“Are we shooting?”- Strategic Communications Campaign in a Population-Centric Counterinsurgency.

Authors

  • Ariel Garneau Royal Military College

Abstract

Come 2004, progress in pacifying Iraq following the American-led invasion was not as advanced as hoped. Despite the Iraqi army’s swift defeat, pockets of resistance remained within the country, which served as home-base to suspected Al-Qaeda members and ultimately contributed to prolonging the opening stages of the occupation.

For eight months, the city of Al‐Fallujah in the strategic Sunni Triangle of Iraq, stymied progress in pacifying the country. It harbored the most sought-after insurgents and enabled the logistical operations needed to keep the insurgency afloat during the crucial stages of resistance. Two attempts were needed by American-led coalition forces, to seize the city. Between OP VIGILANT RESOLVE in April 2004 and OP PHANTOM FURY in November 2004 the U.S. Department of Defense was forced to modify its approach in the wake of a disastrous first attempt, enabling a more robust strategic communications plan.

The inclusion of embedded journalists as a component of a Strategic Communications plan during OP PHANTOM FURY proved crucial to American victory, and heralded the arrival of fifth generation warfare. However, in order to do so, the Pentagon was brought to resolve its long-standing and complicated relationship with the mass media, and new media, by addressing issues of bias, and neutrality in war-time reporting and the faults inherent in their communications plan.

The battles for Fallujah illustrate the role and effect of Strategic Communications and DoD media policy as part of Information Operations in a population‐centric counterinsurgency. By shaping perception end‐states - the dimension encompassing the target audiences’ opinions- through embedded journalists enhanced by new media in a Strategic Communications campaign, the U.S. provided the counter-narrative to that of the Iraqi insurgency, allowing the U.S. to maintain the credibility of its actions, and mission.

Author Biography

Ariel Garneau, Royal Military College

Ariel Garneau is a junior strategic consultant with HATLEY Strategy Advisors in Quebec City. She has written, presented, and been published on a variety on Strategic Communication topics, most notably those related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and/or the impact of domestic public opinion.

She has held various internships in communications, television and international relations, most notably the coveted summer term with the program at the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C., where she was the Military-Media Affairs intern with the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff.

She holds a Masters of War Studies (MA) from the Royal Military College of Canada, and an HsBA from Trinity College, at the University of Toronto, in International Relations and Political Science.

 

Born and raised in Toronto, ON, she has lived, studied and worked in Paris and Washington, D.C. as well as several Canadian Forces Bases. Ariel currently lives in and works Quebec City with her husband, an Artillery officer in the Canadian Forces.

 

 

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Published

2013-08-12

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2013)

Section

Annual National Student Award Competition