Original U.S. Psychological Operations Leaflet IZ D028 Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2003
Original double-sided U.S. psychological operations leaflet warning Iraqi air defense personnel against engaging coalition aircraft, combining aggressive visual threat imagery with clear conditional instructions.
Leaflet Number: IZ D028
Operation: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Conflict / War: Iraq War
Year: 2003
Country / Theater: Iraq
Language(s): Arabic
Format: Original printed leaflet, double-sided
Provenance: Surplus copy retained outside field distribution. Acquired from the personal materials of an unnamed U.S. military servicemember. Never airdropped or field-distributed.
Translation:
Front:
“Your attack on coalition aircraft calls for your destruction.”
Reverse:
“Do not fire at coalition aircraft.
If you choose to open fire, you will be destroyed.
Coalition forces will strike with overwhelming force.
The choice is yours.”
Imagery:
The front features a montage of coalition aircraft centered between two large aerial bombs, visually enclosing the viewer and implying imminent bombardment. The composition creates a sense of inevitability and encirclement. The reverse uses a bordered, formal layout with a faint aircraft silhouette beneath the text, reinforcing the message without distraction.
Objective:
To deter Iraqi air defense units from engaging coalition aircraft by presenting a direct cause-and-effect threat: any attempt to fire will result in immediate and overwhelming retaliation. The leaflet seeks to suppress anti-air activity and ensure uncontested air superiority.
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.
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