“With the Iraq war over and U.S. combat operations scheduled to finish in Afghanistan by the end of next year, the Pentagon has begun shifting psy-ops missions to other parts of the world to influence popular opinion. In the past, psychological operations usually meant dropping leaflets or broadcasting propaganda on the battlefield. Today, the military is more focused on manipulating news and commentary on the Internet, especially social media, by posting material and images without necessarily claiming ownership. Much of the work is carried out by military information support teams that the Special Operations Command has deployed to 22 countries.”
