PSYOPS: A NOTE FROM YOUR MOTHER
by FRANK GANNON
Issue of 2002-12-02
Posted 2002-11-25
Officials familiar with the psychological operations, or "psyops," plan say its aim is to persuade Iraqi weapons handlers to disobey any order Saddam Hussein issues to launch chemical or biological attacks in the face of a U.S. invasion. Methods would include hacking into Iraqi military computers, dropping leaflets on Iraqi military bases, jamming Iraqi radio and television and substituting signals sent by special U.S. broadcasting aircraft, and contacting key officers through clandestine intermediaries or even e-mail. —USA Today, September 23, 2002.


Dear Son, What are you doing? Why are you acting like that? Please. You weren't raised that way. Put down that weapon. I'm surprised at you. I can't believe what I'm seeing.

Does everybody dress like Pancho Villa? Does everybody have a bullet strap like that? I'll tell you how it looks. It looks like you're going to get in trouble, that's how it looks.

Did you see that movie "Gandhi"? Wasn't that good? Was Gandhi violent? Did he kill people? Did he hurt other people? No, he didn't. Didn't he win the Nobel Peace Prize or something? That's a very big feather in his hat. He gave his parents something to be proud of. Do you think they give the Nobel Peace Prize to people who act like you're acting? No, they don't.

Is that smoke I see? That better be gunfire.

You're making a disgrace of yourself. Who told you to do this? Did Saddam Hussein tell you? If Saddam Hussein told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?

I cut out this article from a magazine for you to read. It's very important. It's about your feet. You only get one pair of feet.

Where did you get that weapon? What are you thinking with that weapon? Do you think a weapon makes you a big scary man? It doesn't. There are ways to be a big man, but big men don't carry weapons.

Stand up straight. You look like your Uncle Ali.

I'm ashamed of you. Look at you. You could be a nice, good person. You used to be so cute. But look how you turned out. This isn't nice. This isn't good. Stand up straight.

I hope you don't dress that way when there's people.

You are so handsome. Why are you hiding your face with that droopy burnous?

Where did you get that beard? I'm too young to have a son with a beard.

You don't have to be this way. Do you like yourself when you're acting this way? You know what I want? First, I want you to get a haircut. I want you to go and take a nice warm bath. Then I just want you to sit all alone and think about all the things you are doing. I want you to take a piece of paper and write down everything you can think of to change, to be the good, nice person that I know. Take your time. Then I want you to read the list three times just silently. Then I want you to get dressed and come back here and then we'll start over.

And after you do all those things you're going to have a big nice surprise just for you. Don't tell anybody. But first I want to look at your room.