The utilization of information operations coupled with agenda setting and integrated marketing communication in the prevention of genocide, mass atrocities, and or mass killings

Abstract

Over the last 10-years, the focus of the U.S. Army has been on Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the writing is on the wall that military involvement in both locations will soon come to an end. Historically, when the Army is not involved in combat operations, it transitions to peacekeeping and humanitarian aid roles in various countries around the world. This raises the question as to whether the Army's training and force structure is sufficiently postured to handle such crises. This qualitative research will examine the kinds of arguments that are made by perpetrators and supporters of genocidal acts aimed at specific groups of people. More specifically, this study will analyze pro-genocide messages used by the media during the Rwanda, East Timor and Bosnia genocides. Using qualitative content analysis it will identify the types of messages that have been used to cause hate against others and develop a categorized list of those messages and their antithesis. Additionally, it will encourage senior civilian and military leaders as well as the U.S. Army Information Operations (IO) proponent to formulate training and appropriate force structure to ensure the U.S. Army can sufficiently combat such messages post Iraq and Afghanistan.