Samenvatting

Strategic communication includes all messages and activities across the levels of war in order to affect target audiences and to encourage certain behaviour. It can be divided into a horizontal way, the way the messages and activities are crafted and sent to touch the public, and a vertical way, the way to ensure that all levels in an organsation speak with one voice. Strategic communication in inevitably related to exit strategy. During every military operation the constituency of a western democratic nation requires to be informed about the undertaking, from beginning till the end. In the case of Opertation TELIC, the British participation in Operration Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the strategic communication was lacking in vision and synchronisation. It was fragmented and seriously discord. Due to struggles of Operation TELIC, the Britisc public lost its trust in its government.