The Why Files: Operation Podcast - 549: Subliminal Warfare | Mind Control and Invisible Influence

Episode Date: May 21, 2024

The shocking truth about subliminal messages and their power to control minds. From advertising to warfare, there are hidden ways your thoughts and actions are being manipulated. Subliminal technolo...gy has moved from marketing to the military. Learn the truth behind this controversial technology.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You searched for your informant, who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth. While curled up on the couch with your cat. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. Saddam Hussein met with his generals in Basra on January 27th, 1991. He was pacing back and forth, and he was furious. Six months earlier, Iraq had invaded Kuwait,
Starting point is 00:00:42 and the world responded with a relentless shock and awe campaign. The coalition's 2,000 daily air attacks had crippled Iraq's defenses and destroyed its air force. Hussein's plan to draw coalition troops into a costly ground war had backfired. Instead, Iraqi soldiers were surrendering by the thousands. These were battle-tested troops in one of the world's largest armies, laying down weapons without firing a single shot. It was maddening. An officer handed Hussein a report about a radio transmitter in Khafji, Saudi Arabia. He dismissed it as Western propaganda, but his officer asked him to keep reading.
Starting point is 00:01:28 There was an intelligence document attached. It said the FM transmitter in Khafji was broadcasting subliminal messages that were making Iraqi troops surrender using mind control. Hussein ordered the tower destroyed within three days. His officers pushed back. The town was lightly guarded for now, but taking it would be a suicide mission without air support.
Starting point is 00:01:50 They didn't even know if this mind-control weapon was real, it could be another American lie. Hussein stopped pacing. Three days, he said. His tone left no room for discussion. Major General Salah Mahmoud saluted, took a deep breath, and reached for the phone. Marine Corporal Jesse Colvin was at Observation Post 4 scanning the dark horizon.
Starting point is 00:02:23 OP4 was on top of the police station in Khafji, a small town in Saudi Arabia. Colvin wasn't expecting to see much. The coalition had air supremacy. If Saddam Hussein did so much as toss a paper plane from a window, there'd be F-15s on top of it before it reached the ground. Still, Iraq had plenty of ground forces in the field
Starting point is 00:02:43 and the Saudis asked the U.S. for support. It was about 2,200 hours... 8 p.m. Yes, thank you. No problem. It was about 8 o'clock, and it was a quiet night. Colvin only heard the wind coming off the Gulf and the occasional crackle of the radio. Then Colvin heard a rumble that, at first, he thought was thunder.
Starting point is 00:03:04 He aimed his night- vision binoculars north. Tanks. And troops. He couldn't believe it. It took him a second to process, and then he grabbed his radio. Contact, contact. Enemy armor sighted. Multiple vehicles approaching from the north. Over. Colvin didn't get a response. We're deep. Contact, contact. Enemy armor approaching from the north. Over.
Starting point is 00:03:28 Still no response. The radios worked earlier, so Colvin assumed the radios were being jammed. He grabbed his M16 and headed downstairs. His unit wasn't prepared for an attack of this size. Ninety minutes later, air support arrived, but it was too late. The Iraqi army took the city. Whether they could hold it or not didn't really matter. They accomplished their mission. They brought down the FM radio transmitter. The Marines at Khafji thought this attack was crazy, and they weren't prepared for such a
Starting point is 00:04:02 large offensive. Of course, they had no idea what they were guarding. Iraqi intelligence was right. The United States had deployed a subliminal weapon. Can humans be controlled subliminally? The answer, of course, is a big yes. And you won't be surprised to know that advertisers were the first to jump on this new technology. For six weeks in 1957, families in New Jersey went to the movies, had a fun night out, and went home, totally normal. They had no idea they were exposed to what was later called a startling kind of invisible advertising. A mechanism had been attached to the film projector.
Starting point is 00:05:02 It flashed messages on the screen every five seconds. Each message only appeared for one three-thousandth of a second, too fast to be seen by the human eye. But that was the point. The goal was to have these messages bypass the conscious brain and register directly in the subconscious. 1,400 times over the course of two hours, the audience saw, well, their subconscious mind saw, calls to action like, eat more popcorn.
