A Review of the Measures Taken by the Terrorist Group PEJAK from the of Perspective Psychological Operations

Psychological operations have always comprised a major part of the activities of warring parties since a long time ago. In guerrilla warfare, guerrillas pay particular attention to psychological operations due to weaknesses and shortcomings related to equipment and staffing. The terrorist group PEJAK, which started its activities on the northwest borders of Iran in 2004, has resorted to every means and every method to undermine the Islamic Republic of Iran. One of the measures followed by this group is psychological operations widely utilized by it beside military actions. This group follows psychological measures at strategic, operational and tactical levels and, at each level, works toward some specific objectives which are intended to be fulfilled by taking advantage of the existing vulnerabilities in the society and within the framework of special themes. Hence, the present paper seeks to answer this question: ‘What are the main objectives and measures of the PEJAK Group in the area of psychological operations and at the strategic, operational and tactical levels?’ To answer this question, the library research method has been used and the aim is to identify and evaluate the goals and actions of this group in the field of psychological operations as well as the vulnerabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Like other terrorist and rebellious groups, this group and its importance have been magnified as a result of the psychological operations.