On August 20, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Ben Jensen was quoted in an article in the New York Times titled “How the Taliban turned social media into a tool for control.” In the article, Jensen remarks on the purpose of Taliban social media content in convincing the populace that they can govern a nation.
The Taliban don’t need to post content to remind the population they are brutal…The population knows that. What they needed were images that showed they could govern and integrate the country.
Forward Defense leads the Atlantic Council’s US and global defense programming, developing actionable recommendations for the United States and its allies and partners to compete, innovate, and navigate the rapidly evolving character of warfare. Through its work on US defense policy and force design, the military applications of advanced technology, space security, strategic deterrence, and defense industrial revitalization, it informs the strategies, policies, and capabilities that the United States will need to deter, and, if necessary, prevail in major-power conflict.
