My new article, "Addressing the Enemy: Al-Shabaab’s PSYOPS Media Warfare" in the @CTCWP Sentinel looking at 6 cases of the Somali jihadi-insurgent group's psychological warfare & information and influence operations:
ctc.usma.edu/addressing-ene…
The case studies examined: (1) January 2020 Manda Bay airfield attack (2) 2010 Mogadishu stalemate & start of Al-Shabab's "jihadi journalism" (3) 2011 Dayniile ambush (4) 2014 Mpeketoni raids (5) Kenya's 2017 general elections (6) 2019 mass shootings & natural disasters in U.S.
In addition to examining specifics of each case, I look at how Al-Shabab attempts to broaden the reach of its PSYOPS propaganda products by attracting attention from external news media. Sometimes successful, its success rate is also mixed.
The article further argues that Al-Shabab's continued media production and media/information warfare capabilities and sophistication are both a demonstration of its continued strength as well as its limitations, particularly in light of its ultimate goal of capturing the state.
My father, of course, caught & just e-mailed me that I plum forgot to include my Ph.D. (McGill) in my brief biographical blurb.
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