soldiers turned themselves over to the coalition forces, most of them clutching the leaflets of hiding them in their clothing. All incidents of surrender were bloodless.
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On the flip side, Saddam attempts to conduct psychological operations or propaganda was not as successful. The efforts of Baghdad Betty to deter and dishearten U.S. servicemen by warning them that “their sweethearts were dating ‘Tom Cruise and Bart Simpson’ actually helped morale. In addition, claims that Iraq had destroyed more than 180 allied aircraft were patently phony and eventually discontinued.
PSYOP and just about all Information Related Capabilities are depended upon on the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) to convey a message, counter the enemy, and disrupt their sensors and command and control.