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.
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