February 14

"Unfortunately most of the psyop guys at the tactical level, including captains, don't understand the fluid nature of culture."

--SGT Holden, 341st, in a comment on Psyop Regimental Blog

“True Islam patronizes the arts.”

--Sheik Mazin al-Saedi, Baghdad’s newest patron of the arts

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Clinton's heading in the right direction – Asia: Her first overseas trip as secretary of State acknowledges the growing significance of the region and the need to adjust America's global priorities - Nirav Patel, Los Angeles Times: “[T]he United States seeks to engage in a civil dialogue with Muslims in Southeast Asia and around the world. One of the many lessons learned from the Bush administration is that military force alone is insufficient to counter terrorists and their radical ideology. Clinton's decision to go to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, underscores how serious Obama is about enhancing U.S. public diplomacy and outreach efforts in the Muslim world. This may prove to be the most significant leg of Clinton's journey, as she attempts to orchestrate a major shift in the United States' overall approach to the war on terrorism.”

Hillary's Road Trip: The itinerary for Clinton's first overseas trip as Secretary of State signals that Asia is the strategic focal point of this century - Robert D. Kaplan, Atlantic: "Secretary Clinton will be showing up in Asia, early on and dramatically in her tenure. That, by itself, is a big step."

Secretary Clinton's Asia Trip: Allied Reassurance - Bruce Klingner, WebMemo #2293, Heritage Foundation: “The U.S. should continue to press for an expanded alliance structure with Seoul but temper this effort with a realization of the volatility of the domestic political landscape. Any Obama Administration request for South Korean ground forces to support coalition operations in Afghanistan will be particularly contentious and would require extensive public diplomacy efforts to mitigate the potential for public demonstrations.”

New Secretary of State, new diplomacy - Emily Tavoulareas, zzzeitgeist: “On February 5th Secretary Clinton held a Town Hall meeting for State Department employees. ... and to my delight, she addressed a question that has been on my mind for quite some time: Does DOS plan to utilize new media in global public diplomacy initiatives, and if so, how? On the security issue and on outreach and public diplomacy, we must figure out a way consistent with security to use these new tools. There is no doubt in my mind that we have barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world, and in fact, to use [new technologies] as tools ...to further our own work and to be smart about it. … If people have ideas about how better to use these tools, please let me know because we’re going to work very hard – we have some people already looking at this – to see what more we can do to stay in touch with the world, which is our job, after all, to try to do that. Dear Secretary Clinton, Call me, I looooove staying in touch with the world! Love, Emily[.]“

On Scrapping Embassies and Ambassadors - Joshua S. Fouts, DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age: “Independent Diplomat's Carne Ross writes an excellent essay in this month's Europe World, called ‘It's time to scrap ambassadors and their embassies.’ It's a tough and timely piece. And one that I hope reaches the appropriate ears. There are so many plumb grafs that it's hard to pick just one to share with you. He takes on the vagaries of the term public diplomacy, which is long overdue. Ross also makes the case for the fundamental shift in information flow. … As we've blogged before, the challenge for government is to realize that they must let go of the control of the message. And this is why we liked Jim Glassman's philosophy so much.”

It Could’ve Been Me, But Instead It Was You - Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman: “Right now it's looking very much like Judith McHale, former president of the Discovery Channel, will be the next undersecretary for public diplomacy.

What's also interesting is who won't be: Douglas Wilson, a former principal deputy secretary of defense for public affairs and senior official with the old U.S. Information Agency. He was one of a very few people scouted by the Obama transition team for the job, and even contributed the policy statement about public diplomacy to the Center for American Progress' 2008 transition-agenda guide. (CAP leader John Podesta, of course, helmed the Obama transition.)” PHOTO: Judith McHale

Shark Week at State? - Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent: “I’ve been hearing what I guess you’d call credible rumors from a number of informed people both inside and outside the Obama administration that Judith McHale, the former president and CEO of the Discovery Channel, is going to be tapped imminently as the next Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. … Neither the White House nor the State Department would comment on McHale. … If indeed McHale gets the job, it’ll raise the question of the which direction the Obama team wants to take public diplomacy. Under former President George W. Bush, who placed loyalist Karen Hughes in the job in 2005 — widely seen as a disaster — the undersecretary became the lead for strategic communications across the government, tasked with convening, coordinating and executing the U.S. communications strategy abroad. It’s unclear whether the Obama administration will continue that model. Denis McDonough, a close Obama adviser, has the strategic communications portfolio at the National Security Council. Will McDonough play the role in the interagency process that the undersecretary of state played in the Bush administration?”

