Baghdad: Presidential candidate and legal expert, Counselor Salem Hawas, highlighted the strategic importance of psychological operations in warfare, emphasizing that conflicts are often resolved not solely by force, but by influencing the minds and breaking the will of the adversary. Hawas cited historical figures like Genghis Khan, Sun Tzu, Hannibal, and Themistocles, who all employed tactics of psychological manipulation to weaken their opponents before direct confrontation.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Hawas further elaborated on how these strategies have been adapted into political and media thought over centuries. He referenced Niccol² Machiavelli’s insights in “The Prince” on the influence of public perception in power management, and Joseph Goebbels’s adept use of media to shape public opinion. Scholars such as Gustave Le Bon and Walter Lippmann have also delved into crowd psychology and the formation of public opinion, underscoring the longstanding relevance of psychological tactics.

The advisor pointed out the critical role of media evolution in modern crisis management, noting how figures like Edward Bernays, Harold Lasswell, and Marshall McLuhan analyzed propaganda and media impact to shape public perception. This underscores that contemporary conflicts are increasingly managed through shaping awareness and mental imagery of events, rather than traditional military means.

Advisor Hawas warned against the dangers of brainwashing and manipulation of public perception by colonial powers through media and propaganda. He stressed that these efforts target groups with weak awareness or wavering beliefs, exploiting their desires and interests to implant targeted messages and artificial convictions, both consciously and unconsciously.