In fall 2002, the United States of America began preparations for a second war
against Iraq. Part of the strategy was to increase the number of flights over the
so-called "no-fly" zones. These zones exist to protect the minority Kurds of the
north and the Shiites of the south. The Iraqis were aware of the increased surveillance
and met it by targeting Coalition aircraft with radar and occasionally firing
anti-aircraft artillery or missiles toward the aircraft. This caused an interesting and
escalating chain reaction. As the Iraqis fired on the aircraft, more aircraft dropped
warning leaflets against such actions, which led to increased anti-aircraft fire. This led
to the bombing of such sites and continued escalation.
By October 2002, there were 46 strikes by U.S.and British aircraft during the
course of the year. Thirty-six of those were in the southern zone. The strikes increased,
as it became clear that President Bush was considering ordering an invasion to oust Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein.
The Coalition had not dropped propaganda leaflets on Iraq since November 2001.
However, on 3 October 2002 an American A10 "Warthog" fighter-bomber was fired
upon by an Iraqi air defense command center in the "no-fly" zone in southern
Iraq as it dropped 120,000 leaflets warning the Iraqi military and Baghdad against
continuing to fire missiles and artillery at American and British jets.
ADA1a
The front of the leaflet pictured a drawing of a warplane firing missiles at a
radar site and anti-aircraft battery on the ground. Arabic text on the front read:
Iraqi ADA Beware!
Do not track or fire on Coalition aircraft!
The back of the leaflet was all text:
Attention Iraqi Air Defense. The destruction experienced by your colleagues
in other air defense locations is a response to your continuing aggression toward planes
of the coalition forces. No tracking or firing on these aircraft will be tolerated. You
could be next.
Due to the anti-aircraft fire against the American tank-killer aircraft A10,
the Coalition bombed an air defense and operations center near Tallil, about 160 miles
southeast of Baghdad.
There are numerous versions of this leaflet. The first version was probably an
early experimental design and showed the jet, radar and SAM site as an outline drawing
with no shading, texture, or depth. The rocket path appears as a single line. It is black
and white. The propaganda text was directly over the illustration on this version, and the
difficult in reading the message was probably the cause for rejection of the design.
A second version was nearly identical to the first as far as shading depth and
texture, but the text is now in the clear areas at the top and bottom of the leaflet. This
version was coded ADA1a, (also IZD-1a) and might have been the first leaflet
dropped since it was illustrated on the official Central Command (CENTCOM) site, though
without comment.
IZD006
A third version of the leaflet illustrates the jet, radar, and SAM site with
shading, depth (with and without color) and texture. The colors seem to have bluish and
gray tinges and the rocket contrail is white. This may be the final version of the
leaflet. It is unknown if it was dropped on the first raid, but it is definitely
the one that was dropped on later air strikes. It is coded IZD006.
The front of the leaflet pictured a drawing of a warplane firing missiles at a
radar site and anti-aircraft battery on the ground. The Arabic text is the
same as the first leaflet in this series depicted above. "Iraqi ADA
Beware! Don't track or fire on Coalition aircraft!" The back of the leaflet was all
text: "Attention Iraqi Air Defense. The destruction experienced by your colleagues in
other air defense locations is a response to your continuing aggression toward planes of
the coalition forces. No tracking or firing on these aircraft will be tolerated. You could
be next."
IZD007
The problem is that there is also an IZD007 with the text and images slightly
smaller. The text seems the same but I notice a very minor change or two, almost invisible
unless you go over every character very closely. My copy is in black and white very much
like the copy of 006 above.
The USS Constellation Version?
Then the icing on the cake is that there is another version both with
and without code number in
full color with a brown border around the text at the back. The answer to all
this confusion is that it was not only the Army printing these leaflets. They were also
printed by the Navy at sea. I saw an uncoded copy of the above “Constellation”
version along with the statement:
They were found among other construction materials purchased from the
decommissioning of this great warship. These leaflets were Air dropped into Iraq by
aircraft of the U.S.S Constellation during wartime engagement in the Persian Gulf.
I was aware that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Constellation (CV-64) reported that
it had prepared 5.5 million leaflets and dropped them from F-18 Hornets during
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2) F-14 Tomcats and F-18 Hornets disseminated leaflets from
the aircraft carrier Constellation in the Navy’s "Operation Litterbug." I was
surprised to discover that they also printed and dropped many leaflets during
the buildup to the war in the “No-fly” period.
