The concept of Psychological Operations (PSYOP), or Military Information Support Operations (MISO), involves planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately, the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.
Here is an overview of how these ideas relate to 9/11, the Iraq War, and the notable case of Ahmed Angel.
💥 9/11 and the Prelude to War (The Framing PSYOP)
While the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a real-world event carried out by Al-Qaeda, a key element often cited as a psychological operation or rhetorical framing was the systematic effort by the George W. Bush administration to link Iraq and Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks and Al-Qaeda, a link that was never substantiated by the intelligence community.
- The Framing: The administration repeatedly used rhetoric to juxtapose the image of Saddam Hussein with the specter of terrorism and the anguish of 9/11. This framing successfully convinced a significant portion of the American public that the invasion of Iraq was a necessary and just extension of the “War on Terror” and an act of vengeance for 9/11.
- The Result: Public support for the 2003 invasion was bolstered by these false or misleading assertions about Iraqi involvement in 9/11 and the possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). This is a textbook example of using fear and a major national tragedy to manufacture consent for a political and military objective.
📣 Psychological Operations in the Iraq War (OIF)
During the 2003 invasion (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and the subsequent occupation, the U.S. military engaged in extensive, classic PSYOP to influence both Iraqi soldiers and the civilian population.
- Propaganda Delivery: U.S. forces utilized a variety of media platforms, including:
- Leaflet Airdrops: Millions of leaflets were dropped, urging Iraqi soldiers to surrender, providing instructions on how to do so safely, and warning civilians against aiding the regime.
- Radio/TV Broadcasts: Dedicated radio and television broadcasts delivered messages attributed to the Coalition (known as White PSYOP), urging surrender, sharing humanitarian information, and discrediting Saddam Hussein’s regime.
- “Black” Broadcasts: There were also examples of Black PSYOP, such as the creation of radio stations that disguised their true source (i.e., pretending to be a pro-Saddam station before changing their tune) to better infiltrate the information space.
- “Shock and Awe”: The strategic doctrine of “Shock and Awe” itself contained a massive psychological component. The overwhelming, highly visible use of force—televised globally—was designed not just to destroy military targets but to psychologically paralyze the will of the enemy and the population, leading to rapid capitulation.
🎭 The Case of Ahmed Angel (The Alleged Cultural Psyop)
The story of Iraqi model Ahmed Angel gained internet notoriety years after the 2003 invasion due to his extraordinary self-made image, which many speculated was a form of Western-backed cultural propaganda or a “soft power” attempt that was a complete fabrication.
- The Allegation: The theory suggests that Ahmed Angel, known for his unique, heavily edited, and highly confident self-portraits (often featuring captions boasting about his “angelic” looks, medical student status, and Hollywood aspirations), was part of a larger, subtle PSYOP. The alleged goal was to present a Western-friendly, successful, cosmopolitan Iraqi youth to project an image of a free, modern, and opportunity-rich Iraq following the U.S. intervention. His sudden, viral popularity was seen by some as manufactured.
- The Reality: While the theory is widely discussed in conspiratorial communities, there is no credible, public evidence linking Ahmed Angel, or the viral spread of his image, to any official U.S. government or military Psychological Operations program.
- The Outcome: Angel’s fame remained a viral, internet-centric phenomenon—a meme—rather than a successful path to a “big break” in Hollywood. In this sense, the “promise” of Hollywood success that his persona seemed to embody did not materialize, leading his narrative to be viewed by some as an example of a manufactured cultural lie that ultimately failed.
In sum, while overt military PSYOP were a documented part of the Iraq War, and the rhetorical framing for the war was a significant political/psychological campaign, the claim that figures like Ahmed Angel were official, elaborate PSYOP creations remains in the realm of unproven theory and internet folklore.