The current House defense authorization bill is targeting Russia’s aggressive information warfare operations in Ukraine, along with propaganda activities by Islamist terrorists.
The House Armed Services Committee bill added $30 million to special operations forces funding to counter Russian disinformation and Islamic State social media recruitment efforts. The added funds followed a recent visit to Ukraine by committee Chairman Mac Thornberry who is concerned the U.S. military is not equipped to counter this new form of informational warfare.
"Our adversaries around the world are using propaganda to shape the battlefield, drive up their support and inspire imitators," the Texas Republican told Inside the Ring. "We’ve seen [the Islamic State] and al Qaeda use this tool in the Middle East, and Russia use it in Eastern Europe."
Read the full article at the Washington Times.