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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (273511)	1/25/2010 8:25:25 PM
From: Maurice Winn	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Good memory Hawk. Office of Strategic Influence here: en.wikipedia.org I had joked at the time about how it was disbanded but wasn't really as that was just more disinformation. I didn't know for sure I was right but it was obvious [to me anyway, like the absence of WMDs in Iraq and presence of atomic bombs for real in Iran,] and confirmed later by Rumsfeld - the name was changed and some seats shuffled but the reality remained. One of New Zealand's most admired people, Victoria Cross winner Corporal Willie Apiata tvnz.co.nz Hmm, he could even win the competition now that his face was published on the front page of The New Zealand Herald recently as a result of the conflict in Kabul when Taleban assaulted right in the heart of it. There has been some uproar with nearly everyone saying how bad it was to publish the photo as it will [they say] put him at risk. Similarly, when Prince Harry went with British troops they pulled him out when publicity showed him to be there - for fear of attracting attacks on him as a top target. Personally, I think the photo was great. It was in public, the locals know who is there anyway [NZ SAS soldiers], they were in uniform, right there on the street for all to see. smh.com.au What is the result? A good result. People will see him there, including Taleban if they want to look, and Osama too if he has cyberspace available. My reaction if I was the Taleban would be, "Okay, where is he? Right, you keep an eye on him while we zip over there where he isn't and do an attack. Give us a tinkle if he starts heading our way so we can run for it". It's not as though he's wandering around alone, lost, and can be conveniently kidnapped and used as leverage. I'd be very suspicious if the word on the street was "Hey, Willie's going to a restaurant with his Missus tonight, so let's get a kidnapping group together". I'd think, "Yeah right. It looks like a trap to me." The SAS will be putting out the bait, trying to get Taleban to fall into a Willie Apiata trap. Bait is needed in military settings to induce opponents to get excited and blunder into a trap. Prince Harry wasn't such a good trap because of concern about his safety. Willie's safety is important too, but it's a different type of safety concern. Harry's was more of a Grand Tour educational trip. Willie means business. Traditionally, NZ government gives out zero information about SAS operations to the extent of not even acknowledging where they are. So the automatic response was that the exposure was bad. I think it's good. He's a dinkum good bloke. He and his talented SAS troop will have local acceptance as meaning well, I'm sure. Three cheers for Willie. Perhaps the disbanded Office of Disinformation could let it out that Willie is to visit a village on a goodwill visit [Google could give me a name] in a couple of days and would the locals please help ensure his safety. Then dress up somebody to look very like him. Have the USA fleet of Predators and some of those Spectre things lurking up above. Then have "Willie" come wandering down the road to the village for a nice cup of tea with the local chiefs. Meanwhile, the real Willie and mates knocks on the cave door of Osama who is busy watching to spring the trap for Willie via mobile cyberspace download... rubbing his hands with glee... goes to the door to see who it is .... "Oh crap!!" Mqurice