Syria Strategic Communications Advisory Team

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EU DG Home advisory team (c.2014–c.2017) focused on strategic communications to discourage travel to Syria and other conflict zones and to support member-state counter-narrative work; staffed in part by Breakthrough Media / Zinc Network personnel; precursor or parallel structure to the European Strategic Communications Network


Syria Strategic Communications Advisory Team
Type Advisory team / network
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Remarks Staff revolved into and out of Breakthrough Media / Zinc Network and later the European Strategic Communications Network; distinct from the parallel UK FCO/MoD contractor programmes supporting the Syrian moderate armed opposition


The Syria Strategic Communications Advisory Team (SSCAT, also referred to as SCAT) was an advisory team operating under EU DG Home (DG Migration and Home Affairs). It worked with member-state officials on strategic communications aimed at discouraging citizens from travelling to Syria or other conflict zones to join terrorist groups, and on related counter-narrative and campaign work. European Commission answers to parliamentary questions described it as having proved successful in establishing a network of member states, bringing together 25 EU member states across six network meetings to exchange best practices on research, social-media training and communications strategies supporting countering violent extremism campaigns. Feedback from member states was reported as positive.[1]

Relationship to RICU, Breakthrough and the ESCN

SSCAT formed part of the revolving-door ecosystem linking the UK Home Office’s Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU), its main contractor Breakthrough Media Network / Zinc Network, and the later European Strategic Communications Network (ESCN). Louis Brooke (later Managing Director and Executive Director of Research and Strategy at Zinc) served as Team Leader of the Strategic Communications Advisory Team at EU DG Home around 2014–2015. In that role he established a team of six, built a network of senior communications and counter-terrorism officials from 24 member states, led consultancy visits, and contributed to the establishment of dedicated units and campaigns in several member states. Miller’s 2022 report notes that Brooke’s LinkedIn indicated he remained employed by Breakthrough throughout the SSCAT period.[2][3]

Luke Havill later served as Head of Consultancy at the Syria Strategic Communications Advisory Team (January 2016 – August 2017, Brussels/London) before moving to RICU-I as Communications Adviser Europe and then to the Network Hub and ESCN. Other Breakthrough/Zinc personnel also moved between the firm, SSCAT-linked roles and the ESCN. Internal SSCAT documents (bearing the RICU logo) used UK campaigns such as Faith Associates / Imams Online as models for engagement with civil-society organisations in other member states.[2][4]

The SSCAT is distinct from the parallel, larger UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office / Ministry of Defence contractor programmes (run by firms including ARK Group, Incostrat, Albany Associates and The Global Strategy Network) that provided strategic communications and media-operations support directly to the Syrian moderate armed opposition inside and around Syria. Those programmes are documented in the Grayzone and other leaks of FCO documents and in the 2016 Guardian reporting on the £2.4 million Conflict, Stability and Security Fund contract for media support to the moderate armed opposition.[5][6]

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  1. ↑ Answer given by Mr Avramopoulos on behalf of the Commission (12 May 2016).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 David Miller, The Radicalisation Awareness Network: Policy network in search of an evidence base or covert propaganda platform?, Public Interest Investigations / Spinwatch, February 2022, Chapter 5.
  3. ↑ Zinc Network technical response / CV material (2018–2021).
  4. ↑ LinkedIn Luke Havill, archived.
  5. ↑ Max Blumenthal, “Leaked docs expose massive Syria propaganda operation waged by Western govt contractors and media”, The Grayzone, 23 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Ian Cobain et al., “How Britain funds the ‘propaganda war’ against Isis in Syria”, The Guardian, 3 May 2016.
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