Starting point is 00:05:30 Over 45,000 movie patrons were exposed without their consent or knowledge, and popcorn sales jumped 58%. Ad agencies went into overdrive, and new companies were launched in the subliminal space. Raise. Radio stations WAF in Chicago and WCCO in Minneapolis tested subliminal ads to see if they increased sales. They did. American television networks implemented the technology into their broadcasts. It worked. Raise.
Starting point is 00:06:03 What are you doing? What? Me? Nothing. Whispering raise is not going to make me give you a raise. I don't know what you're talking about. But when the public learned that they were being manipulated without their knowledge or consent, there was a huge backlash. The Hollywood Reporter called it an obscene violation. The LA Times and Washington Post flat out called it brainwashing. Within a year, theaters, radio, and television broadcasters banned subliminal advertising.
Starting point is 00:06:31 Now, of course, banning flashing images wouldn't stop consumers from being unconsciously manipulated. No one realized it was already happening, and it was very successful. Please. You stepped on my cliffhanger even after I told you to stop?
Starting point is 00:06:45 Well, I'm busting my hump in this bowl, and I think I deserve a little more scratch. Well, if you want to raise, then maybe you earn it. You don't just jump in and ruin the best part of the scene. In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud popularized the idea, we are motivated by our unconscious. Unconscious motivation is used in product marketing all the time, because it works. Marketing expert Ernest Dichter used a Freudian technique, word association, to test consumers. He wanted to know not what they bought, but why. He learned that moms bought candy for their kids as a reward for good behavior in
Starting point is 00:07:24 the grocery store. So he had stores move candy right next to the cash registers. They're still there today. Sanka was a decaffeinated coffee brand that attacked regular coffee in its ads. But consumers loved coffee and felt Sanka was insulting coffee drinkers. So instead of attacking regular coffee, Sanka changed its slogan to, now you can drink all the coffee you want. And you can drink it as strong as you like.
Starting point is 00:07:51 Drink five, ten cups a day, as many as you like, at any time you like. That's for sure. Sales went through the roof. Bill Friedman was a gambling addict who used his experience to shape how most casinos are laid out. Now, once you're in, you can't see any exits. You can't see any clocks. You can't see outside at all.
Starting point is 00:08:13 These tactics disrupt our sense of time. There is constant noise, even if the floor is mostly empty. This is designed to keep you in a heightened state so you don't get tired. Most casinos offer players free alcohol. This reduces inhibitions. And after all those free drinks, you need to use the restroom. But you have to weave your way through slot machines to get there. Yeah, that's why I keep my own restroom right here. What? Why aren't you moving?
Starting point is 00:08:41 Hm? You're going right now, aren't you? What? No. Mind your business. Gross. What? I wash my things. In a casino, there's no direct route to anywhere, especially an exit. Now, a lot of this is common knowledge. It's slippery, but not dishonest. Like changing a slogan or laying out a casino, it's out in the open.
Starting point is 00:09:06 Edward Bernays was a pioneer in public relations and propaganda. He used tactics that were not out in the open. He manipulated public opinion in ways that were entirely unconscious. It makes sense Bernays was good at talking to the subconscious. He was Sigmund Freud's nephew. Whether it's to sell more paper cups that we work with or to make people more honest or more virtuous depends on public consent.
Starting point is 00:09:37 And so we worked out the engineering of consent. His first campaign was in 1929. He influenced the entire nation without their knowledge. He was so good, he influenced you. And you never knew it. You sailed beyond the horizon in search of an island scrubbed from every map.
Starting point is 00:10:02 You battled krakens and navigated through storms. Your spade struck the lid of a long-lost treasure chest. While you cooked a lasagna. There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover best-selling adventure stories on Audible. You searched for your informant who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth while curled up on the couch with your cat.
Starting point is 00:10:47 There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. You sailed beyond the horizon. In search of an island. Scrubbed from every map. You battled krakens and navigated through storms. Your spade struck the lid of a long-lost treasure chest while you cooked a lasagna.
Starting point is 00:11:19 There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover best-selling adventure stories on Audible. You searched for your informant, who disappeared without a trace. You knew there were witnesses, but lips were sealed. You swept the city, driving closer to the truth. While curled up on the couch with your cat.
