Unsocial media

The art(s) of national defense

THE BIG problem with the Pentagon’s spooks getting tossed off several social media sites, at least as we see it, is that they got caught. As somebody mentioned in this whole affair, if Facebook employees caught onto it, the Red Chinese probably have, too.

Oh, but the howls in the media! It was as if they were all reading from the same playbook. (Editorially, American newspapers always seem to be reading from the same playbook.) “The Pentagon shouldn’t be in the business of disinformation, yadda yadda.” Which would surprise any lieutenant who’s inspecting his AO’s camo efforts. While trying to protect the country, the American military often uses disinformation. And as long as the disinformation is targeted at enemies overseas, our considered editorial opinion on the matter is: More power to ‘em. Or rather us.

The story breaks down thisaway: Facebook and Twitter operatives recently took down fake accounts, as is their job. They told the press that they suspected CentCom at the Department of Defense of running them. When word hit the press of what was going on, the Pentagon brass and the Biden administration wanted some answers from those in uniform.

According to The Washington Post: “Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, last week instructed the military commands that engage in psychological operations online to provide a full accounting of their activities by next month after the White House and some federal agencies expressed mounting concerns over the Defense Department’s attempted manipulation of audiences overseas … .”

Also from The Post: “The researchers did not specify when the takedowns [of the fake accounts] occurred, but those familiar with the matter said they were within the past two or three years. Some were recent, they said, and involved posts from the summer that advanced anti-Russia narratives citing the Kremlin’s ‘imperialist’ war in Ukraine and warning of the conflict’s direct impact on Central Asian countries. Significantly, they found that the pretend personas—employing tactics used by countries such as Russia and China— did not gain much traction, and that overt accounts actually attracted more followers.”

There’s a lot to unpack there: Apparently the United States military needs to get better at this kind of thing, if what it’s doing isn’t gaining “much traction.” And again, there’s a problem if clandestine stuff like this is discovered and outed.

But the U.S. military can’t cede this whole social media world to the field.

Certainly mainland China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are continuing to explore what they can do in that universe.

Certainly the United Kingdom, France and Canada are continuing to explore what they can do in that universe.

Certainly Liechtenstein continues to explore what it can do in that universe. The United States can’t walk away because some more distressed types on these shores say our side should always take the high road.

There is a point to be made that when the American DOD puts out an official statement, it must be trusted to be accurate. Even our enemies abroad, who may say otherwise in their own media, probably know the Americans don’t want to be caught by our own free press and separate branches of government not being accurate in official statements.

But in this world, our spooks sometimes have to beat their spooks at the dangerous game. Lives are at stake. National security is at stake. And as long as the American military is trolling the enemy, and not Americans, we see no problem with a fake account of a non-existent Iranian mom who criticizes the Tehran government. Lord knows real Iranian moms can’t do that without coming out a head shorter.

So of course the U.S. must keep up the clandestine work, even online.

Just get better at it, guys.