In 2003, the Voice of America mentioned leaflets dropped by Navy F-18
fighters that were printed on the Constellation. The article, by Mary
Kennedy, said in part (edited for brevity):
A machine aboard carrier cuts and trims the leaflets before they
are dropped over Iraq. The messages are composed by a U.S. Army unit in
charge of psychological warfare. Naval technicians receive the images by
computer and use a standard copier to print both sides. The forms are marked
“secret,” because when they are received, they are secret, until they are
dropped by naval aircraft. The leaflets are packaged into a roll and you can
get about 3000 per roll. You can place 20 rolls in each canister for about a
mix of 60,000.
Sailors pack the leaflets into canisters in their mess hall. The
work parties are drawn from throughout the ship’s company. The paper is
heavy so the paper can flutter everywhere, but not rip. On the
Constellation, the printing presses are as busy as the flight decks. They
can go from printing to dropping within 24 hours.
The cruise book for the USS Constellation mentions the leaflet printing and
dissemination done on the ship. It says in part:
In an historic first for any carrier group, the USS Constellation’s
Commanding Officer was assigned duties as the Information Wartime Commander
(IWC) and commanded all organic airborne, surface, and subsurface
Information Warfare assets. Providing expert assistance was a senior
Cryptologic Officer, designated the Deputy Information Wartime Commander.
Also part of the Information Warfare Team were two officers and three
enlisted personnel from the Fleet Information Warfare Center Detachment in
San Diego. An Information Warfare Targeting Officer, from Naval Security
Group, San Diego, created non-kinetic target folders in support of Strike
Group electronic attack assets.
The Propaganda radio system on the Constellation
During Operation Iraqi Freedom the Constellation Strike Group Information
Warfare team executed record-setting Information Warfare operations, to
include transmitting over 1,000 hours of PSYOP radio broadcasting into Iraq
and printing over 5 million PSYOP leaflets, with Air Wing two dropping over
9 million leaflets into Iraq. The PSYOP effort in Operation Iraqi Freedom
played a significant role in the liberation of Iraq. All Constellation
sailors should be proud of their role in this new form of warfare.
The leaflets Packed in Boxes
One of the sailors who got the work detail told me:
We printed thousands of them and then stuck them in these little
bomb-looking boxes. Day and night, we worked for about a week around the
clock.
The book went on to explain the navy concept of the Information
Warfare Organization. It says in part:
Information warfare is a new area of warfare to strike group
operations. It is composed of five pillars: Psychological Operations;
Operational Security; Military Deception; Electronic Warfare; and Computer
Network Operations. The five pillars of Information Warfare were employed in
support of airborne, surface combatant and Special Operations forces and
forged unprecedented and successful new tactics.
During deployment, the Constellation Strike Group successfully
conducted several exercises to practice our ability to confuse an adversary.
[Author’s Note: The Navy regularly sailed off the beaches of Kuwait to keep
the Iraqis on guard awaiting a Marine landing. Those Iraqis were caught totally by surprise when General Schwarzkopf
did his daring “Hail Mary” maneuver around the flanks of their dug-in forces
and attacked from the west instead of from the south.]In this is not confusing enough look at the last character at the upper right. You
will see something that looks like an apostrophe (!). Notice that little squiggle below
the upright line. I have this leaflet without the squiggle (like 006 above). So, it is
possible that as the images went back and forth between the Army and Navy that was lost,
or perhaps that missing squiggle changed the message in some way. So, we have this
leaflet coded and uncoded, in color and in black and white and with minor changes. Good
luck trying to figure all of that out.
It is interesting to see the difference between what the military states was
the official message, and what the target audience actually read. An Iraqi translation of
the leaflet reads, “Air Defense Forces be warned! Do not attack the Alliance’s
forces and do not follow it with your radars. The destruction that fell upon your comrades
in other air defense sites is the answer to your continued aggression against the
Coalition forces. Do not follow or fire at the coalition forces or you will be the next
target.” The leaflet was originally coded ADA1a, later versions IZD006. Due to the
anti-aircraft fire against the A10, a strike was launched against an air defense and
operations center near Tallil, about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad.