Starting point is 00:11:47 There's more to imagine when you listen. Discover heart-pounding thrillers on Audible. New York City, April 1st, 1929. It was noon on Fifth Avenue, and the Easter Parade was packed, one of the best attended in history. The event signaled the beginning of a new modern era. The cars were new, fashion was cutting edge, and cameras filmed the parade for the first time.
Starting point is 00:12:18 A group of young women used this as an opportunity to put on an outrageous display, something unthinkable, something women have never done in public. Yo, baby, we're getting spicy. Bow chicka bow bow. The women strolled along the parade, smoking cigarettes. Oh, oh, they smoked after the outrageous display, huh? Uh, what did they do? Was there leather involved? Oh, please tell me there was leather. Uh, no, smoking do? Was there leather involved? Oh, please tell me there was leather. Uh, no. Smoking was the outrageous display.
Starting point is 00:12:48 Oh. Well, that's disappointing. And what is it with you and leather? Don't kink shame. Okay, never mind. Bow chicka bow bow. In 1929, women smoking in public was unacceptable. It just wasn't done. But these ladies didn't care about tradition. They wanted the freedom and equality to smoke in public, just like men.
Starting point is 00:13:11 So they did. Suddenly, cigarettes were called torches of freedom, and the demand for cigarettes among women exploded. Women saw cigarettes as symbols of independence and freedom. They had no idea the whole thing was staged. Those weren't rebellious women fighting for equality. They were actresses hired to play a part. Edward Bernays orchestrated the whole scene for his client,
Starting point is 00:13:34 the American Tobacco Company. Bernays was so good at manipulating consumers, he's affecting you to this day. Up until the 1920s, Americans ate a light breakfast. Toast, juice, coffee, that was it. This was especially true for what they called brain workers, folks who sat in offices all day. Then in August 1922, an article appeared in the New York Times.
Starting point is 00:14:03 Sometimes health advice is pleasant, requiring no work, no self-denial. An interesting sample is offered in the Medical Review of Reviews. It queried doctors in 46 states. Three out of four physicians advise eating a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. Articles like this were all over the country. Doctors suggesting bacon and eggs for breakfast? This was a new and decadent idea. People loved it.
Starting point is 00:14:34 Only there was no science behind the claims. No study. The whole thing was propaganda coordinated by Edward Bernays. The Beech Nut Packing Company wanted to increase bacon sales. So Bernays surveyed 5,000 doctors and asked them if a heavy breakfast was better than a light breakfast. He published the results, making sure bacon and eggs were mentioned every time doctors described the ideal breakfast. Doctors that didn't think bacon was a good idea, well, they got no ink. Bacon sales exploded, and American culture changed forever.
Starting point is 00:15:08 To this day, 70% of all bacon is eaten for breakfast. Though it can be enjoyed at any time of day, for any occasion. I can't deny that. Mmm, bacon. Nature's candy. Bernays proved he could influence the behavior of an entire country. His success landed him a new client, a big one. They asked Bernays to do the impossible, overthrow a foreign government. So Bernays would change history again, but this time he'd do it for the CIA. Jacobo Arbenz was elected as Guatemala's president in 1951,
Starting point is 00:15:49 and it brought hope and optimism to the nation. His platform of social reform and economic development resonated with the people, but not with the United Fruit Company. United Fruit was an American corporation, Guatemala's largest employer and landowner. Its banana plantations generated twice the revenue of the entire country. They wielded immense power. This is where the term Banana Republic comes from. In 1952, Arbenz's government passed a bill requiring the transfer of unused land from large landowners to poor farmers,
Starting point is 00:16:27 with compensation by the government. The United Fruit Company refused. The normal solution would be to lobby the Arbenz government and reach a compromise. But United Fruit wasn't looking to compromise. They wanted to win. So they hired Edward Bernays, who went right to work. Bernays flooded American media with articles portraying Arbenz as a dangerous communist. It was a lie.
Starting point is 00:17:01 In his inaugural address, Arbenz promised to convert Guatemala from a backward country with a feudal economy into a modern capitalist state. But the lie worked. This was the Cold War. A communist threat was just 1,300 miles from US soil. The American people demanded action, and the CIA was more than happy to oblige. The CIA launched Operation PB Success in 1954. They funded and trained a rebel paramilitary force.
