Battle against al-Qaida brand highlighted in secret paper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/26/alqaida.terrorism • Challenge to group's image as champion of victims • Private sector PR firms may be involved in work The material being used in the global propaganda effort "to taint the al-Qaida brand" is designed, in the jargon of Whitehall counterterrorism experts, to "undermine their narrative," according to the classified Whitehall paper seen by the Guardian. The research, information and communications unit (RICU) document says the effort is being made to "help the AQ-in-decline debate resonate" and says the campaign is justified as al-Qaida is the most influential and coherent terrorist ideology or "brand", and the threat posed to the UK or its interests overseas remains real and sustained. "AQ is not the only extremist ideology of interest or concern, domestically or overseas. But countering the AQ threat is a counterterrorism priority and requires AQ-centric communications efforts," it adds. The target of the campaign - the al-Qaida narrative - is seen as linking together genuine or perceived, commonly held concerns into a "narrative of grievance" that reinforces the portrayal of Muslims as victims of western injustice. "It [the narrative] combines fact, fiction, emotion and religion and manipulates discontent about local and international issues. The narrative is simple, flexible and infinitely accommodating. It can be adapted to suit local conditions and may have a disproportionate influence on understanding and interpretation of local or global events." RICU says it needs to be challenged to reduce the opportunity for terrorist exploitation of underlying grievances: "The objective is not to dismiss 'grievances' but undermine AQ's position as their champion: and violent extremism as the solution." Its dossier, aimed mainly at embassies around the world, is described as "our first tailored product with key arguments exposing the theme 'AQ is losing support'". It promises that more such packages are to follow. It says: "This series of guidance alone will not fatally undermine the AQ narrative. But it can increase our impact against the narrative while we develop a bespoke and hard-hitting campaign using private sector resources." The document does not spell out what it means by "private sector resources" but it does add in a section on its "future workstreams" that "we are in negotiations with several major communications companies to design and deliver high impact campaigns across media and non-media channels". This may mean private sector public relations companies being involved in the work. RICU expects the Foreign Office to be the "biggest initial user" of this material through its embassies and consular posts but it is also working with other Whitehall departments to use it in wider discussions around terrorism, extremism or ideology. Civil servants are urged to "push these message themes to a wide range of contacts". RICU, which is based in the Home Office, has previously advised Whitehall officials dealing with Muslim communities not to use the aggressive rhetoric of the "war on terror" but instead to refer to violent extremism and to drop the language of the "clash of civilisations" when talking about the nature of the terrorist threat. In a counterterrorism phrasebook, RICU warned those engaged in such work that talk of a struggle for values or a battle of ideas is often heard as a "confrontation/clash between civilisations/cultures". Instead, it suggested that talking about the idea of shared values works much more effectively. Sir Richard Mottram, the former chair of the joint intelligence committee, in talking about the attempt to undermine the ideology of al-Qaida, said it had to be done without looking like government propaganda. "If it looks too much like government propaganda then I don't think people are going to listen, nor should they," he said last year. The research, information and communications unit (RICU) is a counterterrorism PR operation set up in 2007 within the newly created office of security and counterterrorism. Though based in the Home Office, RICU also reports to the Foreign Office and Department for Communities and Local Government. Its creation, Tony Blair said in March 2007, "marked a change in the government's approach to managing the terrorist threat to the UK and winning the battle for hearts and minds". The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, shares responsibility for RICU, alongside the minister for security, counterterrorism and police, Admiral Sir Alan West.