IZD1bd05
On 28 October, Coalition aircraft again dropped warning leaflets over southern Iraq.
The front of this full-color leaflet pictures an armed Iraqi soldier at the far right,
while an anti-aircraft gun is in the background at the left. The artillery is firing at
allied aircraft, the shells exploding far behind the jet fighter. The Arabic text above
and below the vignette reads:
Before you engage coalition aircraft, think about the consequences.
The back of the leaflet shows the face of soldier surrounded by smoke and debris from
an allied bomb. At the lower right, a woman in a burqa holds two children. Text on the
back reads:
Think about your family. Do what you must to survive.
020-01Dd
The Coalition dropped a second full-color leaflet at the same time. There
are three varieties of this leaflet. The only difference is the type of anti-aircraft
weapon. In one leaflet, there are two versions of an artillery piece firing shells; in the
second, it is a tracked vehicle firing missiles. In all cases the illustration at the
right shows the Iraqi weapon firing at the Coalition aircraft and the word "If."
The picture at the left shows the aircraft firing a missile at the Iraqi weapon and the
word "Then," (in later documents the word is translated as
"Reaction"). The back of the leaflet shows the Coalition jet flying overhead
while there is nothing but smoke and debris left of the anti-aircraft weapon and the text
"You decide."
020-01Df
Tracked vehicle firing missiles
In the first version of the artillery leaflet the cannon is closer to the
foreground and the crew stand ready at their weapon. This leaflet is coded 020-01Dd. In
the second variety of this same leaflet, the cannon is further away and a member of the
crew flees before the Coalition rocket strikes the artillery piece. The second variety is
coded 020-01Df. The code number of the leaflet showing the missile launcher is unknown.
The Coalition dropped 120,000 over the southern city of Al Basrah and
60,000 over As Samawah. Another 60,000 scheduled for As Samawah were not disseminated due
to an aircraft malfunction.
The third PSYOP drop in six weeks was on 8 November, when Coalition planes scattered
leaflets over southern Iraq, once again urging the Iraqis not to fire on American and
British warplanes. The allies dropped the same two leaflets that were dropped on 28
October, "Think about your family" and the "If…Then" artillery
piece leaflet. The aircraft reportedly dropped 240,000 leaflets around the town of Al
Amarah, which is about 120 miles southeast of Baghdad.
The fourth leaflet mission occurred on 17 November when Coalition aircraft dropped
120,000 leaflets near the town of Ar Rumaythah in southern Iraq. Once again, the
"Iraqi ADA Beware!" and the "If…Then" leaflet were disseminated.
The Iraqis responded with anti-aircraft fire, which led directly to the bombing of sites
near the city of Mosul.
On 28 November, Coalition aircraft dropped 360,000 leaflets on a communications site
between Al Kut and Al Basrah in southern Iraq. This site had been attacked a week earlier
on 22 November. The Coalition dropped three different leaflets. One leaflet pictured three
American F16 "fighting Falcons" bombing fiber optic cables on the ground. The
explosion and crater are illustrated. The next picture shows a truck bearing an Iraqi
eagle symbol nearing the crater to repair the fiber optic cables. The same three F16s now
drop bombs aimed directly at the repair truck. Text on the front of the leaflet is,
"Military fiber optic cables have been targeted for destruction. Repairing them
places your life at risk.” The back of the leaflet shows a caricature of Saddam
Hussein holding a map of Iraq and the text, "Military fiber optic cables are tools
used by Saddam and his regime to suppress the Iraqi people." The leaflet is coded
IZD011a. Over
a dozen of the Coalition leaflets were also printed at sea by the U.S.
Aircraft Carrier Constellation (CV-64) and dropped over southern Iraq by Naval
aircraft. This is one of those leaflets.
IZD011a.
020-20D
The third full-color leaflet shows F16s leaving the scene after bombing fiber optic
cable on the ground. An arrow points to the cable with the text, "Military Fiber
Optic cable." The back is all text and states, "For your safety. Stop repairing
military fiber optic cable. You are risking your life. The cables are tools used to
suppress the Iraqi people by Saddam and his regime, they are targeted for
destruction." This leaflet is coded IZD009.