Starting point is 00:17:23 On June 18th, the Liberation Army seized control of the government, forcing Arbenz into exile. Carlos Castillo Armas was installed as a U.S.-backed military dictator, the first of many. Turmoil in Central America. First there was Nicaragua, then El Salvador, now comes Guatemala. For 40 years, Guatemala suffered brutality, terror, death squads, and political instability. The human rights violations during this time are so graphic, I can't tell you what they are. And whatever you're guessing, it's worse. 93% of these crimes were committed by CIA-trained
Starting point is 00:18:15 operatives. 200,000 dead. Another 200,000 fled. One million people lost their homes. But the United Fruit Company's profits were safe, thanks to America's master of propaganda. An interesting little insight into this covert action. One, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Henry Cabot Lodge, had personal stock holdings in United Fruit Company. The assistant Secretary of State, John Lodge, had personal stock holdings in United Fruit Company. The Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, his law firm did legal work for, I believe it's the Schlafly Bank,
Starting point is 00:18:58 which held the papers on the Guatemalan Railroad, which was owned by the United Fruit Company. And the CIA director, Alan Dulles, was his brother, also was a member of the same law firm with this indirect financial interest in United Fruit Company. Arbenz was not a communist, and there was not a single communist in his cabinet. Bernays proved you could subconsciously control a person's opinion. But the U.S. military intelligence apparatus wanted more. They wanted to subconsciously control a person's actions.
Starting point is 00:19:35 The subliminal was about to become weaponized. Psychological operations, or psyops, are a standard part of U.S. military operations. The Army Field Manual even calls them vital. The term PSYOP sounds mysterious, but the tactics are usually nothing more than distributing leaflets or broadcasting propaganda over the radio. The goal is to influence enemy behavior using information instead of bullets and bombs. In the thick of the Vietnam War with American casualties mounting, leaflets weren't gonna cut it. But the Army had a powerful new tool
Starting point is 00:20:15 that could directly target enemy troops, the squawk box. The squawk box was a sonic weapon that used specially designed speakers mounted on armored vehicles and helicopters. The human ear can suffer damage from sound over 85 decibels. The Squawk Box could deliver a devastating shriek at 120 decibels from two and a half miles away. Viet Cong soldiers were instantly incapacitated by the intense sound. They suffered pain, nausea, and often permanent hearing loss.
Starting point is 00:20:51 But the squawk box could do more than inflict physical harm. The Army discovered that sound waves could manipulate emotions, inducing distress and confusion in the enemy. The results were staggering. Between 1967 and 1968, an estimated 30,000 Viet Cong surrendered to U.S. forces. Despite its success, the squawk box had a critical flaw. The enemy could hear it coming, literally. The army wanted a more deadly and discreet weapon, something the enemy couldn't see or hear.
Starting point is 00:21:26 Sound waves couldn't do it. But electromagnetic waves, they absolutely could. In 1961, microwave technology was becoming part of daily life. Microwave ovens had just hit the market, and low levels of microwaves were used in lots of different devices. Biophysicist Alan Frey began studying microwave effects on humans to make sure there were no health risks. He placed subjects in a shielded room
Starting point is 00:21:59 and exposed them to different microwave frequencies. At 1310 megahertz something strange happened a subject asked about a clicking sound but the room was silent it was shielded from the outside and there were no moving parts involved in this experiment frey discovered that frequencies between 200 and 3000 megahertz caused people to hear sounds that seemed to come from inside their heads. Clicks, knocks, buzzes, and chirps. He could beam sounds directly into the brain without implants. Scientists started using this to train animals, making cats change direction with just microwave pulses.
Starting point is 00:22:37 Oh, I'd like to make cats change direction right into oncoming traffic. Stop that. Well, you better tell your demon fur babies to keep their filthy mitts out of my bowl. Okay, settle down. Stop that. Okay, settle down. The CIA wondered, could this technology affect an animal's heart rate? More specifically, could they induce a heart attack remotely? Frey experimented with frog hearts and pulse-modulated radiation. He was actually disturbed to find he could increase a frog's heart rate with no device attached.
Starting point is 00:23:11 He did it remotely. Soviet scientists had similar results with rabbits. By 1972, the Soviets moved to human trials. A declassified report revealed they had done over 500 studies on how microwaves affect human behavior. Both lethal and non-lethal effects were found. The mention of lethal effects was a horrifying new detail. They didn't mean to kill their subjects, but they discovered they could. And those that survived exposure could be remotely controlled.
