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Philippine Phoenix and Cointelpro: Top Secret Army Document Revealed

By G. David Curry, Joe Miller, Pat McCann, Bill Branson, and Barry Romo

By way of explanation

Cointelpro Psyops & Jericho

Dear Concerned Individual:

Enclosed is an extremely educational document. It is about the relationship between the current government of the Philippines, the people of the Philippines and the U.S. government. Operations Plan JERICHO is the mandate for a program of community counter-intelligence (COINTELPRO) and psychological operations (PSYOPS).

For those of us in Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the document is a double reminder. These are the kinds of programs which many of us carried out during the Vietnam War. As most know now know, these programs were targeted on Americans who opposed the war as well as the Vietnamese people. Ironically, we in VVAW also experienced these operations as targets.

The complicity of the U.S. government is not just evident in the format and language of the program. The Chief, JUSMAG (Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group), is listed as a recipient of the distribution on the final page of the document;, Amid reports in the Philippines that the CIA and other U.S. elements were involved in the most recent right-wing coup attempt, the existence of this covert political offensive is who conduct this kind of warfare are required to view truth as a something that must be distorted or, in the words of this document, "an image problem" Political reality becomes a matter of "social engineering." Human beings must be removed with "an invisible surgical knife." Such surgical knives are the stuff of the former PHOENIX (PHUNG HOANG) Program in Vietnam and the death squads of the U.S. "allies around the world."

We know how personally and politically destructive such "human intelligence" (HUMINT) operations can be for the targets and how morally corrupting for the protagonists. Those particularly disturbing.

G. David Curry, PhD
Former Captain
U.S. Army Vietnam

Joe Miller
Former Naval Intelligence
Vietnam/Pacific Region

Pat McCann
Former Air Force Intelligence

Bill Branson
Former Army Security Agency
Panama/Vietnam

Barry Romo
Former First Lt.
U.S. Army Vietnam

Chief of Staff
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Camp General Emelio Aguinaldo
Quezon City

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5 January 1989

Subject: Oplan Jericho

To: See Distribution

1. References
1. Letter of Instruction 6/M6 (Mamamayan)
2. Letter of the Chief of Staff Authorizing Social Projects in Psychological Operations
3. Memorandum of Agreement Between the DND and JUSMAC regarding Enhanced Civilian Participation in COIN Operations in Rural Areas
4. Letter of the Chief, JUSMAG, Approving the Request of the DND for the 4 Year Detail of 25 Social Engineer Specialties to the APP and Conditions of Stay
5. Consolidated intelligence Summaries (INSUM), and the CPP/NPA/NDF and their front organization
6. Special Classified Report: Survey Results, Analysis and Recommendations on APP information proves and Cultural Patterns of the Philippine Population
7. Special Classified Report: Contemporary Behaviors and Cultural Patterns of the Philippine Population
8. Special Classified Reports: developments and Recommendations on the Philippine Tribal Social Engineering in COIN Quaramons in the Southern Philippines.
2. Estimate of the Situation
1. Related OPLANS have already dented SPP/NPA/NDF credibility Captured documents show they now have TOP SECRET an image problem. However, they remain resilient, having been able to exploit various socio-economic issues. In many localities, they have somehow maintained their popular support owing to SYP agitprop among the gullible populace. In many cases still, they are able to counter APP info drivers and psyops.
2. SOTs are making good and sophisticated psyops are proving to be more effective. But to defeat the CTs their isolation from the whole populace should be constantly assured. Tactical military operations to physically isolate the CTs from the populace are costly in men and material, can only be done in certain areas in the field, impossible to accomplish in the urban centers, and can only create bigger problems. What is needed is psyops in COIN progress have been to be much more sophisticated, consistent with tenets of social engineering closely coordinated, and geared to actual CT plans and counter-plans. What is needed is more effective and sophisticated psyops, an invisible surgical knife that should separate the tumor from the healthy mass
3. CPP/NPA/NDF multi-media projection has been checked, system-wise. The difficulty lies in checking CT agitprop hiding behind socio-economic issues and legal fronts. Special psyops should be able to create the climate where these agitprop will not subsist.
4. Based on intelligence estimates and findings, CT agitprop plan this year will maneuver around ceasefire ploy and American bases. New special psyops should be tested and employed vis-a-vis the plan and should provide lessons for future use.
3. Mission and Objectives
1. MISSION
1. Back up OPLAN SUNSET and OPLAN IVORY
2. Undercut CT peace initiative
3. Preempt CT anti-bases bid
4. Take steps to improve on psyops credibility
2. Components
1. Update OPLAN SUNSET and OPLAN IVORY to factional struggles between CC moderates and hardliners. Make maximum use of DPA materials to isolate the hardliners and destroy the credibility of the entire leadership. Inspire and spread intrigues within their ranks.
2. Conduct SMOs against select OT OB targets, open, and underground, and blame these an offshoot of factional rivalries.
3. Neutralize CPP's urban political infrastructure, especially MRRPC, NOC and UFC and their legal fronts.
4. Continue publicizing CT atrocities, bloody purges and killing fields.
5. Find other uses of captured CT documents an prominent ex-CTs.
6. Pursue OPLAN SUNSET to ABB and CT urban support network.
3. TIMESTABLE AND PHASES OF IMPLIMENTATION

OPLAN JERICHO shall commence implementation as soon as the TASK FORCE GROUP and other special bodies creative for this mission have submitted their Implementation Plans (IMPLANS) to the coordinating center not farther than 31 January 1989, the start-up of sliding, schedule up to 31 December 1989.

OPLAN JERICHO shall be implemented in three phases:

1. first phase: psyops build-up from 1 February to 30 April
2. second phase: psyops offensive with SMO from 1 May to 31 August
3. third phase: psyops mopping up with SMO from 1 September to 31 December
4. MANNER OF IMPLIMENTATION
1. The TASK FORCE GROUP to be known as TFC-JERICHO shall be organized with the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff and CG and Chiefs of ISAFP, PSC, CRS, NCRDC and SCS are members.
2. TFG-JERICHO CC shall be responsible for coordinating with other participation units previous screened and selected for this mission.
3. All orders shall be relayed through the command structure agreed upon for this mission.

S/T. RENATO DE VILLA
General, AFP

DISTRIBUTION:

Chief, TFG-ERICHO
Chiefs, participating units
Spokesman, AFP
Chief, JUSMAG

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