New Twitter Account Is More Than a Stage to Showcase Terrorist Groups in the Guise of Trolling Them

We use our new Twitter account to promote Terrorists and
 intimidate analysts who don't abide by our playbook. 

Four years ago we launched @FearDept to promote publicize threats to the Homeland. Based on the success of that venture, in 2013 the Secretary of Fear authorized an expansion of our social media operations. Our new account is called @ThinkAgain_DOS (Dept Of State).

"Think Again" is the moto of our newest public relations and thought-policing initiative. The ostensive, publicly acknowledged purpose of the account is to strike back against Terrorists at a moment's notice whenever they terror-tweet. In other words, to troll them.

Some background. Once the destabilization of Syria was underway, the Secretary of Fear asked staff how some of the smaller terrorist groups could get noticed and attract followers. It had come to his attention that even some important terror groups like Al Nussra only have a few thousand followers. Sec Fear identified the need for a stage, a veritable security theater, where up-and-coming terror groups could make a name for themselves; a cyberspace where they could work on developing their infamy.  It occurred to us that if the Department were to follow some terrorist organizations on Twitter, it could enhance their visibility. Sec Fear's recognition of the need to raise the public profile of Twitter Terrorists was the inspiration behind @ThinkAgain_DOS. Pointing to the big picture, the Secretary explained:

Over time, enhancing the profile of Twitter Terrorists ought to help our corporate partners fund new and profitable counter-twitter-terrorism, cyber-warfare, and surveillance initiatives.  

However, our new Twitter account is more than a stage to showcase terrorist groups in the guise of trolling them.  Observers have noticed it serves another, rather insidious purpose.

Jonathan Krohn (@JihadiStuff) told CNN that we "target journalists and analysts with as much verve as attacking jihadis." Krohn's observation was grounded in his firsthand experience interacting with @ThinkAgain_DOS:

We had publicly insinuated that Krohn, an American writer and journalist, works for the Terrorists:

Aris Roussinos (@arisroussinos), a crisis reporter for Vice Magazine, observed of our new Twitter account:

More than a stage for promoting up-and-coming terrorists, @ThinkAgain_DOS provides a platform from which staff can insult, heckle and harass independent analysts and journalists.  This is important because with respect to our operations in Syria, there are voices we would like to silence.

To help Israel dominate its neighborhood, we have been trying to weaken the Syrian state. It's a policy that has resulted in over 150,000 deaths. So far, we have avoided criticism by blaming Assad on the one hand, and on the other, sending American celebrities to Syrian refugees camps to plead that the world do something. Of course, the revolving door between the Department and various human rights organizations has also helped us dodge criticism.

In Libya we funnelled about $500 million to al-Qaeda aligned groups. Likewise, it's no secret that the backbone of our Syria policy entails supporting armed resistance groups who depend on the muscle of al-Qaeda. The Financial Times describes the Terrorists as the "invaluable allies" of the groups we directly support.

Al Qaeda: The friend of our friend...

Whenever independent analysts draw attention to our tactical alliances with bonafide jihadists, we either ask our media partners to ignore their reporting (the Sy Hersh treatment) or we try to intimidate them into silence (#ThinkAgain strategy).

Saudi Arabia is our ally in the war against Syria's secular regime.

In terms of producing quality anti-Syria propaganda, apart from the fact Syria's Christians overwhelmingly support Assad and the likelihood that Assad would win a fair election [update: he won], the most inconvenient fact about Syria is its secularism. It's awkward for us that many Assad supporters have a Western mindset. It's downright embarrassing that Syria under Assad is a more open society than the absolute monarchies of the Gulf, our allies against the Syrians.

Partisangirl (@Partisangirl) has been one of the sharpest critics of our efforts to destabilize Syria. @Partisangirl is a Sunni Muslim who doesn't want to see her country return to the Middle Ages. Many Syrians share @Partisangirl's assessment that Assad remains Syria's best hope for keeping Syria an outpost of secular values in a region where women are often treated as second-class citizens.

The following screenshot is illustrative of the kind of interactions we have with @Partisangirl. To support her arguments, @Partisangirl will cite a reputable journal like Foreign Affairs. Our social media team at @ThinkAgain_DOS will counter with a link to a story we got printed in one of the tabloids.

PartisanGirl quotes from Foreign Affairs, we link to tabloid stories.

Because @Partisangirl is a strong debater, we have learned to respond to her arguments by insulting her. For example, noticing a typo in one of her tweets, we asked her why she couldn't speak English properly.

You might be tempted to call our interactions with @Partisangirl undiplomatic. Absolutely. The last thing we want is a debate about Syria with someone who knows what she is talking about.

UPDATE:
We were engaged in a Twitter conversation with ISIS when @Partisangirl interrupted us, calling attention to our deception.

Partisangirl caught us trying to pass off an old photo of Lebanon for Syria.

