Igor Panarin
Since the beginning of Georgia's aggression on August 8, 2008 President of Russia DA Medvedev, interrupting his vacation, makes a decision: military force to stop the genocide of the Ossetian people and to force the Georgian leadership to peace. For Saakashvili and his foreign patrons Russia's actions were a complete surprise. They expected the diplomatic statements, and in response to aggression against South Ossetia, killing Russian peacekeepers and Russia's regular army units with heavy weapons - tanks, howitzers, multiple rocket launchers, aircraft - have passed the Roki pass. Russia's troops entered not only into South Ossetia, whose people in August 2008 was subjected to fire for the destruction of the Georgian warriors, operating with a truly brutal fascists, but also into Abkhazia in order to prevent the recurrence of the South Ossetian tragedy.
After the punishment of the aggressor, in accordance with international law, the information is continuously increasing pressure on our country, which has protected the Ossetian people from destruction. In fact, in August 2008 against Russia was launched dirty information war. Active participation in it took primarily American and British media. The materials of CNN, BBC, the BBC and several other media-dominated antirossiyskie materials. In the U.S., Britain and some other countries have intensified efforts to form a negative image of Russia.
System information confrontation
Aggressive antirossiyskaya propaganda tries to impose on the world community the negative information clichés about Russia. Unfortunately, the five-day August war in the Caucasus showed our inability to defend their goals and interests in the global information space.
Therefore, Russia will soon need to formulate and give an adequate response to the information in the first place - on the European and former Soviet Union. The decade since the five-day August war in the Caucasus time showed that while Russia's political elite is trying to draw the appropriate conclusions after the information of U.S. aggression, Britain and other countries against Russia. Several public events with participation of leading Russian experts to analyze the information war against Russia (September 17, 2008 - organized by the Public Chamber roundtable "Information Aggression against Russia: the methods of confrontation, October 2, 2008 - organized by the" Fair Russia " International conference "Information wars in modern world").
The main problem, which was evident in the discussions - this is a clear underestimation of the role of information confrontation of modern Russia's political elite in an increasingly global economic and geopolitical competition in the world.
After enforcement of Georgia and its foreign patrons to the world's geopolitical and geo-economic role of Russia in the world will be largely determined by whether it can establish an effective system of information confrontation. Time requires the simultaneous creation of powerful information analysis and advocacy structures for implementation of information models of conflict resolution.
THEORY information confrontation: BASIC CONCEPTS
In our view, be distinguished informational confrontation (fight) in the broad (all fields) and the narrow sense of the word (in any field, for example, political).
Information confrontation (fight) - a form of struggle of the parties, representing the use of special (political, economic, diplomatic, military and other) methods, techniques and tools to influence the information environment of the opposing party and the protection of their own in order to achieve their goals.
Main areas of information confrontation:
- Political,
- Diplomatic,
- Financial and economic,
- Military,
- Space.
Should distinguish two types of information confrontation (fighting): information technology and information and psychological.
For information and technical confrontation of the main objects of the impact and protection - information technology systems: data transfer system (SAP), information protection systems (GIS), and so on.
For information and psychological confrontation of the main objects of the impact and protection are:
1. The system of political and economic decisions.
2. The system of psychiatry.
3. The system of forming public opinion.
4. The mentality of the political elite and the population of the opposing sides.
Information confrontation includes three components: a strategic analysis, information and influence to oppose.
Russia should immediately consider establishing a special organizational and managerial and information-analytical tool (tool), which will be able to perform organizational, managerial and analytical functions for the design and conduct of information operations (both defensive and offensive).
There is a need for an information system in Russia confrontation, part of which should become a foreign policy advocacy.
Russia in order to win the information war, you must create a special organizational and managerial and analytical frameworks to deal with information aggression against our country.
KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM
1. Council for Public Diplomacy, which includes representatives of state institutions, media community, business, political parties, NGOs, etc., Russia, the Council for public diplomacy can lead Prime Minister VV Putin.
