Original U.S. Psychological Operations Leaflet, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq, 2003
Original double-sided U.S. psychological operations leaflet employing direct textual messaging and threat imagery to assign responsibility for destruction to Saddam Hussein while invoking fear of escalation.
Operation: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Conflict / War: Iraq War
Year: 2003
Country / Theater: Iraq
Language(s): Arabic
Format: Original printed leaflet, double-sided
Provenance: Acquired from the personal materials of an unnamed U.S. military servicemember.
Translation:
Front:
“Policy of Saddam Hussein:
Aggression toward neighboring countries
is the sole cause
of the destruction of Iraq.
Only military sites were targeted.
And the blame falls only on Saddam!”
Back:
“Warning! This is only the beginning!
Perhaps this could be a real bomb.
Do you wish to risk the lives of innocent people
and lead them down a path of destruction and certain death?
We want to inform you of the truth:
Saddam is the cause.
Yes, the Coalition Forces have the capability
to launch a devastating strike at any time and place.
Warning!”
Imagery:
The front presents stark, minimal typography emphasizing culpability, while the reverse features a bomb-shaped graphic enclosing the warning text, reinforcing the threat of imminent and escalating aerial strikes.
Objective:
To assign sole responsibility for the war and resulting destruction to Saddam Hussein, while amplifying fear of continued bombardment in order to pressure compliance, discourage resistance, and encourage separation from the regime.
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 Our Press
Rare Bookstore
Toshakhana Special Collections
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
Preservation Projects: Part of an Ongoing Series New York, NY — Khajistan is launching a preservation and digitization initiative for its collectio...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
Preservation Projects: Part of an Ongoing Series New York, NY — Khajistan has completed the full digitization of 202 American war propaganda leafle...Read more -
Read more: Khajistan Completes Digitization of 1,000+ Urdu Children’s Books
Khajistan Completes Digitization of 1,000+ Urdu Children’s Books
Preservation Projects: Part of an Ongoing Series New York, NY — Khajistan has completed the digitization and preservation of a large, vulnerable co...Read more -
Read more: Emergency Preservation of Pakistan’s Early 2000s Sexploitation Cinema
Emergency Preservation of Pakistan’s Early 2000s Sexploitation Cinema
Preservation Projects: Part of an Ongoing Series Khajistan has acquired a vulnerable set of original 35mm reels containing five films from Pakistan...Read more
Madrassa
-
Read more: Archive Forensics: Firdusi No. 5, November 1978 — In That Suffocation, If Only They Had Let Us Be
Archive Forensics: Firdusi No. 5, November 1978 — In That Suffocation, If Only They Had Let Us Be
Archive Forensics: Part of an Ongoing Series In Archive Forensics, we pull one magazine out of Khajistan's digitized archive and read it closely. T...Read more -
Read more: Archive Forensics: Al-Dunya al-Musawwara (Issue 34, 8 January 1930) – The Illustrated World
Archive Forensics: Al-Dunya al-Musawwara (Issue 34, 8 January 1930) – The Illustrated World
Archive Forensics: Part of an Ongoing Series In Archive Forensics, we pull one magazine out of Khajistan's digitized archive and read it closely. T...Read more -
Read more: Archive Forensics: Eastern Film (October 1971): "A Cinema in Denial"
Archive Forensics: Eastern Film (October 1971): "A Cinema in Denial"
A close reading of Eastern Film’s October 1971 issue, showing Pakistan’s film industry before Bangladesh through studio reports, censorship, star profiles, advertisements, reader letters, and release blockages.
Read more -
Read more: Khajistan’s Office of War Information in The Guardian
Khajistan’s Office of War Information in The Guardian
The Guardian recently published a piece on Khajistan’s exhibition Office of War Information (O.W.I.), now on view at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. The...Read more