Recently, opposition groups based in foreign countries have launched an extensive psychological warfare campaign on social and other media platforms. They have created fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other social media under various names and addresses, disseminating misleading publications daily. These publications and propaganda primarily target the values of Afghanistan and Afghans, aiming to incite ethnic and tribal divisions, spread false and misleading information, and promote ethnic, linguistic, regional, and religious biases and discord among the people. In this way, they attempt to sow distrust and hatred among the nation.
These opposing groups and addresses often repeatedly spread outdated and irrelevant issues from other countries in the name of Afghanistan, attributing them to a specific ethnic group or tribe, with the aim of muddying the waters and catching fish. They sponsor their accounts for this purpose and try to reach a large audience. Furthermore, these addresses also promote immoral and misguided behavior among the youth and trap them in various snares.
One group spreads false and misleading information to show instability in security, while others create fake documents and publish them in exchange for money, suggesting that corruption and bribery are widespread in offices. They also release audio clips claiming there are disagreements among government leaders, but these clips are either fake or have been selectively edited and misinterpreted.
All these publications, false information, and materials are deliberately spread by opposition groups based abroad, their supporters, and backers to misrepresent the situation in Afghanistan, undermine people’s mindset, spread distrust, create instability and conduct psychological warfare. Behind each of these accounts sits an individual who is funded by foreign intelligence and other malicious entities, with the sole focus of fulfilling their demands and achieving their objectives.
But despite such extensive efforts, spending a lot of money and promoting evil ideas, their attempts seem largely unsuccessful. People have awakened now; their business is more apparent than ever, and they are no longer deceived. If one looks at the reactions and comments of the public under the posts and tweets of any account, all the opinions are negative and they are criticized for their nefarious goals. This means that people understand their evil ideas and plots better than anyone else.
Considering the rapid advancements in the world of technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, these groups may exploit this industry and technology to manipulate and confuse people’s mindsets, as well as to carry out psychological warfare. They might disseminate fake videos and other propaganda materials about Afghanistan, its situation, and other values and historical realities. The public and ordinary people should also be vigilant in this regard and not fall prey to their deceptive efforts.
Note: The articles, essays, and comments published in Hindukush Voice only reflect the views of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the agreement of Hindukush Voice.