Episode Details

The CIA once employed a bizarre psychological warfare tactic in the Philippines, exploiting local superstitions about the Aswang monster to fight communist rebels in the 1950s. This disturbing operation involved CIA-trained special forces capturing Huk rebels, draining their blood, and leaving their bodies with puncture wounds in the neck to create the appearance of vampire attacks.

• Edward Lansdale, a former advertising executive turned CIA operative, pioneered psychological operations in the Philippines
• The Huk rebellion began as an anti-Japanese resistance that later opposed the US-backed Philippine government
• Filipino folklore about the Aswang, a shapeshifting monster similar to a vampire, was weaponized for military purposes
• CIA-trained squads would capture rebels, puncture their necks "vampire fashion," drain their blood, and leave corpses as warnings
• The operation successfully scared Huk fighters away from certain areas, demonstrating the power of psychological warfare
• Governments throughout history have exploited local beliefs and superstitions to achieve military and political objectives
• Similar psychological operations could potentially be used against civilian populations, including Americans

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