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The Use of English-Language Internet Propaganda by the Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan, 2007–2010

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The Use of English-Language Internet Propaganda by the Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan, 2007–2010 University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 6-1-2011 The Use of English-Language Internet Propaganda by the Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan, 2007–2010 Matthew T. Calvin University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Calvin, Matthew T., "The Use of English-Language Internet Propaganda by the Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan, 2007–2010" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 108. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/108 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. THE USE OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE INTERNET PROPAGANDA BY THE TALIBAN INSURGENCY IN AFGHANISTAN, 2007 – 2010 __________ A Thesis Presented to the Dean and Faculty of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts International Security __________ by Matthew T. Calvin June 2011 Advisor: Dr. Paul R. Viotti © Copyright by Matthew T. Calvin 2011 All Rights Reserved Author: Matthew T. Calvin Title: The Use of English-Language Internet Propaganda by the Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan, 2007-2010 Advisor: Dr. Paul R. Viotti Degree Date: June 2011 Abstract After nearly a decade of war in Afghanistan, military and government officials have described the propaganda efforts of the Taliban insurgency as increasingly sophisticated and effective. These statements fail to distinguish between insurgent propaganda efforts at the local level and those carried out online and targeted at Western populations. This research investigates the effectiveness of the Taliban’s use of English- language media to reach Western populations and shape their own image in a way that furthers their strategic objectives. An analytical approach that combines quantitative analysis performed on a set of Taliban messages from 2007 to 2010 and a deeper, qualitative assessment of a subset of those messages provides insight into the trends and themes within Taliban messaging. This approach shows an unsophisticated Taliban English-language propaganda effort that, despite showing recent signs of potential improvement, has failed to shape its image in support of its strategic objectives, focusing its efforts instead on violent and reactionary messages and following a narrative driven by the Western and international media. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Figures ................................................................................................................. iv Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1! Chapter Two: Background .................................................................................................. 7 ! Brief History of the Conflict in Afghanistan ................................................................... 7 Afghanistan: 1978 – 2001 ............................................................................................ 7! Afghanistan: 2001 – Present ...................................................................................... 10! Global-Local Insurgency in Afghanistan ...................................................................... 18! The Elements of the Afghan Insurgency ....................................................................... 22! The Importance of Information and Media in Insurgency ............................................ 31! The Evolution of Taliban Propaganda and Media Operations ...................................... 39! The Beginning of Taliban Media Operations ............................................................. 42! Local Propaganda and Night Letters .......................................................................... 45! The Taliban Online ..................................................................................................... 51! Who Speaks for the Taliban? ..................................................................................... 63! ! Chapter Three: Methodology ............................................................................................ 69! Source Selection ............................................................................................................ 69 Assessing News Coverage of the Afghan War .............................................................. 73! Analytical Approach ...................................................................................................... 78! ! Chapter Four: Analysis ..................................................................................................... 86! What are the Taliban Saying? ........................................................................................ 86 Narrative on Civilian Casualties .................................................................................... 97! The Voice of the Taliban in the Traditional Media ..................................................... 107! Taliban Image Management ........................................................................................ 135! ! Chapter Five: Conclusion ............................................................................................... 146 ! References ....................................................................................................................... 150! Appendix A ..................................................................................................................... 161 ! Appendix B ..................................................................................................................... 162! Appendix C ..................................................................................................................... 163 ! ! iii TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: Survey of News Sources for Americans ............................................................ 74 Figure 2: IEA Word Counts for Statements and News, 2007-2010 ................................. 87 Figure 3: 20 Most Frequent non-Filler Words in IEA News Reports, 2007-2010 ........... 88! Figure 4: Timeline and Frequency of IEA Statements ..................................................... 90! Figure 5: Civilian Casualty Mentions in ANC Data ......................................................... 98! Figure 6: Frequency of terms "civilian" and "civilians" in IEA messaging ................... 100! Figure 7: UNAMA Reported Civilian Casualty Data in Afghanistan, 2007 - 2010 ....... 104! Figure 8: Taliban Spokesman Citations in English Language Media ............................. 112! Figure 9: Taliban Spokesmen Mentions in English Language Reporting, By Source ... 113! Figure 10: Kidnapping Incidents in Afghanistan, 2007 - 2010 ...................................... 116! Figure 11: IEA Terminology for IED Attacks, 2007-2010 ............................................. 127! ! ! iv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION The current war in Afghanistan that began in November 2001 has entered its tenth year. It is now the longest war in American history, and it has ushered in a fourth decade of nearly constant conflict in Afghanistan. The current insurgency is being waged under the banner of the Taliban, the largely Pashtun, Islamic fundamentalist movement that dominated most of Afghanistan in the late 1990s as the apparent victor of the country’s brutal civil war. Generally described in simplistic, uniform terms, the ‘Taliban’, both in its inception and today, is a complex mosaic of actors and groups, often as much of an abstract rallying cry, ideology or scapegoat as a true organization. The insurgency is dynamic and pragmatic, shifting its messaging and tactics to adapt to the changing strategies and often failed attempts by the Afghan government and its Western backers to stabilize and govern the country. Having once banned Internet, television and music, the leadership of the Taliban faction that governed in the 1990s now enthusiastically leverages the speed and reach of modern communications technologies in its efforts to spread its own narrative and influence the outcome of this highly asymmetric conflict. Perception is paramount in an insurgency. In a counterinsurgency environment that has been as under resourced and strategically uncertain as the one being waged by NATO forces over the past ten years, perception is easily manipulated by insurgents who come from the very communities whose loyalty the government is trying to secure. In a security vacuum unfilled by foreign militaries or ineffective Afghan security forces and a governance vacuum created by a highly corrupt government, story and rumor can stoke 1 fear, frustration and anger among the population. The Taliban insurgency has shown an adept ability to channel the resentment and fear of local populations in Afghanistan and turn it against a government that came to power in 2001 as a generally popular alternative to the brutal Taliban government and the anarchy that preceded it. Even those Afghans who may not want to support the return of the Taliban have been forced to side with the insurgency, for fear of retribution or need for security and stability in the face of corruption and lawlessness. Understanding the way that the
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