Leaflet drops

On March 24, 2006, Reuters reported leaflet drops in Northern Pakistan: "A Reuters reporter in Tank, a town close to the boundary with the semi-autonomous tribal agency of South Waziristan, obtained one of the pamphlets, bearing the sign-off 'Well Wishers, Pakistan's Armed Forces'.

"Titled Warning, the pamphlets said the foreign militants were fighting against Pakistan in connivance with 'Jews and Hindus', a term that would play on traditional prejudices among the region's Muslim conservatives.

"'They (foreign militants) not only pose a danger to our sovereignty, but are also creating troubles for our people,' read the pamphlet, which appeared in both Urdu and Pashto language versions.

"'You should stay clear of these terrorists. Don't let them come close to your areas and houses and protect your land against them. ... This war is against foreign terrorists and their harborers who are fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Jews and Hindus against the state of Pakistan,' it added."

No evidence links the leaflets to anyone but the Pakistani military, and apparently no further information on the mysterious 'well wishers' is reported elsewhere.

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * information operations
 * information warfare
 * Operation Enduring Freedom
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom
 * psychological warfare
 * psyops
 * war propaganda

General

 * Herbert A. Friedman, "Psychological Operations in Afghanistan," psywarrior.com.

Articles & Commentary

 * George Eykyn, "The US war of minds," BBC, October 16, 2001.
 * Robert K. Ackerman, "Technology Empowers Information Operations in Afghanistan," Signal Magazine, March 2002.
 * Briefing (excerpts) by Victoria Clarke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Admiral David A. Gove, Deputy Director for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense (posted by Iraq Watch) October 4, 2002.
 * "US drops leaflets against Osama, Taliban and Hekmatyar," Daily Times (Pakistan), January 27, 2003.
 * News Release: "Coalition aircraft dropped informational leaflets over central and southern Iraq," U.S. Central Command (Information Warfare Monitor), February 12, 2003.
 * "Pakistan Army Drops Leaflets in Al Qaeda Hunt," Associated Press (Fox News), April 3, 2004.
 * "Pakistani pamphlets link militants to Hindus, Jews," Reuters, March 24, 2006.