Starting point is 00:23:43 The U.S. Army loved it. They immediately ramped up research on microwave radiation. They ordered trucks capable of carrying microwave broadcasting equipment. The goal was to irradiate and immobilize the enemy. In 1976, the Navy finally discovered how Soviet scientists were accidentally killing people. They were using microwaves powerful enough to generate heat. Soviet scientists called it microthermal effects. If you own a microwave oven, you call this microthermal effect cooking. The Russians cooked people?
Starting point is 00:24:17 Yep. I bet you taste like chicken. That's gross. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Eating human is gross, but eating fish is okay? Hmm. Ah, see what happens when oh, oh. Eating human is gross, but eating fish is okay? Hmm. Ah, see what happens when your shoe's on the other fin? Fair enough.
Starting point is 00:24:30 Ah. J.F. Shappitz was a trusted black ops scientist who worked for the Department of Defense. He tried broadcasting commands into a subject's mind. It worked. Using low-power microwaves, he could make subjects hear words inside their own heads. The military told Shappitz to go further. They wanted to send commands to a person's subconscious without them hearing the command. In a second round of experiments, one subject was bombarded with microwave radiation.
Starting point is 00:25:01 Then something odd happened. He got up from his chair and left. He actually left the lab. Now, this was allowed. The subjects weren't prisoners, but this had never happened before. A little while later, the guy returned with a can of soda. Shappitz asked him why he left in the middle of the experiment. The man said he was thirsty, so he went to the store for a cold drink. Shapp had smiled. The experiment worked. This subject had been programmed to feel thirsty and to go to the store for a soda. It was hypnosis using microwaves.
Starting point is 00:25:34 But hypnosis doesn't work on everyone. The military needed a sure thing. And four years later, that's exactly what they got. In 1980, Dr. Elden Bird, working for the DOD, was exploring frequencies much shorter than microwaves. He wanted to weaponize human brainwaves. Brainwaves, also known as neural oscillations, are patterns of electrical activity in the brain. These waves have different frequencies that correspond to different mental states.
Starting point is 00:26:11 Beta waves for active problem solving, alpha waves for relaxation, and so on. Dr. Bird tried synchronizing external electromagnetic waves with brain waves. He believed he could influence specific thoughts and emotions by matching the frequency and ramping up the power. It worked. He discovered he could sync with an animal's brain waves and trigger the release of behavior-regulating chemicals. We could put animals into a stupor. We got chick brains to dump 80% of the natural opioids in their brains.
Starting point is 00:26:47 We got rats to release histamine. Histamine is released in response to allergens, dust, pollen, mites. Histamine also causes a cascade of inflammatory reactions. Bird was thrilled. In humans, this would cause instant flu-like symptoms and produce nausea. You would disable a person temporarily. It would have been like a stun gun. Bird used the phrase, would have been, because his project was shut down after two years,
Starting point is 00:27:18 despite being approved for four. He was onto something groundbreaking. He suspected the program wasn't shut down. He believed it was moved to black ops. And he was right. In 1982, a U.S. Air Force report contained an ominous warning. Understanding
Starting point is 00:27:36 the brain as an electrically mediated organ suggests that impressed electromagnetic fields are capable of directing behavior. Further, the passage of 100 milliampere through the myocardium can lead to cardiac standstill and death. The US Air Force was secretly continuing Bird's brainwave research. They hired Dr. Ross Adie to weaponize it. Adie began by implanting transmitters into animal brains.
Starting point is 00:28:07 These devices didn't receive information, the implants sent out information. Ady compiled a library of frequencies and their corresponding mental and physical states. Then he turned the animals' brainwaves against them. By broadcasting certain frequencies back into their brains, he could manipulate their behavior and their emotions at will. Eventually, he refined the technique to work without implants. It was time to test the technology on the human brain. He placed the subject's head in an active electromagnetic field and tuned it to a specific frequency depending on the result he wanted. In one experiment, he turned the machine to induce theta waves.
