{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2443"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2443","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Wilderness of Mirrors: Optimizing Psychological Operations to Counter the Global Jihad","abstract":"The current U.S. strategy to defeat al-Qaeda by using military force has achieved some short-term success by forcing the group underground and limiting its effectiveness, but it has not achieved the strategic goal of preventing individuals from joining the group. Military might should not be used as the cure-all to counter al-Qaeda, its affiliate groups, and leaderless terrorists, collectively referred to as the Global Jihad Movement. In order to counter terrorist mobilization and recruitment, the U.S. should focus more attention on other state tools to counter terrorism such as diplomacy, financial controls, criminal law enforcement, intelligence, and more specifically deception, covert action, and psychological operations (PSYOPS). The current utilization of PSYOPS is ineffective at countering propaganda and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement, therefore it must change. Through the change in PSYOPS and through the use of other tools of state power available to the United States, a more effective strategy of countering recruitment and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement can be achieved. Only when this strategy of counter-mobilization is implemented, will we finally start to see some success in ending the Global Jihad Movement once and for all.","abstract_html":"The current U.S. strategy to defeat al-Qaeda by using military force has achieved some short-term success by forcing the group underground and limiting its effectiveness, but it has not achieved the strategic goal of preventing individuals from joining the group. Military might should not be used as the cure-all to counter al-Qaeda, its affiliate groups, and leaderless terrorists, collectively referred to as the Global Jihad Movement. In order to counter terrorist mobilization and recruitment, the U.S. should focus more attention on other state tools to counter terrorism such as diplomacy, financial controls, criminal law enforcement, intelligence, and more specifically deception, covert action, and psychological operations (PSYOPS). The current utilization of PSYOPS is ineffective at countering propaganda and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement, therefore it must change. Through the change in PSYOPS and through the use of other tools of state power available to the United States, a more effective strategy of countering recruitment and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement can be achieved. Only when this strategy of counter-mobilization is implemented, will we finally start to see some success in ending the Global Jihad Movement once and for all.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Seitz, Matthew"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Bradley Thayer"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z","subjects":["terrorism","global jihad","psychological operations","psyop","mind game","deception","counter-mobilization","Islamist extremism","al-Qaeda","leaderless terrorists","affiliate groups","Islamic","extremist","Islam","Defense and Security Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Matthew Seitz"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1442","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Bradley Thayer"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Seitz, Matthew"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Defense and Strategic Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["terrorism","global jihad","psychological operations","psyop","mind game","deception","counter-mobilization","Islamist extremism","al-Qaeda","leaderless terrorists","affiliate groups","Islamic","extremist","Islam","Defense and Security Studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Matthew Seitz"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1442"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The current U.S. strategy to defeat al-Qaeda by using military force has achieved some short-term success by forcing the group underground and limiting its effectiveness, but it has not achieved the strategic goal of preventing individuals from joining the group. Military might should not be used as the cure-all to counter al-Qaeda, its affiliate groups, and leaderless terrorists, collectively referred to as the Global Jihad Movement. In order to counter terrorist mobilization and recruitment, the U.S. should focus more attention on other state tools to counter terrorism such as diplomacy, financial controls, criminal law enforcement, intelligence, and more specifically deception, covert action, and psychological operations (PSYOPS). The current utilization of PSYOPS is ineffective at countering propaganda and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement, therefore it must change. Through the change in PSYOPS and through the use of other tools of state power available to the United States, a more effective strategy of countering recruitment and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement can be achieved. Only when this strategy of counter-mobilization is implemented, will we finally start to see some success in ending the Global Jihad Movement once and for all."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Wilderness of Mirrors: Optimizing Psychological Operations to Counter the Global Jihad"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Bradley Thayer"],"dc:creator":["Seitz, Matthew"],"dc:description.abstract":["The current U.S. strategy to defeat al-Qaeda by using military force has achieved some short-term success by forcing the group underground and limiting its effectiveness, but it has not achieved the strategic goal of preventing individuals from joining the group. Military might should not be used as the cure-all to counter al-Qaeda, its affiliate groups, and leaderless terrorists, collectively referred to as the Global Jihad Movement. In order to counter terrorist mobilization and recruitment, the U.S. should focus more attention on other state tools to counter terrorism such as diplomacy, financial controls, criminal law enforcement, intelligence, and more specifically deception, covert action, and psychological operations (PSYOPS). The current utilization of PSYOPS is ineffective at countering propaganda and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement, therefore it must change. Through the change in PSYOPS and through the use of other tools of state power available to the United States, a more effective strategy of countering recruitment and mobilization in the Global Jihad Movement can be achieved. Only when this strategy of counter-mobilization is implemented, will we finally start to see some success in ending the Global Jihad Movement once and for all."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1442"],"dc:rights":["© Matthew Seitz"],"dc:subject":["terrorism","global jihad","psychological operations","psyop","mind game","deception","counter-mobilization","Islamist extremism","al-Qaeda","leaderless terrorists","affiliate groups","Islamic","extremist","Islam","Defense and Security Studies"],"dc:title":["Wilderness of Mirrors: Optimizing Psychological Operations to Counter the Global Jihad"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Defense and Strategic Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z"}