In the composition of the board may include: Advisor to the President of Russia on issues of advocacy, the heads of IT department of the presidential administration of Russia, Security Council Secretary, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture Minister, heads of committees on international affairs of the State Duma and Federation Council, heads of leading national media, science, education and culture, representatives of the political elite of Russia.
All actions in the foreign media space should be coordinated. Moreover, the process of information support of Russia's official foreign policy line should connect and big business. Today, neither Russia's largest company, with enormous profits, not in a position to protect its own image from the damage that intentionally applied to a number of Western media. Compulsory big business in the face of CCI, RSPP, the Association of Small and medium-sized businesses, individual corporations such as Gazprom, Rosneft, etc., must participate in the implementation of information policy of the country. Government and business must be in a common point of view on the conduct of information confrontation with the geopolitical and geo-economic competition.
2. Adviser to the President of Russia on issues of advocacy to coordinate information-analytical units of the presidential administration of Russia, units of the government administration, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministries of Culture and Information, Russia's Security Council, dealing with foreign media.
3. The foreign state media holding (VGTRK, Russia Today, «Voice of Russia", "Mayak", RIA Novosti and so on). It is advisable to submission of the media holding the Foreign Ministry of Russia, taking into account, and in many respects and copying the American experience.
Russia must restore its potential mechanism of foreign political propaganda, which was thoroughly destroyed in the 90's. In this area, as in the sphere of nuclear weapons, unfortunately, there was a unilateral disarmament of the information. By the end of the 90-ies of the last century, for example, the entire African continent there is not one of Russia's correspondent points, no representation of the domestic news agencies. Today, this information gap, which we left after the Soviet collapse, China has actively fills.
However, it is gratifying that the failure of 90-ies was understood Russia's leadership. Since coming to power of President Vladimir Putin's confident a gradual recovery of lost items. Key step in this direction is the establishment in 2006, a satellite TV channel Russia Today. Recall that the leading Western news channel CNN was founded in 1980. In the Soviet Union allocated huge sums of money for construction and development of strategic nuclear forces. However, the money for the establishment of the Soviet satellite channel was found.
Soviet political elite underestimated factor information, and CNN increased its influence. As one American general in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm: "While CNN did not say that we won the war, we did not win." And it is true. Many plots "victorious" U.S. actions were taken not on the battlefield, and in Nevada by professionals in Hollywood who knows how to perfectly imitate the conduct of hostilities. Let us recall the famous incident with the release of Private Jessica Lynch during the Second Iraq War in 2003. This episode is an advocacy action Pentagon and rehearsed in advance, which again demonstrates the power of information weapons.
Thus, 26 years separate us from the CNN; the years of our "information hibernation" have found their niches Bi-bi-si, and Foxnews, global channels are Al Jazzira and Euronews. The challenge, of course, is to dramatically increase our satellite broadcasting channel, and, in addition to the planned international broadcasting in Spanish, you must consider the possibility of broadcasting in Chinese. From the standpoint of building an information strategy is not necessary to broadcast in the Chinese language was conducted around the clock: it is desirable to begin broadcasting at least 2 hours a day. Here we can get ahead of our competitors. While this niche is empty, and we are obliged to take her first.
In addition, we must think also about Brazil and India, where we provide our political and economic interests, should provide adequate information support.
In substantially increasing needs of Latin American and African areas. Creating awareness in these regions, cultural centers and saturating them with appropriate products, we will provide our country's positive image. Do not forget the Old World.
Today, their economic interests provide the information resources to different countries. An interesting example in this regard, the UK, which today we have a very difficult relationship. However, unlike Russia, which under the MFA provides information on cultural and awareness programs about $ 6.2 million per year, United Kingdom for this purpose spends $ 862 million natural that British interests in Russia and other countries around the world are covered very well and protected information.
For example, before our great holiday, Victory Day, the NTV channel on May 5, 2008 was a very positive report, but not on Russia's military and its achievements, but about the British. It was described in detail on the military routine of Prince Harry in the British Army, its traditions and so on.
