On Shifting Sands
Information Operations and the British Campaign in Iraq (2003-2009)
Lieutenant Colonel James Chandler author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publishing:4th Feb '27
£85.00
This title is due to be published on 4th February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Explores classified military documents from the Iraq War to highlight the importance of and the challenges associated with the use of information operations in contemporary conflict.
Britain’s intervention in Iraq remains a fault line across political leadership, the armed forces, and wider society. Yet despite the controversy – and the temptation to consign the campaign to history – it still offers hard, indispensable lessons about the character of contemporary conflict and the decisive role of information in modern warfare.
In this definitive study of British information operations in southern Iraq from 2003 to 2009, James Chandler examines how these efforts were conceived, contested, and executed. His analysis reveals why information operations mattered, why they often struggled, and how they can be employed as a genuinely effective component of future campaigns.
Drawing on unprecedented access to more than 6,000 pages of classified archives and interviews with senior commanders and frontline practitioners, Chandler provides the most comprehensive account to date of Britain’s information operations in Iraq. He identifies the structural, cultural, and doctrinal changes required to ensure this vital capability is fully leveraged in the conflicts of today and tomorrow.
‘During Britain’s bloody struggle to stabilise Basra, there were many opportunities to use information operations to contest the battle of the narrative waged by extremist politicians and bloodthirsty militants. British forces consistently failed to achieve this… Britain's enemies were much more successful at getting their messages across. This clear and candid book, written by an expert practitioner, is an important wake-up call to those who study armed conflict and plan modern warfare.’ * Ben Barry, International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK *
‘Chandler not only provides an incisive critique of Britain's approach to information operations during its campaign in Southern Iraq but also delivers a stark warning to policymakers about the consequences of employing the military to pursue objectives that it is neither resourced nor prepared to carry out. This thought provoking and diligent history retains contemporary relevance. A capability like information operations cannot be built overnight on shifting sands; as Chandler demonstrates, it must be developed in advance from firm foundations.' * Jack Watling, Royal United Services Institute, UK *
ISBN: 9781350464902
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages