Nile Bowie: Malaysia: Victim of America's Irregular Warfare?

The issue of civil society groups receiving funding has been a major point of discussion in Malaysia during recent times, causing controversy and drawing criticism from activists to members of Parliament alike. Some activists tend to view Putrajaya's investigation into rights advocacy groups like SUARAM, a noted recipient of a foreign funded destabilization campaign aimed at regime change in Malaysia a claim that has been generally dismissed by Bersih goers and the like. With the nation's 13th General Election looming, some see talk of foreign plots as tired rhetoric, while others fail to grasp the deeper machinations of foreign influence, and do little more than finger pointing at political opponents. In this instance, the pages of a leaked US military document provide valuable insight into the nature of foreign plots, potentially aimed against Malaysia. TC 18-01 Special Forces  Unconventional Warfare is listed on the US Army's official website, and can only be accessed by authorized officials within the American government, though a leaked copy has been made available and can be viewed by clicking here. The document is significant because it provides a step by step definition of Washington's irregular warfare and unconventional warfare tactics. The manual illustrates the sheer impunity with which the United States conducts its foreign policy, aimed at illegally interfering into the political affairs of foreign nations, with an aim to destabilize and reorder them to further American economic interests. Dr Christof Lehmann describes the manual as: A step by step guide of how to create, manipulate, co-opt and make use of a countries population, persons of special interest inside the country as well as expatriates, organizations inside as well as outside the country, towards a subversion. Beginning with manipulating dissent into demonstrations, the polarization of a population, riots and armed insurgencies that require action by security forces, and psychological warfare by means of media, step by step, in logical sequence, towards a full scale war, based on humanitarian principles and the pretext of bringing democracy and freedom.