IZD009
The same three leaflets were dropped on 2 December by Operation Southern Watch aircraft
over communication facilities located between Al Kut and An Nasiriyah, approximately
100-150 miles southeast of Baghdad in Southern Iraq. These sites had been bombed the
previous day. The Coalition dropped 240,000 leaflets, 60,000 leaflets each in four
fiberglass leaflet bombs. This was the sixth Coalition leaflet drop in two months. The
aircraft flew from the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
IZD009 was also printed at sea by the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Constellation
(CV-64) and dropped over southern Iraq by Naval aircraft.
At 0400 on 16 December, Coalition aircraft dropped 480,000 leaflets over six different
locations in southern Iraq. There were six different leaflets. Four of the leaflets had
been dropped on earlier raids. They are the “Iraqi ADA Beware…” (IZD006),
“Coalition Airpower…” (020-20D), “Before you engage…”
(IZD1bd05), and “Military Fiber Optic cables…” (IZD011a).
The Coalition dropped two new leaflets. The first new full-color leaflet is very
similar to the “Military Fiber Optic…” (IZD011a) leaflet dropped on 28
November. In fact, the back is identical. The front now shows a truck and a bulldozer
about to repair destroyed fiber optic cable as three F-16s drop bombs on the site. Once
again the text is “Military fiber optic cables have been targeted for destruction.
Repairing them places your life at risk.” Once again, a small arrow points to a
broken cable with the text “Military Fiber Optic cable.” This leaflet is coded
IZD0010a.
IZD0010a
The second new leaflet pictures a map of Iraq and two radio transmitters. This
“Information Radio” leaflet lists five frequencies that the Iraqi people can
listen to between the hours of 1800 and 2300 daily to hear Coalition broadcasts. The
frequencies are 756 KHZ AM, 693 KHZ AM, 9715 KHZ SW, 11292 KHZ SW, and 100.4 MHZ FM. The
same message appears on both front and back. This leaflet is coded IZD001. These
broadcasts began 12 December.
IZD001
The Coalition broadcast the usual Arabic music and news, and messages aimed at dividing
the Iraqi people and military from Saddam Hussein. One message, broadcast from a United
States Air Force EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft flying over Iraq said, “Saddam has
built palace after palace for himself and has purchased a fleet of luxury cars all at the
expense of the Iraqi people. This money would be much better suited to build libraries and
schools. This money would have gone a long way to provide better food and medicine for the
people of Iraq. The amount of money Saddam spends on himself in one day would be more than
enough to feed a family for a year.
On 21 December, Coalition forces dropped leaflets on southern Iraq for the eighth time
in three months. The leaflet drop occurred between 0430 and 5000 over Al Amarah and As
Samawah. Aircraft dropped 240,000 copies of the “Information Radio” leaflet
(IZD001) over the two locations.
On 23 December, Coalition aircraft dropped 120,000 of the same Information Radio
leaflets (IZD001) over Ash Shatrah and another 120,000 leaflets over Ar Rifai,
approximately 140 miles southeast of Baghdad. The drop occurred at approximately 0430.
It is interesting to chart the continued dropping of leaflets on a map of Iraq. The
first nine drops all occur in a 200-mile diameter circle to the southeast of Baghdad. One
wonders if this is the psychological preparation of the battlefield where the eventual
ground attack is to be staged, or simply the scene of the most aggressive Iraqi
targeting of aircraft
A tenth leaflet mission was successfully completed on December 27. Coalition aircraft
disseminated the "Information Radio" leaflet (IZD001) at approximately 0630 on
three separate sites in southern Iraq; an area south of Ad Diwaniyah, Ar Rumaythah, and
Qawam Al Hamzah. The aircraft dropped 240,000 leaflets.
Coalition aircraft dropped the same "Information Radio" leaflet (IZD001)
again on December 28 at approximately 0800. The towns of Al Majarr al Kabir and Qal At
Sukkar were targeted. 120,000 leaflets were dropped over each town.
IZD002
On 2 January, Coalition aircraft leafleted Iraq for the twelfth time in three months.
At about 0515 the aircraft distributed a newly designed full-color "Information
Radio" leaflet over Al Basrah and An Nasiriyah in the southeastern corner of Iraq.
