Reframing the Narrative of the Global War on Terrorism
ABSTRACT
The election of President Obama has created a unique opportunity for the United States in the Muslim world. President Bush’s over-aggressive tone played a large part in alienating opinion and fanning the flames of anti-Americanism, as Muslims felt that he was a warmonger and unwilling to compromise. Obama’s recent speech in Cairo showed his appreciation that a line must be drawn under this and a new approach taken. While key policy continuities remain, Obama is approaching these issues from a fundamentally different angle – he seeks, and appears to seek, engagement; Bush, too many Muslims, appeared to seek confrontation.
AUTHORS
Advanced Research and Assessment Group, The United Kingdom Defence Academy
Dave Sloggett is an independent consultant and social psychologist supporting the development of influence doctrine in the United Kingdom and NATO. His studies focus on the societal landscapes of Somalia and Afghanistan and their impact upon the way in which narratives have to be developed to secure the consent of the people to military interventions. He holds the post of Adjunct Professor at the Behavioural Dynamics Institute and is also a Research Associate at the United Kingdom Defence Academy and at York University. He lectures to the Senior Command and PSYOPS Courses for NATO and also supports study days for United Kingdom forces deploying to Afghanistan. In the course of his duties he has visited Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan and he has been a frequent contributor to journals such as IOSphere; writing articles on the development of influence and the applications of insights from contemporary research in social psychology. He earned his Ph.D. in 1991 at the University of Cranfield and is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Principea Consulting Ltd, Ryde, Isle of Wight
UK
Chris Sloggett is a researcher with Principea Consulting Ltd and a history graduate from Lady Margaret Hall College at Oxford University. He is an MSc graduate in US Politics and Contemporary History from the Institute of the Study of the Americas in London, where his dissertation focused on the role of national security in the 2004 presidential election. He has subsequently worked at the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), where he covered global security issues relevant to much of the Middle East, Somalia and India. His work with Principea has focused on Pakistan’s place as the nexus of international terrorism and the rhetoric of Presidents Bush and Obama.
Published In
Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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