Original U.S. Psychological Operations Leaflet, Operation Desert Storm, Iraq, 1990-1991
Original double-sided U.S. psychological operations leaflet produced during Operation Desert Storm targeting Iraqi civilians and soldiers. Designed to resemble Iraqi currency, the leaflet uses familiar visual language to attract attention while delivering a message about the human cost of war.
Leaflet Number: N/A
Operation: Operation Desert Storm
Conflict / War: Gulf War
Year: 1990–1991
Country / Theater: Iraq / Kuwait
Language(s): Arabic
Format: Original printed leaflet, double-sided
Provenance: Acquired from the personal materials of an unnamed U.S. military servicemember. N
Translation:
Front: "We can live 20 years"
“But our stores are empty and yours are full”
Back: Stylized Iraqi banknote design incorporating military imagery and implied messaging about loss and absence.
Imagery:
The front shows a uniformed soldier (Saddam Hussain) standing protectively behind a group of malnourished or zombified children, presenting the idea of scarcity, family responsibility and vulnerability. The reverse mimics Iraqi currency, featuring a portrait and cavalry scene, repurposed as a psychological device to embed the message within a trusted national visual format.
Objective:
To discourage Iraqi soldiers from continued engagement by emphasizing the risk to their families and personal responsibilities, using the familiar form of currency to ensure the message is noticed, handled, and retained.
Featured in American War Propaganda Leaflets, 1990–2022, Khajistan Press.
Exhibited in Khajistan: Office of War Information (O.W.I.) at Pioneer Works, New York, May 08 – Aug 09, 2026.
Karachi, After Midnight Series
Exhibition Items
More from Khajistan Press
-
Kharabat Vol. 1
$95.00
Rare Bookstore
-
1942 The Life of Franklin D. Roosevelt (Arabic) – United States
Price on Request -
5 Issues of Arts International Magazine (1971-72, Pakistan)
Price on Request
Toshakhana Special Collections
-
52 Censor Certificates for Pakistani Movies: 1960-1997 (Urdu, Punjabi)Sold out
Sold out -
313 issues of Viewpoint Magazine (1984-89, English, Lahore)
Price on Request
Preservation Projects
-
Read more: Khajistan Seeking Preservation and Digitization Partners for Historic Erotic Film Posters
Khajistan Seeking Preservation and Digitization Partners for Historic Erotic Film Posters
New York, NY — Khajistan is launching a preservation and digitization initiative for its collection of 200 original Turkish erotic film posters, on...Read more -
Read more: Khajistan Seeks Preservation Partner for 202 U.S. Propaganda Leaflets Dropped on Japan
Khajistan Seeks Preservation Partner for 202 U.S. Propaganda Leaflets Dropped on Japan
New York, NY — Khajistan has completed the full digitization of 202 American war propaganda leaflets dropped on Japan in 1944 and 1945....Read more -
Read more: Urgent Call to Digitize Khajistan’s 1,000+ Urdu Children’s Books
Urgent Call to Digitize Khajistan’s 1,000+ Urdu Children’s Books
New York, NY — Khajistan has assembled a large and vulnerable collection of Urdu children’s books and magazines that rarely survive in libraries. T...Read more -
Read more: Emergency Preservation of Pakistan’s Early 2000s Sexploitation Cinema
Emergency Preservation of Pakistan’s Early 2000s Sexploitation Cinema
Khajistan has acquired a vulnerable set of original 35mm reels containing five films from Pakistan’s early 2000s sexploitation cinema. Made during...Read more
Madrassa
-
Read more: Khajistan: Office Of War Information (O.W.I.) Exhibition at Pioneer Works
Khajistan: Office Of War Information (O.W.I.) Exhibition at Pioneer Works
Thousands of U.S. propaganda leaflets accumulate in a simulated wartime office. ON VIEWMay 8 to August 9, 2026 Download PDF New York, NY, Marc...Read more -
Read more: Khajistan Announces Bay Area Screenings of Showgirls of Pakistan
Khajistan Announces Bay Area Screenings of Showgirls of Pakistan
Khajistan is pleased to share two Bay Area screenings of the feature documentary Showgirls of Pakistan directed by Khajistan founder Saad Khan this...Read more -
Read more: A Graduate Study of the Khajistan Digital Archive
A Graduate Study of the Khajistan Digital Archive
A master’s thesis titled Archiving the Peripheries has recently been published at Danube University Krems in Austria. The 122-page study tak...Read more -
Read more: Karachi, After Midnight Vol. 2 Launch at Printed Matter, NYC
Karachi, After Midnight Vol. 2 Launch at Printed Matter, NYC
March 5, 2026 6–8PM 231 11th Ave, NYC, Chelsea Join Printed Matter for the launch of the second volume in Khajistan Press’ new book series Kara...Read more
