Taliban Plans 300 New Accounts for Propaganda and Intelligence Operations

DID Press: Newly released documents indicate that the Taliban has drawn up a plan to expand its propaganda and intelligence activities by using capacities inside and outside Afghanistan.

According to the documents released on Thursday, Sept. 10, expanding media activities and making broader use of social media are among the main components of the plan.

The plan calls for the creation of 300 new social media accounts to publish content and promote the Taliban’s objectives, as well as increasing the daily activity of 1,500 existing accounts.

According to the document, the accounts will be created using names preferred by individuals, with a large number of female names appearing on the list provided.

The stated objectives include undermining public trust in groups opposed to the Taliban, creating divisions among their members and supporters, and preventing people and young Afghans from joining them.

The document also lists strengthening the Taliban’s image of being “invincible” through the media, establishing media-coverage networks in foreign countries, and publishing reports about the group’s achievements in international languages among the plan’s objectives.

The document sets the plan’s total budget at 70.7 million Afghanis, with separate allocations of 30 million, 20 million and 200,000 Afghanis for some activities. The implementation period for several of the activities is described as “ongoing.”

Previous reporting has documented the Taliban’s use of networks of proxy social-media accounts to promote its messages and target opponents, including accounts operating under the names of politicians, journalists and other pseudonyms.