US Special Operators Rethink Propaganda to Counter Russia, China
- Information operations can have heightened impact in the modern era of mass communication.
- For the US military, US Special Operations Command handles most of those operations.
- But Pentagon and intelligence officials say the US’s IO capabilities have atrophied compared to its main rivals: Russia and China.
Before any shots are fired in a major conflict, a war of words and ideas is already underway.
The modern era’s unprecedented level of interconnectivity and the proliferation of communication methods, such as social media, has made that information battle fiercer than ever, and it will be crucial for the US as it competes with near-peer rivals China and Russia.
However, the US military has fallen behind in the information realm.
At a recent congressional hearing, Pentagon and Intelligence Community officials said the US has let its Information Operations (IO) atrophy compared to those of its competitors. Russia now
