Truth from These PodiaSummary of a Study of Strategic Influence, Perception Management,Strategic Information Warfare and Strategic Psychological Operationsin Gulf II1Sam GardinerColonel, USAF (Retired)October 8, 2003 1 The author has taught strategy and military operations at the National War College, AirWar College and Naval War College. He was recently a visiting scholar at the SwedishDefence College. During Gulf II he was a regular on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer aswell as on BBC radio and television, and National Public Radio.The study was not funded by any organization, and the author’s arguments are not meantto represent those of any organization.He can be reached at SamGard@aol.com1PrefaceMy intent was not to do this myself. The work had to be a combination of thekind of research I was doing and investigative journalism. I could do the outside part.Someone had to talk to those inside. After my return from an information warfareconference in London in July, I began looking for interest in one of the majornewspapers. I found that interest in Mark Fineman at the LA Times.Mark had covered the war and previously had been bureau chief for the paper inPhilippines, India, Cyprus and Mexico City. Although he had covered some of thestories I examined in my research, he saw very early the point I was making about theimplication of their being seen as a whole, the strategic picture. We continued ...