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One Last Battle: Spinning Bin Laden's Legacy

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/14/136291858/spinning-the-bin-laden-tale

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon.

The operation against Osama bin Laden was more than just a military raid,
it was also an opportunity to attack his image and ideology. The war on
al-Qaida is also in part a propaganda struggle aimed at changing attitudes
in the Muslim world. Killing Osama bin Laden was not enough. Almost as important
was telling the story of the operation in a way that advances U.S. interests.
NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

TOM GJELTEN: In the time since bin Laden was killed, each day has brought
a little more news about the operation. This week, we learned that a bin
Laden diary found in his house showed he had differences with his followers
over what targets should be hit. And U.S. officials anonymously told the
Reuters news agency that pornography was found in bin Laden's compound.

Were those details leaked by U.S. officials anxious to discredit bin Laden's
al-Qaida movement in the Muslim world? If so, it would be an example of
what's called strategic communication - putting out news that furthers your
cause.

Christopher Paul of the RAND Corporation:

Mr. CHRISTOPHER PAUL (Social Scientist, RAND Corporation): Strategic communication
is a huge part of the bin Laden killing; taking advantage of that, getting
the message out, framing it in the right way to get some benefit from it.

GJELTEN: If before his death bin Laden had lost some control over his followers,
the al-Qaida movement could be in real turmoil now.

Michael Doran, who served under President Bush, says he'd be emphasizing
that point if he were still in his old job as the Pentagon's strategic communications
specialist.

Mr. MICHAEL DORAN: There's one