Psyops for the kiddies-- US army to produce Mid-East comic

BBC News
Thursday, 31 March, 2005, 12:39 GMT 13:39 UK

US army to produce Mid-East comic

The US military is planning to win the hearts of young people in the Middle East by publishing a new comic.



An advertisement on the US government's Federal Business Opportunities website is inviting applications for someone to develop an "original comic book series". "In order to achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East, the youth need to be reached," the ad says. "A series of comic books provides the opportunity for youth to learn lessons, develop role models and improve their education."

'Psyops'

The comic is to be a collaborative effort with the US Army, which says it has already done initial character and plot development. It will be based on "the security forces, military and police, in the near future in the Middle East" and is being produced by US Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Fort Bragg is home to the army's 4th Psychological Operations Group, known as "psy-op warriors", whose weaponry includes radio transmitters, loudspeakers and leaflets. The unit, whose slogans include Win the Mind - Win the Day and Verbum Vincet (The Word Conquers), is schooled in marketing and advertising techniques.
In the past few years, its soldiers have been deployed during conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan dropping leaflets and cartoons urging surrender and broadcasting pro-American messages via radio and television.

Marketing

A spokesman at Fort Bragg told BBC News website that the initiative for the comic-book project came from the US Department of Defense's Central Command, which is responsible for US security interests in 25 Middle Eastern and Arab nations.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4396351.stm

Here's my thousandth! Am I in the club now?

Do you get a free toaster?

Perhaps the Pysops comics will read something like this ...

Listen Kids, Mines, IEDs, and explosives of any kind are dangerous and should not be touched!

I you happen to see any item that reseblem an explosive be certain to inform a grown up!

Always tell your friendsto keep away and never play with these items!

pun!

I have no clue what just happened in my previous post ....

Sorry everyone!

... as al-hurra, the TV network, which is now hovering in the high single digits-low double digits for viewership....

There's only so much lipstick one can put on a pig.