Starting point is 00:28:49 Our brains produced theta waves as we're falling asleep. The subject of the experiment fell asleep. The technology for a revolutionary new weapon was born. Now it was time to build it. A device that can manipulate a person's thoughts and emotions sounds like science fiction. At best, it sounds like pseudoscience. But not only does such a device exist, but it's been patented, although the full schematics are classified by the U.S. government. Patent number 5159703, issued to Silent Sounds Incorporated,
Starting point is 00:29:34 describes something called a silent subliminal presentation system. The device maps electrical brain activity corresponding to specific emotions. These emotional signal clusters are identified and logged to create a database of emotions. Human brainwaves are then cloned and enhanced. You select a desired emotion, fear, despair, hopelessness, and the system can transmit it. The emotional triggers are carried by the Silent Sound Spread Spectrum, or S-Quad, a subliminal carrier technology that operates at either very low or very high frequencies. The key is that it's inaudible.
Starting point is 00:30:10 And what makes this system more practical and more dangerous is that S-Quad can be transmitted using a carrier frequency like ordinary radio or television. Now, what you talking about, Willis? Okay, let's say you want someone to feel sad. You grab the brainwave frequency for sadness from your database. Then you layer that inaudible sound wave on top of an audible sound wave, like an FM radio wave. So the target hears the radio broadcast, but doesn't realize a second wave hitched a ride. That second wave syncs with the target's brain, triggering sadness, or whatever emotion you want. According to the patent, the resulting emotion is overwhelming.
Starting point is 00:30:48 Now, the patent insists that this is not a weapon, but it does note the waves are subliminal and undetectable. That makes them dangerous. Silent Sounds, Inc. claims to focus solely on positive emotions. But in 1996, the president of Silent Sounds couldn't stop himself from bragging about the device's true purpose. While the schematics are classified by the U.S. government, we are allowed to say we work with governments around the world,
Starting point is 00:31:18 the Germans, even former Soviet Union countries. And then he let the big one slip. The system was used throughout Operation Desert Storm quite successfully. The US military had achieved subliminal mind control and deployed the technology in Iraq. And many Iraqi troops died trying to stop it. In 1991, Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait with a huge army, nearly 500,000 soldiers. It was the fifth largest military in the world. And they were battle-tested from eight years of war with Iran. So it sounded like wishful thinking
Starting point is 00:32:08 when the Bush administration said they wanted Iraqi troops to simply lay down their arms and go home. Huh? Why would they do that? Because the US military had a new secret weapon. A radio station in the small town of Khafji. If you tuned into the station, you'd hear music or news, like any radio station. But embedded in the radio transmission was a signal that mimics a brainwave frequency. Specifically, the frequency that creates the feeling of hopelessness.
Starting point is 00:32:37 And it worked. Entire battalions laid down their arms. Iraqi tanks flew white flags. They simply lost the will to fight. American troops rolled into Kuwait heavily armed and ready for battle. Iraqi troops were waiting patiently. Thousands of them. One Marine said they were surrendering so fast they could hardly keep up.
Starting point is 00:32:57 The war seemed to be coming to an end. That's why it was a surprise to the Marines in Khafji when around 8 p.m. on January 29th, Iraq's 5th Mechanized Division attacked and took the town? This was a much-needed propaganda victory for Iraq, but it didn't last. I would tell you I don't think that battle is over by a long shot. I expect a lot more fighting will probably occur tonight. Two days later, American air power overwhelmed Khafji, and the 5th Mechanized Division was completely wiped out. But they destroyed the transmitter that was subliminally making Iraqi troops surrender, so they accomplished their mission.
Starting point is 00:33:35 Or did they? U.S. government officials deny any of this ever happened, and are adamant that such a system does not exist. Former Navy Weapons Research Director Charles Bernard was asked about it. I have yet to see one of these ray gun things that actually works. And DARPA has come to us every few years to see if there are ways to incapacitate the central nervous system remotely. But nothing has ever come of it. That's too science fiction and far-fetched.
Starting point is 00:34:10 Okay, so it's just a conspiracy theory. The CIA did not use FM radio to transmit subliminal messages. That's the official position. But here's something strange. A ceasefire agreement was reached that allowed Saddam Hussein to remain in power. This brought a lot of criticism of the Bush administration. But the purpose of the war was to free Kuwait, not overthrow the Iraqi government.