WikiLeaks scaring the shit out of Americans

"It could be very, very damaging. . . . The Secretary slammed the release of the cables, calling it an attack."

- Jill Dougherty, CNN

"...there's enormous potential damage for the United States in these -- in these leaks, Jill. I assume that's what officials there are telling you."

- Wolf Blitzer, CNN

"WikiLeaks is creating a new and potentially dangerous information paradigm...."

- Ada Evening News

As never before during a national security crisis, Americans are turning to social media to express their fears.   A new survey of social media sites by a DoF research team reveals America's deep-seated fear of  WikiLeaks.

Dr. Rebecca Wolf, Deputy Secretary for Community and Social Media at DoF, has learned of Americans who "cannot sleep" (see here and here), so frightened are they of the subversive whistle-blowing organization.

Dr. Wolf writes, "The response on Twitter shows that the media is doing its job." She added, "Throughout the cablegate crisis, government and news media organizations have continued to cooperate in the interest of protecting the national security establishment."

The team's findings affirm that traditional news media organizations continue to serve a critical role.   Easton Syme, a senior DoF analyst, writes, "Rather than displace traditional media, DoF research shows that new social media tools complement traditional media.  Americans learn from traditional news sources what to fear; and the salience of the propaganda is amplified by social media.  It's a virtuous circle."

These tweets illustrate how America has reacted to WikiLeaks:

samtate Sam Tate  Wikileaks scares me

30 Nov 

montagious Monty Dhaliwal  wikileaks scares the hell out of me. Maybe ignorance really is bliss...

29 Nov 

sashanouri Sasha Nouri  This genuinely scares me. RT @cfarivar Gary Sick on Wikileaks, Iran and war  

29 Nov 

littleylittley Gregory Littley Wikileaks scares me, to the core. Hillary Clinton delivered statement on Wikileaks  

29 Nov 

jamesbailie James Bailie  wikileaks scares me. i have no idea what it is, or whether i'm going to die because of it....

29 Nov 

Larawriter Larawriter WikiLeaks scares me.

29 Nov 

DoF salutes everyone who has shared their fear of WikiLeaks by way of social media.  The reaction to WikiLeaks suggests that US citizens have learned to take perceived national security threats very seriously.   That's positive.  Of course, there can be too much of a good thing.   Scared shitless of WikiLeaks, the country may be at risk of paralysis.  Decisions will have to be made.  The question America's leaders face today is:  How to channel public fear of WikiLeaks into programs that will either profit our partners in the security and defense industries or expand the influence of the national security establishment?

Shortly after having been briefed by DoF opinion researchers, Sec Fear Malcolm P. Stag III participated in a panel with Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.   Secretary Stag said,  "At this point, the government needs to do something -- just about anything -- and the sooner the better.  Basically, we've got to either bomb something* or pass some new laws.  Preferably both.  This approach promises to make the American People fee safer."

Mr. O'Reilly asked Secretary Stag if he could be more specific: "Assuming he's not too busy nationalizing American industry, what is the next step Obama might take?"

Sec Fear replied, "Obviously, the next step would be for our Commander in Chief to ask Sec Def Gates  to identify WikiLeaks-related targets to strike.   Whether the bombing is to be carried out by the CIA or the Pentagon, the president needs a list of targets.  He will also want to call up the Attorney General.   (Attorney Gen.) Holder will be told to compile a list of freedoms that Americans could be asked to give up in exchange for the perception of greater security."

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* For example, we can try to take out Julian Assange, as suggested by the Rev. Mike Huckabee, perhaps by way of drone strike as suggested by an advisor to the Canadian prime minister.

Rebecca Wolf appointed Undersecretary for New Media

Honoured guests line up for security screening prior to entry into DoF Center for the ceremony.

Just a note to update you concerning an exciting development. On Thursday afternoon Dr. Rebecca Wolf was appointed Undersecretary for Community and New Media, a new position at DoF.

Rebecca graduated from Harvard University in 1992. After a four year stint at Goldman Sachs, Rebecca attended the University of Chicago where she earned a Ph.D. in economics. In 2004 she was recruited by L. Paul Bremer to serve as the Iraq Market Liberalization Liaison. Rebecca returned to Washington in 2005 where she worked at Treasury.

The appointment ceremony took place at DoF Centre in downtown Washington. Among the distinguished guests in attendance was former Vice President Dick Cheney, His Excellency the Columbian Ambassador to the United States, and Sec. of Fear Malcolm P. Stag III. A number of corporate vice-presidents attended, including Charlie Steele of Raytheon, Steve Gore of Northrop, Mark McCormick of BAE. Non-profit organizations represented included FreedomWorks, the Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council.

Rebecca will be overseeing the future development of this blog, and our efforts to connect with the public through social networking. You can find Rebecca on Twitter.

Welcome to the team Rebecca!

Lessons from a CNN journalist's Twitter experiment

Anchor Jim Clancy, CNN International.

