1 FALSE NEWS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF WAR PROFESSOR TUGHRAL YAMIN PHD* Abstract Most militaries of the world consider surprise as one of the essential principles of war. Influenced by the dictum that all is fair in love and war, sages like Kautilya, Sun Tzu and Machiavelli have recommended the use of stealth and chicanery in warfare and statesmanship. Military commanders are trained in staff and war colleges to do the unexpected and appear at the time and place least expected to dominate the battle space. The non-state actor has more flexibility in this regard because he follows no rules. Surprise in war can be achieved through subterfuge, ruses, and deception. A number of means including propaganda is used to spread false news to condition the minds of the enemy. This includes covert means like rumor mongering and whispering campaigns by fifth columnists and agents. More traditional means include psychological operation themes (as part of the broader information warfare) perpetuated through print and electronic media. The advent of social media has become a force multiplier in waging a malicious propaganda campaign. The purpose of spreading false news is to lower the morale of the troops and the nation. If a nation is convinced that it cannot win a war it will sue for peace even before the war has started. A credible propaganda can weaken nation’s moral fiber and erode its resolve to resist a foreign invasion. This paper posits that false news must be countered by improving the lot of the nation. No amount of contrived positive narrative can succeed, if the basic human needs of the common man are not fulfilled. In order to survive the toxic effects of false news, the citizen must have faith in the leader’s ability to rise to the occasion and ably lead them within a benevolent state system. Keywords: fake news, rumor, psychological operations (psyops), national morale, counter narrative * Professor Tughral Yamin is the founding member and Associate Dean of the Centre for International Peace & Stability (CIPS). Dr. Yamin earned his PhD from the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. Professor Yamin has been a career infantry officer and retired as a brigadier. Introduction Whereas professional armies train with the aim of winning wars, victories are only possible if the entire nation supports the war effort. Nations having little faith in their top leadership both civil and military are not likely to become part of what they may deem as a lost cause. The national will in fact is the center of gravity of any campaign (military as well as non- military). If it is damaged before or during the war, the war effort will crumble. The collapse of the national will can be triggered, if doubts are sown in the mind of the common man. A defeatist narrative can sap the spirit of the people and can become a self- fulfilling prophecy. Spreading a damaging narrative can be done through multiple means. The more traditional way is by the clever use of the regular print or electronic media. It can be done more deviously through the rumor mill or the social media. The new phenomenon of the social