CIA plan to influence European opinion leaked

[jimmy olsen]

And that 50 year string of CIA incompetence continues. Can't they do anything right?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7535681/CIA-suggests-Europe-should-understand-suffering-of-women-under-Taliban.html

The actual leaked document can be found here.
http://file.wikileaks.org/file/cia-afghanistan.pdf

A steep increase in French and German casualties this summer could trigger public anger at their involvement and calls for a military pull out the document warns.

Paris and Berlin should start a targeted propaganda campaign to "forestall or at least contain" a backlash by stating the benefits of military action.

French voters could be made to feel guilty about abandoning civilians and refugees, while both nations' electorates are reluctant to "disappoint" Barack Obama, it concludes.

Afghan women are "ideal messengers in humanising the [international coalition] role" and should be put in front of European media for their "ability to speak personally and credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory."

The analysis, marked "confidential" and not for release to foreign nationals, comes amid American concern that heavy fighting this summer could prompt a "precipitous" departure of Nato allies.

It was complied by the CIA's Red Cell, which is charged with "taking a pronounced 'out-of-the-box' approach that will provoke thought and offer an alternative viewpoint".

A spokesman for the CIA declined to comment on the document, dated March 11. It was leaked anonymously to the WikiLeaks whistle-blower website on March 26.

The advice comes despite accusations from Afghan women's activists that Nato is prepared to sacrifice gains in freedom and equality for a political accommodation with insurgents.

"If some forecasts of a bloody summer in Afghanistan come to pass, passive French and German dislike of their troop presence could turn into active and politically potent hostility," the report warns.

"The tone of previous debate suggests that a spike in French or German casualties or in Afghan civilian casualties could become a tipping point in converting passive opposition into active calls for immediate withdrawal." Governments could no longer rely on voter apathy alone to keep troops in Afghanistan it concludes.

Using polling data and a "CIA expert on strategic communication" it suggests tapping "acute" French concern for civilians and refugees.

"The prospect of the Taliban rolling back hard-won progress on girls' education could provoke French indignation, become a rallying point for France's largely secular public, and give voters a reason to support a good and necessary cause despite casualties," it concludes.

The Germans view that the conflict is wasteful and "not our problem" needed to be reversed, it said.

"For example, messages that illustrate how a defeat in Afghanistan could heighten Germany's exposure to terrorism, opium, and refugees might help to make the war more salient to sceptics." A former Western diplomat to Kabul warned playing on fears of Taliban mistreatment of civilians and women could undermine public acceptance of any future peace negotiations.

He said: "This war is a communications war and a war of perceptions." "But these messages must be nuanced. If you say: 'My God what happens when the Taliban return', then how would you synchronise that with a discussion of reconciliation."

[DisturbedPervert]

Can't they do anything right?

9/11

[Neil]

Meh.  It's hard to blame the CIA for the proliferation of 'gotcha' journalism.

[derspiess]

Timmy-- most of the time when the CIA gets something right, you won't hear about it.

[Fate]

Timmy-- most of the time when the CIA gets something right, you won't hear about it.

How do you distinguish between the CIA sitting on its ass doing nothing and getting something right?

[Zanza]

The Germans view that the conflict is wasteful and "not our problem"

The only reason we are there is to show committment to NATO.

[sbr]

Timmy-- most of the time when the CIA gets something right, you won't hear about it.

They need a better PR firm.

[Neil]

The Germans view that the conflict is wasteful and "not our problem"

The only reason we are there is to show committment to NATO.

Germany lost the right to act in their own interests when they lost WWII.

[Zanza]

We are just reasserting that right though as you can see in the current debates on the EU.

[CountDeMoney]

And that 50 year string of CIA incompetence continues. Can't they do anything right?

They managed to destroy the Taliban in short order with six 8-man teams, a handful of green beanies, BLU-82s, and some psycho Afghani warlords like Dostom in a matter of weeks.

[jimmy olsen]

And that 50 year string of CIA incompetence continues. Can't they do anything right?

They managed to destroy the Taliban in short order with six 8-man teams, a handful of green beanies, BLU-82s, and some psycho Afghani warlords like Dostom in a matter of weeks.

The main goal was Bin Laden and they failed.

[Jaron]

That was the failure of the US armed forces, not the CIA.

[Neil]

We are just reasserting that right though as you can see in the current debates on the EU.

You can't.  It is forbidden.  You people cannot be trusted.

[CountDeMoney]

And that 50 year string of CIA incompetence continues. Can't they do anything right?

They managed to destroy the Taliban in short order with six 8-man teams, a handful of green beanies, BLU-82s, and some psycho Afghani warlords like Dostom in a matter of weeks.

The main goal was Bin Laden and they failed.

That was not the CIA's fault;  that was the fault of the Administration, on advice of CENTCOM.  CIA wanted 800 Rangers at Tora Bora;  the White House didn't.
Don't blame CIA for shit that's beyond the CIA's reach.

[Josquius]

I thought this was an April fools at first.