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Hybrid Conflicts and Information Warfare Hybrid Conflicts and Information Warfare New Labels, Old Politics edited by Ofer Fridman Vitaly Kabernik James C. Pearce boulder london Published in the United States of America in 2019 by Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. 1800 30th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301 www.rienner.com and in the United Kingdom by Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. Gray’s Inn House, 127 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1 5DB © 2019 by Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Fridman, Ofer, 1979–editor. | Kabernik, Vitaly, 1975–editor. | Pearce, James C., 1991–editor. Title: Hybrid conflicts and information warfare : new labels, old politics / edited by Ofer Fridman, Vitaly Kabernik, James C. Pearce. Description: Boulder, Colorado : Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc., [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018025762 | ISBN 9781626377516 (hardcover : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Hybrid warfare. | Information warfare. | IS (Organization) | Propaganda—Middle East—History—21st century. Classification: LCC U167.5.I8 H928 2018 | DDC 355.4—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018025762 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. Printed and bound in the United States of America The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1992. 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Foreword, Neville Bolt vii 1 Hybrid Conflicts and Information Warfare Ofer Fridman, Vitaly Kabernik, and James C. Pearce 1 Part 1 The Concept of Hybridity in Conflicts 2 The Idea of Hybridity David Betz 9 3 The Color Revolutions in the Context of Hybrid Wars Georgy Filimonov 25 4 The Russian Military Perspective Vitaly Kabernik 43 5 A War of Definitions: Hybridity in Russia and the West Ofer Fridman 67 Part 2 The Information Dimension of Warfare in the Twenty-First Century 6 International Ethics and Information Warfare Mervyn Frost and Nicholas Michelsen 87 7 The Politics of Information Warfare in the United States Matthew Armstrong 107 v vi Contents 8 The Politics of Information Warfare in Russia Radomir Bolgov 129 9 Using Information: Methods and Cases from Russia Oxana Timofeyeva 149 Part 3 Information Warfare: The Case of the Islamic State 10 The Battle for Mosul: An Analysis of Islamic State Propaganda Charlie Winter 171 11 Islamic State Propaganda as a Strategic Challenge Vladimir Sotnikov 191 12 Islamic State Propaganda in the North Caucasus Akhmet Yarlykapov 213 13 A New Paradigm of Hybrid Warfare Craig Whiteside 225 Part 4 Conclusion 14 “Hybrid” and “Information”: New Labels, Old Politics James C. Pearce 249 Selected Bibliography 257 The Contributors 265 Index 267 About the Book 271 Foreword Free exchange of ideas has always resided at the heart of the community of scholars. This book was born of the ambition to create an open space for dialogue and research at a time when a fresh chill was entering international relations between Russia and Western states. In January 2017 academics from Europe, the United States, and Russia met in London to offer diverse perspectives on the information warfare of hybrid conflicts. For two days, experts in strategic communications, strategic theory, and international relations reflected on how dramatic changes in information technologies had affected the way we see global politics, including fueling talk of a new Cold War. Whether the latter thoughts might prove to be unfounded, a group of scholars nevertheless sought to mine a richer understanding of trans- formations in the political use of misinformation and disinformation. Significantly, they went on to explore broader fields of analysis, embracing complexities surrounding the concept of hybridity when applied to the changing nature of interstate conflict. They questioned what it means to speak of information warfare, particularly in the context of East-West relations, and how such thinking could be extended to the challenge of the Islamic State, an insurgent movement that at the time held sway over stretches of sovereign territory in Syria and Iraq. The recurring backdrop to these discussions was the dynamic character of a global media landscape that had come about in little more than a generation. Those years had seen two-thirds of the world’s population acquire the means to communicate their ideas and opinions as and when they choose through the use of personal mobile phones and the World Wide Web. Few if any states have remained immured to their reach: vii viii Foreword few have failed to recognize their potential in projecting foreign policy or stirring up trouble in rival states. The King’s Centre for Strategic Communications (KCSC) at King’s College London was created to innovate and develop such engaging approaches. KCSC has rapidly established itself as a focal point for the study of strategic communications. It now acts as a global hub where networks of scholars and practitioners can freely exchange research and experience. And it is from this same center that a hundred postgraduate students graduate each year, specializing in strategic communications before going on to enrich the worlds of government, diplomacy, military, aid and development, and journalism. So it was with great pleasure that, for this international conference, KCSC was able to draw on generous funding from the Gerda Henkel Foundation in Germany, research and funding support from the Interna- tional Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague, and the participation of six scholars from Moscow and Saint Petersburg facilitated through the Centre for Military-Political Research at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. KCSC is also grateful for the observations of those audiences who participated across the two days. Their expert knowledge greatly benefited the final chapters in this collection, which we trust will stimulate further thought. If strategic communications is in part about seeking desired change in audience behavior, then this book offers a modest contribution to building creative and diplomatic bridges in the spirit of better mutual understanding. —Neville Bolt Director, King’s Centre for Strategic Communications