U.S. interventions—military, economic, political—tend to follow a pattern that many critics have called “hybrid war.” It begins with reports like these that are then amplified via U.S. government-controlled media such as Voice of America. Those “rumors” and innuendo subsequently appear in Western corporate media, which uncritically report government-authored statements. Recycled as “fact,” these claims manipulate the public into consenting to undemocratic intervention as a human rights project. Opposition groups and “leaders” are identified to lead the “color revolution.” Sanctions target the named individuals, groups, and even whole countries deemed to be enemies of U.S. interests. Resources are funneled to cooperative internal groups to create civic disruptions in the targeted country. The U.S. demands “regime change.” The Iraq war, numerous successful and failed coups in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the 2014 Ukraine uprising precisely followed this pattern.
U.S. intelligence and media targeting of the Solomon Islands is part of its broader strategy to undermine the country’s improving relationship with China. The historical context reveals a pattern of cynical interference rather than a genuine interest in the well-being of the Solomon Islands. Sensationalized accusations of human rights problems and democratic decline by U.S.-financed institutions serve as a familiar prelude to a potential hybrid war.