Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

PSEUDONYM.An internal designation used by an officer of the Cen-

tral Intelligence Agency (CIA) to refer to himself in communica-

tions. CIAofficers use their pseudonyms to sign cables sent back to

headquarters and are sometimes referred to by their pseudonyms in

internal discussions. Pseudonyms are not employed during opera-

tions. See alsoALIAS.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE (PSYWAR). The Department of

Defense(DOD) definespsychological warfare as the planned use of

propagandaand other psychological actions with the primary pur-

pose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of

hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of

national objectives. Because psychological warfare intends to manip-

ulate the adversary’s fears and desires, it is often confused with prop-

aganda. PSYWAR includes such activities as distributing leaflets,

beaming carefully scripted radio or television messages, placing a

particular strategy in a specific perspective to elicit a particular re-

sponse (such as “shock and awe” in the 2003 Iraq War), renaming

cities and other places when captured, and terrorism.

P-3C ORION AIRCRAFT. This airplane is an airborne intelligence col-

lection platform used by the U.S. Navy. The aircraft is equipped with

radar and an electro-optic camera system for both live video and radar

images of the tactical situation on the ground and has the ability to stay

aloft for 10 to 12 hours without refueling. The Orion can operate in all

weather, day or night. Adownlink to ground stations provides instant

access to intelligence gathered during a mission. The People’s Repub-

lic of China(PRC) forced down an Orion aircraft in international air-

space off its coast in 2002 after it collided with a Chinese fighter.

PUEBLO INCIDENT. The North Koreans seized the lightly armed

U.S. naval vessel, the USS Pueblo, on 23 January 1968. Aspy ship,

the Pueblowas tracking maritime activity and intercepting electronic

messages when North Korean gunboats attacked. Commander Lloyd

M. Bucher thought the ship was ill equipped to respond to the North

Korean assault and so surrendered the ship without destroying clas-

sified materials. The Pueblowas the first U.S. ship since the War of

1812 to surrender. North Korea imprisoned commander Bucher and

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