How to Discredit Afghan Women, Courtesy of the CIA
Wikileaks obtained and published (PDF) a CIA Red Cell analysis -- that’s what the agency presents either to counter received wisdom or to be deliberately
Jul 31, 20201.7K Shares33K Views
Wikileaks obtained and published(PDF) a CIA “Red Cell” analysis — that’s what the agency presents either to counter received wisdom or to be deliberately provocative — on bolstering support for the Afghanistan war among skeptical European publics. (Hat tip to Jeremy Scahill.) Among the strategies employed: a cynical manipulation of the horror faced by Afghan women under the Taliban:
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Afghan women could serve as ideal messengers in humanizing the ISAF role in combating the Taliban because of women’s ability to speak personally and credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory. Outreach initiatives that create media opportunities for Afghan women to share their stories with French, German, and other European women could help to overcome pervasive skepticism among women in Western Europe toward the ISAF mission.
This analysis, however, outlines a surefire way to cynically discreditthose voices precisely when they’re needed most. The easiest recourse to marginalization is to portray someone as a CIA stooge. “Media events that feature testimonials by Afghan women would probably be most effective if broadcast on programs that have large and disproportionately female audiences,” the Red Cell analysis advises. What a disservice that would be to some of the bravest people on the planet, who’ve had to endure so much, to be used as a sales pitch for a war.