Hearts and Minds was a
public relations campaign used in the
Iraq War (2003-2011).
Background
The operation to "win Iraqi hearts and minds", had been established before the war started. One
Central Command planner noted that
psychological operations (PSYOPs) were slated to play "a crucial role ... to any conflict in Iraq and to the war on terrorism". Senior US military leaders placed such an importance on the operation that they reworked the way in which the related PSYOPs were carried out, often citing the failures during
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 at ...
, where it took as long as two days to get PSYOPs through the approval process.
[‘Hearts and minds’ key to US Iraq strategy, Andrew Koch](_blank)
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June 2004 Congressional Hearing, "Iraq: Winning Hearts and Minds"
Noting that, "The United States and its Coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
partners are attempting to win the hearts and minds of the people in Iraq while providing military security and support to economic and political reform programs. But some assumptions made about Iraq proved faulty, and some policy decisions were controversial and created more doubt than confidence in U.S. capabilities and intentions,"