# 11. Lying (Deceit) ## 11.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 11.5.1. Disinformation Disinformation is a broad category of political manipulation whose origins can be traced back to techniques of intelligence and spying operations over centuries of history. The KGB was the unquestioned master of "Dezinformatsia" and a great deal of insight on this subject can be gained by reading about the Soviet agency's tactics. Since the Cold war ended, Western intelligence agencies have adopted STASI and KGB techniques in similar campaigns of disinformation, for use both internally and externally. The goal of disinformation is not merely to misinform, but rather to condition the victim to respond to information in a predictable way. The responses of victims may range from knee-jerk revulsion, anger, sympathy, to fits of rage and other types of irrational behaviour. Disinformation can be a one-off operation or part of a coordinated campaign working in tandem with an educational system. **War-time disinformation**: According to the old adage, the first casualty of war is truth. Modern proxy wars manipulated by the super-powers are no exception to this. One of the most manipulated facts in most modern wars is the casualty rate and who is responsible for what. Take the case of the so-called Syrian civil war, still raging in January 2013, when suddenly the number of deaths according to the UN jumped by 15,000 on the 1st of January without any explanation. Why was this sudden adjustment necessary? The answer lies in changes in policy. The numbers are entirely invented just to support these political imperatives. In the case of Syria, the UN was providing political cover for the arming and supply of the "rebels" by the Western powers and the Arab League so it was felt that the number of deaths needed to be higher to provide sufficient political justification. It's not just a question of lies, damned lies and statistics in a war. Each side produces its own rules for the dead. And none of them tell the truth. Figuring out just how many souls die in a civil war and whose "side" they were on when they died is a dangerous game. News desks must beware. History suggests that the "bad guys" must always be held responsible in the media for the greatest number of deaths of innocent civilians. In the Middle Eastern wars of recent years, civilians who became "freedom fighters" for the West often ended up in civilian death lists. However, men and women killed by the "good guys" (the West) often don't get onto lists of the dead at all. This was witnessed in Iraq and Afghanistan where the US military made no secret of the fact that they did not keep statistics on civilian deaths (collateral damage).