Starting point is 00:34:31 Our goal is not the conquest of Iraq. It is the liberation of Kuwait. It is my hope that somehow the Iraqi people can, even now, convince their dictator that he must lay down his arms. But on March 1st, 1991, one day after the ceasefire, a revolt against Saddam Hussein's government broke out in Basra. The rebellion spread to every major city in southern Iraq. Up to 100,000 Iraqis were killed. A no-fly zone was established.
Starting point is 00:35:03 So what caused this sudden rebellion? A radio broadcast called The Voice of Free Iraq encouraged the revolt. That radio station was in a small town in Saudi Arabia and operated by the CIA. Most say this is just a coincidence, that no subliminal weapons exist. Maybe. But there are others who believe that not only does this subliminal technology exist, it was deployed in Iraq for a specific purpose. It was a test run for something bigger. The following year, a facility was built in Fairbanks, Alaska. The project was run by DARPA and had a huge budget. The Department of Defense built a high-powered transmitter that could send electromagnetic pulses into the ionosphere and anywhere in the world.
Starting point is 00:35:51 It's called HAARP. But that's a different episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. My name is AJ. You know Hecklefish. What you talking about, Willis? This has been the Y-Files. If you had fun or learned anything, do him. My name is AJ. You know, hecklefish. What you talking about, Willis? This has been the Y-Files. If you had fun or learned anything,
Starting point is 00:36:09 do him a favor, like, subscribe, comment, share. That stuff makes him wiggle and jiggle. Like most topics we cover on the channel, today's is recommended by you. So if there's a story you want to hear or learn more about, go to the Y-Files.com slash tips. And remember, the Y-Files is also a podcast. Twice a week, I post deep dives into the topics we cover on the channel,
Starting point is 00:36:26 and I also post episodes that wouldn't be allowed on the channel. Those episodes are called unredacted. Anyway, it's called The Y Files Operation Podcast, and it's available everywhere you get your podcasts. Now, in between episodes, because the schedule's been a little sketchy lately, so in between episodes, you might need more Y Files in your life. If you do, check out our Discord. We're over 50,000 strong there, and we're there 24-7, and we're into the same weird stuff. It's a great community, it's a lot of fun, and it's free to
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Starting point is 00:37:34 Another great way to support the channel is grab something from the Y-Files store. Grab a heck of a t-shirt with my face on it or a fistful of coffee mug that's got my face on it so you can fist my face if you want to. Or grab a hoodie with my face on it, or anything with my face on it. Or grab one of these squeezy stuffed toy animal fish tugging fish toy dolls. Those are the plugs, and that's going to do it. Until next time, be safe, be kind, and know that you are appreciated. I played Polybius in Area 51 A secret code inside the Bible said I would I love my UFOs and paranormal fun A secret code inside the Bible said I would.
Starting point is 00:38:30 I love my UFOs and paranormal fun as well as music. So I'm singing like I should. But then another conspiracy theory becomes the truth, my friends. And it never ends. No, it never ends No, it never ends I feel the crab cat and I got stuck inside Mel's home With MKUltra being only two away Did Stanley Kubrick fake the moon landing alone on a film set
Starting point is 00:39:08 or would the shadow be pulled there The Roswell aliens just fought the smiling man I'm told and his name was cold And I can't believe I'm dancing with the fish Heck, no fish on Thursday night, Wednesday day too
Starting point is 00:39:28 And the wild boars have been beat all through the night All I ever wanted was to just hear the truth So the wild boars have been beat all through the night The Mothman sightings and the solar storm still come to a god the secret city underground Mysterious number stations, planets are both two Project Stargate and where the Dark Watchers found In a simulation, don't you worry though
Starting point is 00:40:22 The Black Knight said a lot, he told me so I can't believe I'm dancing with the fish Heck of a fish on Thursday nights when they chase you And the white balls of me beat all through the night All I ever wanted was to just hear the truth So the white balls of my feet all through the night Hens will fish on Thursday nights when they chase you And the white balls of my feet all through the night All I ever wanted was to just hear the truth So the world falls on repeat all through the night Gertie loves to dance
Starting point is 00:41:09 Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance on the dance floor because she is a camel and camels love to dance
Starting point is 00:41:30 when the feeling is right on wasting time Gertie loves to dance Gertie loves to dance Bye.

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