This leaflet depicts a radio tower in the center and small portable radios to the left and
right. The text is the same as the previous radio leaflet IZD001. The text is
"Information Radio 1800-2300 daily. 756 KHZ AM, 693 KHZ AM, 9715 KHZ SW, 11292 KHZ
SW, 100.4 MHZ FM."
The same message appears on both front and back. The leaflet bears the same design as
one dropped over Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002 (AFD06). However,
the Afghan leaflet is gray with black text. The full color no-fly leaflet to Iraq is coded
IZD002. A total of 480,000 leaflets were dropped.
The thirteenth leaflet mission of the "No-fly" campaign was flown over
southeastern Iraq on 4 January at approximately 0615. Coalition aircraft dropped 240,000
of the new "Information radio" leaflets (IZD002) over Al Amarah and As Samawah.
Propaganda leaflets and radio broadcasts were not the only media used to send messages
to the people of Iraq. About 11 January, the U.S. Military began an e-mail campaign urging
military and civilian leaders in Iraq to abandon Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities blocked
the incoming e-mails in an apparent attempt to stop the messages from spreading throughout
the country. One of the messages was:
"If you provide information on weapons of mass destruction or if you takes steps
to hamper their use, we will do whatever is necessary to protect you and protect your
families. Failing to do that will lead to grave personal consequences."
"If you took part in the use of these ugly weapons, you will be regarded as war
criminals. If you can make these weapons ineffective. Then do so. If you can identify the
position of weapons of mass destruction by light signals, then do so. If all this is not
possible, then at least refuse to take part in any activity or follow orders to use
weapons of mass destruction."
"Iraqi chemical, biological and nuclear weapons violate Iraq's commitment to
agreements and United Nations resolutions. Iraq has been isolated because of this
behavior. The United States and its allies want the Iraqi people to be liberated from
Saddam's injustice and for Iraq to become a respected member of the international
community. Iraq's future depends on you."
The fourteenth leaflet mission was flown by Coalition forces on 13 January. Aircraft
dropped 240,000 "Information Radio" leaflets about 0710 over An Najaf. An Najaf
features a number of Shiite Moslem shrines including the golden-domed shrine of Ali.
Coalition aircraft dropped the "Information Radio" leaflet (IZD002) over Al
Kut on 18 January at approximately 0345. The fourth PSYOP mission of 2003 consisted of
180,000 leaflets.
Coalition forces dropped 360,000 "Information Radio" leaflets over six
different cities in Southern Iraq at 0716 on 19 January. Ar Rumaythah, Qawam Al Hamzah,
Ash Shatrah, Ar Rifai, Qal at Sukkar and Al Majarr were targeted.
With the invasion of Iraq being forecast for just weeks away, on 23 Jan at
approximately 1230 Coalition aircraft dropped 240,000 leaflets over a communication
facility near Al Amarah. The leaflets, IZD009 and IZD011a warned the Iraqis not to repair
fiber optic cables.
CBS News "Eye on America" broadcast a short television report on PSYOP on 23
January. The segment pictured M129 leaflet bombs being filled with rolls of the no-fly
zone leaflets. The commentator discussed the accuracy with which these leaflets could be
disseminated and stated that over three million warning leaflets had been dropped on Iraq
as of that date.
Coalition forces dropped the "Information Radio" leaflet (IZD002) on 24
January at approximately 0715 over communication facilities near An Najaf. At the same
time they leafleted Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr, both located on the Al Faw Peninsula, the part
of Iraq closest to the Persian Gulf. The Coalition aircraft dropped a total of 360,000
leaflets.
Saddam Hussein commented on the alleged futility of the Coalition leaflet campaign
during a 27 January speech to senior army officers. Iraqi state television broadcast
excerpts of the meeting. Saddam stated, "The enemies think that people are eager to
read their leaflets..." and "Your brothers among the people and the armed forces
stage what resembles a ceremony after collecting and burning these leaflets...."
History indicates that when a nation publicly attacks psychological operations it is a
sign that the propaganda is effective.
Five different leaflets were included in the 480,000 dropped over southern Iraq by
Coalition aircraft on January 30 at 1145. Targeted were the towns of An Nasiriyah, As
Samawah, Qal At Sukkar, Al Basrah, and Umm Qasr. Four of the leaflets had been previously
distributed, the military fiber optic cables…(IZD011a), military fiber optic cables
(IZD010a), Coalition air power…(020-20D), and Information radio…(IZD001).