Is it an accident that as soon begin some of the Russian official bodies, which allegedly infringe on British business interests, as soon as there is a wave of publications on the growth of authoritarianism in Russia, the violation of human rights? It is noteworthy that in such campaigns are involved and sufficiently authoritative publications such as The Economist, Financial Times. We certainly can not claim that these and other media receive money from government sources, but there is a clear overlap of the shaft antirossiyskih publications (the reason for which became the so-called Litvinenko case and the situation surrounding the activities of the British Council in Russia, and others) with a completely legitimate actions of the official structures in Russia.
The best answer, in my opinion, is competent to use this experience to defend Russian national interests. First of all, we need to draw conclusions in terms of funding information programs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Center, as well as our few means of information confrontation, first of all - Russia Today and Voice of Russia ".
The foreign media holding State must establish a constructive engagement with the channel Euronews. Broadcasting in Russian of the channel, created in 1993, began in 2001.
Today VGTRK with 16% of shares in the company's capital - one of the 5 largest shareholders Euronews, along with broadcasters from France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
Given the fact that Russia represented VGTRK - the largest shareholder and a financial donor to the channel, it is necessary to analyze the information flow of the European news channel. After the air Euronews very little positive information about Russia. And during the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia on the channel were only antirossiyskie comments, sometimes going over limits of decency (eg August 14, television showed pictures of destroyed Tskhinvali, but the bottom line, reported that it is - destroyed Gori). It turns out that Russia is paying big money, but it gets a neutral or negative information about our country, or any non-existent. But according to expert assessments in Europe, where Euronews is the leading media channel, it looked 168 million families, or about half a billion viewers.
4. State Internet holding company.
You must create a domestic media holding for the production of books, videos, video games and other things for the active promotion on the Internet. It would be financed partly by the state, in part - at the expense of business. Not long ago, China passed the U.S. in the number of Internet users: in the Middle Kingdom - 253 million in the States - 220. The Chinese have put this problem and purposefully sought her for the Beijing Olympics. Let me remind you, in Russia - 40 million Internet users.
Today already appeared online TV. All major TV stations have websites with online broadcasting. Together and on their own experience. I almost did not read newspapers on paper, and get acquainted with their content through a global network. This is much faster and more convenient. New impetus to the development of the Internet and provides mobile communications.
5. Information anti-crisis center.
Authorities in Russia must skillfully manage information flows, to engage in constructive cooperation with the media, large local and foreign. It shall not be a situation 8-11 August 2008, when even in news programs on Russian State television showed Saakashvili more than the leaders of Russia. Due to the advance of trained outreach operations, the enemy had some time to impose their comments events.
On the principles of systematic and hierarchical structure should be built Russia's state information activities at the federal, regional and international levels. Authorities must promptly, in real time to provide their comments about what is happening in the world information space. Authorities should be able to effectively apply the intentional diversion of state structures in the mass media's "sensational information. The essence of such a mutually profitable "deal" is to establish by such publications (reports) a favorable image of Russia in the global information space.
An important aspect is the rash, uncoordinated, incomplete, subject to ambiguous comments of events relating to conflict regions. In this case, unprepared speech to the press, interviews on the go, the uncertainty of the language ultimately complicate the situation, give rise to rumors and distrust of the authorities. Such "information environment", in addition, contributes to destabilize the country. Authorities had previously developed and implemented a number of "home-made dishes. After conflicts develop, usually over a long period of time. The essence of the information models of conflict resolution should be operational "stuffing" in the media previously prepared comments for the situation.
6. System information counter.
The author proposes to consider the possibility of establishing a system to counter information operations geopolitical enemies of Russia, including the resources of both the state and big business, civil society institutions.
7. The system of NGOs - a network of non-governmental organizations in Russia, operating on the territory of the CIS, EU, United States (on the American model - in Russia, there are many American non-governmental organizations funded by the U.S. government).
8. The system of training for the maintenance of the confrontation. Need to identify the main universities in a multilevel training - Diplomatic Academy of Russia, RAGS - heads, the highest level of management. The average level of management - MSU, HSE, MGIMO.
