Weaponising intent : should Singapore develop an offensive psychological warfare capability?

• Main Author: Lim, Zacchaeus
• Other Authors: Katagiri Azusa
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science::International relations; DRNTU::Humanities::History::Asia::Singapore::Politics and government
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/76720
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

According to Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, the Persian Emperor Cambyses II ordered his soldiers to bear shields with felines drawn as the Egyptians whom they fought against, revered felines as Gods and were hesitant to damage these symbols. As a result, the Egyptian city of Pelusium was easily conquered by the Persians. While the provenance of this early lore leaves much uncertainty as to its veracity, what is clear is that psychological warfare has had an impact to the annals of man. Indeed, we note the contemporary use of psychological operations in war ranges as far back as the First World War. With the rise of the information age however, its effects have been dramatically expanded even into peacetime. Particular to Singapore, a country encircled by volatile relations, the use of psychological warfare is intriguing especially if it can potentially preclude armed conflict by strategically shaping foreign narrative. This paper therefore contemplates whether Singapore should develop an offensive psychological warfare capability through a qualitative study.