IZD027
The one new leaflet is coded IZD027 and warns the people of Iraq to stay away from
sites where Saddam Hussein might hide military vehicles and personnel. School children
visit the Shaheed (Martyr’s Monument) at the front-right of the full-color
leaflet. This quarter-billion dollar blue-tile monument commemorates the Iraqi dead in the
Iraq-Iran war. At the left of the leaflet, Coalition jets are shown firing rockets at
Iraqi tanks hiding near the monument. Text on the back of the leaflet is "Coalition
forces do not wish to harm the noble people of Iraq. To insure your safety, avoid areas
occupied by military personnel." Coalition aircraft dropped similar leaflets showing
Iraqi weapons hiding near mosques and in schoolyards during the Persian Gulf War of
1990-1991.
IZD003
Coalition aircraft flew PSYOP missions for the second straight day when 360,000
leaflets were dropped over Al Kut about 0230 on 31 January. Two leaflets were dropped.
Besides the first information radio leaflet (IZD001), U.S. aircraft also dropped a third
variety of the radio leaflet (IZD003). This new full-color leaflet depicts a radio
antennae at the left and the CENTCOM stations and frequencies in the center. The right of
the leaflet pictures a map of Iraq. As in all the radio leaflets, the front and back are
identical.
At 1330 on the same day Coalition aircraft dropped another 840,000 leaflets in and
around An Nasiriyah, Al Amarah, and Al Basrah. In all, seven different leaflets were
dropped, "For your safety..." (IZD-009), "Military fiber optic
cables..." (IZD-010a and IZD-011a), "Coalition air power..." (020-20D),
"Information radio..." (IZD-001 and IZD-003), and "Coalition forces do not
wish..." (IZD-027). This was by far the most significant day of the PSYOP campaign
with 1,200,000 leaflets dropped over four locations in southern Iraq within eleven hours.
The Coalition dropped 360,000 leaflets near Al Amarah and Ar Rumaylah at 0110 on 1
February. They dropped three different leaflets, all "fiber optic cables"
varieties, (IZD-009, IZD-010a, and IZD-011a). This was the 12th leaflet drop by Coalition
aircraft in 2003 and the 23rd since the Coalition began leaflet drops in October 2002.
Coalition aircraft dropped 420,000 leaflets over several locations near Al Hayy at 0200
on 2 February. The leaflets mix was made up of "Military fiber optic cables...'
(IZD-009A, IZD-010a, and IZD-011a), "Coalition air power..." (020-20D), and
"Coalition forces do not wish..." (IZD-027).
The official CENTCOM site stated that a radio leaflet was also dropped but it was not
identified. Kut Al Hayy Airbase is served by one main runway measuring 9,800 feet and has
hardened aircraft shelters at each end of the runway.
On 6 Feb Coalition aircraft dropped leaflets at approximately 0230 near Al Basrah, Az
Zubayr, Umm Qasr and An Nasiriyah. The Coalition dropped a total of 480,000 leaflets. The
leaflet mix consisted of the "Information radio..." (IZD001) and the
"Coalition forces do not wish..." (IZD027).
Coalition aircraft dropped 480,000 leaflets at 0500 on 8 February near An Nu'maniyah,
Al Kut, Al Amarah and Al Qurnah. Like the drop of 6 February, the mix consisted of the
"Information radio..." (IZD-001) and the "Coalition forces do not
wish..." (IZD027) leaflets.
The Reuters News Service reported 10 February that the Coalition had prepared a
highly classified leaflet that warns ship owners of confiscation of their vessel if they
attempt to help Iraqi leaders to escape.
IZD048
The front of the leaflet depicts an allied warship near an Iraqi ship. The text is,
"Do not aid Iraqi military and regime leadership attempting to escape." The back
bears the warning, "The Coalition is here to block the escape of the Iraqi leaders
attempting to flee. If you harbor, aid or assist these individuals you risk the
confiscation of your vessel and endanger yourself and your crew. If you observe defectors,
report it to Coalition forces. DO NOT LET SADDAM'S REGIME ESCAPE JUSTICE."
The Coalition did not disseminate this leaflet prior to the actual start of the war.