Requirements for specialists INFORMATION WAR
1. Continuous monitoring of their actions, behavior and capabilities.
2. Compliance with all known requirements of confidentiality.
3. Confidence in their abilities and opportunities.
4. Caution and secrecy.
5. Our own system of obtaining and analyzing information.
6. Constant self-improvement.
7. Countering the enemy's information operations.
Russia should have a command response information, or information commandos.
The idea of information by special forces first launched in 2003 in his book "Information Warfare and the Third Rome." Unfortunately, the author's idea was not implemented in Russia and the United States Karen Hughes, long-term advisor to U.S. President George Bush.
The main task of the Information Special Forces - ready for effective action in a possible crisis that ensures thorough advance preparation, planning, and the availability of people able to implement it. Of course, all plan it is impossible, as it is impossible to completely control human nature and the surrounding world. The important thing - to know what to do at any given moment of crisis (emergency) situations.
System of information confrontation can and should operate at four levels: general federal, professional, group and individual.
To integrate all activities into a coherent whole, it is necessary to integrate them into the framework of organizational analysis system (CCA) is a system of administration of the activities and programs of information confrontation of different levels: general federal remit, professional, group and individual.
Options CCA:
1. Research and diagnostic.
2. Analytical prediction.
3. Organizational and management.
4. Methodical.
5. Advisory.
6. Preventive.
7. Check.
8. Correctional.
Weather information threats to our country does not give grounds for optimism. In the first case of repeated attempts to audit the Soviet and European history, especially the twentieth century. These actions against national history, of course, are the elements of information warfare. For example, the regrettable fact that the decisive battle of World War II - Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk - practically not reflected in Western history books. The largest battle in Western historiography recognizes the Battle of El Alamein in Africa. Such distortion of history - not a harmless thing. Attempts to diminish the role of our country in the defeat of fascism undermine the image of Russia as a great victorious powers, as the country - the founder of the UN. In this situation, we no choice but to increase production and enhance its information sources: books, movies, Internet products - a benefit to our content-content that are more objectively assess the country's role in world history. These projects should be financed from both the state and big business.
Summing up, I want to note: first, that we appropriate to do in response to increasing pressure information - to create a state system of information confrontation with the participation of big business, which would have been able to accumulate, coordinate and direct all of the information. Second - to dramatically increase funding for programs of information confrontation. Events information confrontation should be funded on the basis of the main priority. Today, funding for information confrontation is more important than funding for nuclear deterrence.
Information weapons more dangerous for Russia than nuclear weapons. And it is necessary to recognize the political elite of Russia.
The third - should establish a public-private system of administration of the activities of information confrontation of different levels: general federal remit, professional, group and individual.
Fourthly - it is necessary to start public-private process of forming a positive image of Russia abroad, primarily in Europe. Russia's national business must move from a strategy of buying football clubs to a strategy of buying the world's largest media to change their anti-Russia policy information. For example, in Poland more than 90% owned by media representatives of foreign states are actively participating in the informational aggression against Russia. Therefore, most publications about Russia in the Polish media - negative.
Fifth - to raise awareness of Russian-speaking population of all countries. Can not limit this work only within the CIS (although our immediate neighbors, of course, must be a region of special attention). For example, in Germany alone more than 300 thousand citizens of Russia and several million Russian speakers. Our compatriots living in many countries around the world, and work with them should be intensified.
A good example in this respect is not very friendly to Poland, which some time ago introduced a so-called "special" Polish Charter. I already wrote about this, so let me remind briefly. This map gives an opportunity for all Poles living in Poland, have privileges when visiting their homeland. We might well enter the "Russian card" that would allow Russia while visiting our compatriot be eligible for reduced-fare ticket, the opportunity to attend at reduced prices, the main centers of tourism. Thus, we significantly enhance the process of information and cultural exchange.
Igor Panarin - Professor, Doctor of Political Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations of the Diplomatic Academy of Russia. Source: vpk-news.ru