CNN's Jim Clancy recently posted this question to a worldwide audience via Twitter:

clancycnn  Clancy File #QOD : Would you cancel a trip to Europe or change your plans due to the new terror warnings? Tweet away! Tune in The Brief!

Although a number of viewers responded to Clancy's question, the US Department of Fear would not call  Clancy's experiment a success.  We analyzed the responses only to discover that not a single respondent to Clancy's question choose to share anxiety.   All Clancy got back for his efforts, by way of response, were foolish expressions of bravado.

How to account for the disappointing response? It needs to be noted that Clancy's followers on Twitter are not the Fox News audience. They are CNN viewers.    Studies show that compared to Fox News viewers, people who watch CNN tend not to be well informed about terror threats.   On Fox News, even the most speculative threats get hours of airtime.  Nevertheless, CNN is making progress in this regard (we were impressed by its special report on the risk of "cyber attack").    A more pertinent factor is that Clancy's show is broadcast on CNN International, which, compared to its stateside sister network, puts excessive emphasis on reporting actual news stories.  Too much reporting of foreign news means too little airtime for interviews with experts about terror threats.

However, most of the responsibility for the disappointing response lies with the journalist himself.  Jim Clancy is not only a CNN anchor but a  foreign correspondent with decades of experience in war zones from Beirut to Afghanistan.  DoF maintains that foreign correspondents like Clancy have special responsibility --  a moral obligation in this dangerous world -- to show people that it's normal to be scared.    Viewers needed to hear from Jim Clancy himself about his own feelings.  The public yearns to hear from someone with Clancy's background that it's natural to feel scared when a Terror Alert happens.  But Clancy neglected to express his own personal concerns about travel to Europe.  Had Clancy given even a hint of his own personal trepidation about getting on a plane, riding the London underground, or strolling the Champs-Élysées, you can be sure that viewer anxiety would have spread like a shock wave.  The audience would then have thought:  if a guy like Clancy is worried, maybe I should be too.  

Fear wants to travel.  Clancy blocked its transfer by being overly cerebral.  Of course, thinking is not what journalism is supposed to be about.  Great journalism is about helping audiences to feel.   Fox News has this figured out, but CNN still doesn't get it.

Incidentally, the new media model for the transmission of anxiety by way of Twitter, as discussed in the previous post, is British recording artist Lily Rose Allen.   Jim Clancy and other journalists trying to reach out to the public on Twitter would be well advised to study her example.

"An opportunity to share even the most tentative threats"

The New York Times reports on how the US military is tapping social networking skills:

Hunched over monitors streaming live video from a drone, Lieutenant Christopher and a team of analysts recently popped in and out of several military chatrooms, reaching out more than 7,000 miles to warn Marines about roadside bombs and to track Taliban gunfire...  

...three-quarters of the 350 analysts here have never been to the war zones, so a cultural divide can pop up. Several said they were a bit intimidated when Sergeant Smothers, 36, who has had five tours in Iraq, strode onto the floor here in February.

At the time, the analysts were blending data from the U-2s and the drones to watch the roads into Marja and fields where helicopters might land. But as Sergeant Smothers looked over their shoulders, encouraging them to warn the Marines about even the most tentative threats, the analysts warmed up.

The mission of America's social network warriors parallels that of DoF.   Just as Sergeant Smothers wants social networking military officers to "warn the Marines about even the most tentative threats,"  the Department of Fear wants you to share information about "even the most tentative threats" with your friends.  

Let's say you hear that a terror suspect has been captured.   Shock soon gives way to relief that the monster was caught.  But deeper down you are likely frightened.  You are more than little nervous because you have doubts about whether your leaders have been doing enough to protect you.   DoF urges you to share these kinds of fears on a blog, video-blog, Facebook, or Twitter.  Communicate what would make you feel better:   Enhanced interrogation of the suspect?  Stripping the terror suspect of US citizenship? New laws passed by Congress to better balance freedom with security?  More pervasive wiretapping?  Fewer trials?   Shouldn't our president have the authority to do whatever it takes to avert another deadly terror strike?   Do you want to see more public investment in the US Military?  How about tax relief for companies responsible for manufacturing our great arsenal of democracy?  Should the president increase the frequency of US predator drone strikes throughout the Muslim World?  Has the time come to bomb bomb bomb Iran?  Share your personal priorities for making America feel safer. 

If you're pressed for ideas, turn on Fox News.  Then get on twitter and tweet what you've learned. Or sign in to  Facebook where you should strive to be "authentic" with  your online friends.   Genuine people don't just poke their friends and share jokes.  They don't just fret about their diets and trade fashion tips. True patriots are concerned about the security of the homeland.   They talk about how the terrorists seem to hate us so much for our freedoms. They upload photos from FBI.gov of the week's "most wanted" terrorists and post them on their wall.   They chat about nightmare scenarios.*  They know that DoF is there to support them in making the most of today's social networking opportunities.  
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* America's pharmaceutical companies have developed products that help us to cope with anxiety.