"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reports that so far this [2004] year 9.3 million leaflets have been dropped from low-flying aircraft into Afghanistan and 3.8 million into Iraq. Psychological warfare operations (PSYOPs) experts say leaflets, as well as broadcast programs and other multimedia efforts are especially effective inside those countries because the population has limited access to outside media. Just how effective the programs can be became clear in the first Gulf War when Iraqi soldiers, waving leaflets, (29 million were dropped during that conflict), surrendered to U.S. forces.
But the humble leaflet may be headed for a digital overhaul. USSOCOM spokesman Lieutenant Commander Steven Mavica explained that the command has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for air droppable, scatterable electronic media to find the latest and greatest. Internet-capable devices, entertainment and game devices, greeting cards, and phone and text messaging technologies" are just a few of the suggested options for these so-called "psychological operations".