Purloined copies surfaced in Manama, the capital of Bahrain and home to the U.S. Navy's
Fifth Fleet.
Coalition aircraft increased the psychological pressure on 12 February with a massive
drop of 480,000 leaflets over central and southern Iraq. Separate missions dropped
leaflets over Al Hillah, Al Qasim, Madhatiyah, Al Hashimiyah at 0325, and Safwan, Al
Basrah and Az Zubayr at 0600. There were five leaflets in the mix. Among those dropped
previously were the "Information Radio…" (IZD001), "Coalition forces
do not wish…" (IZD027), "Coalition air power…" (020-20D) and the
"Iraqi ADA beware…" (IZD006).
IZD028
The aircraft dropped one new leaflet. American PSYOP
routinely depicts heavy bombers as a military threat. No such leaflet had been prepared so
far in this campaign. The new leaflet shows an ominous parked B-52 Stratofortress with a
full load of bombs displayed on the ground. Bombs frame the photograph at the left and
right. The text is, “Attacking Coalition aircraft invites your destruction.” The
back of the full-color leaflet shows a "smart bomb" falling through the air and
the text, “Do not fire at Coalition aircraft. If you choose to fire, you will be
destroyed. Coalition forces will attack you with overwhelming force. The choice is
yours.” The B52 is a 50-year old bomber first flown in 1952. The “H” model
flies current missions. It can carry up to 108 conventional bombs, 84 internally and 24
under the wings.
IZD028a
There is a second version of this leaflet coded IZD028a. This leaflet is
almost identical except that instead of a parked B52 bomber on the front, an AC-130
Hercules "Spooky" Gunship is depicted firing tracer rounds forward. All the
other features, including the texts, "Attacking Coalition aircraft invites your
destruction," and "Do not fire at Coalition aircraft…" is identical to
IZD028.
On the same date the Pentagon announced that over 150,000 reservists had been activated
for service. This is the biggest call-up since 265,000 were mobilized during the 1991 Gulf
War. U.S. troops, both regular and reservists, now number more than 130,000 in the gulf
region. Nearly half are in Kuwait, neighboring Iraq. The Navy will have six or seven
aircraft carriers within striking distance of Iraq by the end of February. By the latter
part of February the size of the U.S. force is likely to exceed 200,000 troops. The dark
of the moon will be 3 March, perfect flying weather for stealth aircraft.
USA Today reported on 13 February that naval aircraft of the aircraft carrier
USS Constellation were dropping leaflets over Iraq in retrofitted Vietnam-era cluster
bombs refitted with fiberglass canisters. Leaflets were identified that warned Iraqis not
to use biological or chemical weapons and warning Iraqis that Saddam will attempt to
poison the environment and ruin their livelihood by dumping oil. These leaflets are
unknown. We assume that reporters on the Constellation saw them.
On 14 February, Operation Southern Watch aircraft dropped 360,000 leaflets over
Shalhah, Al Qurnah, and Al Madina at about 1400 in a daylight raid. The aircraft dropped
three leaflets, all information radio types (IZD001, IZD002 and IZD003).
Coalition aircraft dropped 180,000 information radio leaflets (IZD001) at 0345 on 23
February. The leaflet drop occurred on and around the Al Faw Peninsula near Umm Qasr,
Safwan and Al Faw. At the same time, the United States escalated the pressure on Iraq by
announcing that B-52 Stratofortress bombers conducted the first in a number of planned
training missions in the North Arabian Gulf region. B52s were used extensively with great
effect against massed Iraqi Army divisions stationed along the Kuwaiti-Saudi border during
the Persian Gulf War.
The Coalition escalated the PSYOP campaign on 24 February when they dropped a mix of
eight leaflets on five areas in southern Iraq. The operation commenced at 0500 and
targeted locations near Al Kut, Az Zubayr, the Qalat Salih airbase, Salman Az Azhir and Al
Basrah.
For the first time, three of the leaflets mentioned "weapons of mass
destruction." Although the current air operations against Iraq are based on the
belief that Iraq continues to build and conceal such weapons, no propaganda leaflet
mentioned this term before 24 February. The Coalition informed Saddam Hussein during the
Gulf War that any use of such weapons would lead to immediate retaliation. This is the
first time such threats have appeared in print, although the leaflets do not mention
retaliation in kind.