The Attackerman is really in the loop on Public Diplomacy - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: “Spencer Ackerman ('Attackerman') is the only reporter writing about public diplomacy right now. Absent his recent surge, it’s nothing but crickets in the media. Two stories (so far) from Spencer on the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s effort to fill the position of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.”

Reinventing Our Relations With the Muslim World: An Interview With Former CIA Analyst Emile Nakhleh - Intrepid Liberal Journal: “The CIA's former point man on Islam, Emile Nakahleh, has ... [a] new book, A Necessary Engagement: Reinventing America's Relations With the Muslim World (Princeton University Press). ... His book is an accessible 160 pages and divided into four chapters: (Chapter 1) Political Islam and Islamization, (Chapter 2) Intelligence, Political Islam, and Policymakers, (Chapter 3) Public Diplomacy: Issues and Attitudes and (Chapter 4) Public Diplomacy: A Blueprint."

The Trouble With Propaganda TV - Matthew Yglesias, Think Progress: “I’m more sympathetic than most U.S. observers to the Kremlin point-of-view and even appeared once on Russia Today, but I’m never sitting on the couch saying to myself ‘gee, if only my cable provider carried an English-language Russian propaganda channel!’ It’s just a stupid idea on its face.

It’s worth noting that al-Hurra, America’s effort to launch an Arabic language propaganda public diplomacy network, has floundered from the beginning for basically the same reason—it doesn’t matter what your message is if nobody’s watching.”

Russia Today: virulent, worshipful, comical?: Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "While Russia Today poses no competitive threat the BBC World News, CNN International, or Al Jazeera English, it is much better than 'Soviet-era propaganda.' Not quite objective or balanced in its coverage, Russia Today will nevertheless delve into domestic problems that the old Radio Moscow would have never touched. Russia Today's production values are several notches above 'comical,' and some of its presenters are charming. The estimate of 90 million viewers is almost certainly too high."

Obama Beyond the Beltway - Julie, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy: “This past week, Obama unleashed his greatest political force, himself. Instead of staying in Washington to sort out the stimulus package, he went to the people. Utilizing his campaign approaches, he spoke with the people about the new bill and received their feedback. He listened and tried his best to solve their financial issues. While not an example of public diplomacy, it is a great example of soft power.”

Work - Stoneman’s Corner: “Meanwhile, the search for a full-time job must pick up. It might be at university, but I am seriously considering history at private schools as well as possibly something that matches my skills in the government. The State Department could make sense, especially as a foreign service officer who does public diplomacy. Unfortunately, the process for getting that kind of job can take a very long time, as much as two years, if I understand correctly. Meanwhile, life goes on.”

RELATED ITEMS

Building Our Best Weapon - Mike Mullen, Washington Post:

“Rome restored the trust it strove to earn -- not just for self-interest but also for honor and selflessness. … I see this sort of trust being fostered by our troops all over the world.” The writer is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Not even a little torture: Some Obama officials are sending disturbingly mixed messages about the treatment of terrorism suspects – Editorial, Los Angeles Times: Obama the candidate was right about the Bush administration's disastrous anti-terror policies. Obama the president must be careful not to revive them.

Rendition Case Enters 'Bizarre' Realms of Secrecy - William Fisher, Antiwar.com: A prominent British-American lawyer who represents an Ethiopian-born Guantánamo detainee is charging that U.S. Defense Department officials are intentionally concealing evidence of his client's rendition and torture from President Barack Obama.

Who won the war? Israeli atrocities in Gaza will live on across generations, giving birth to new waves of resistance. This is the essence of defeat - Mamdouh El-Adl, Al Ahram: In its war on Gaza, Israel used all its possible means of psychological warfare to no avail. Moreover, some of Israel's tactics were directly counter-productive, lending support to Hamas in the propaganda war and with public opinion worldwide.

Trouble with Kyrgyzstan - Georgie Anne Geyer, Washington Times: The future of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan is not rosy.

Afghanistan: Russia to the Rescue - William Bradley, Huffington Post: But the deeper question remains. What are the real US aims in Afghanistan? What can be realistically achieved? Nation-building? Probably beyond us. Making sure the country can't be used as a base for terrorist attacks against the US? More do-able, certainly. But how much more must be done to achieve that?

Don't Dumb Down Afghanistan: Lower expectations would lead to lesser results - Gary Schmitt & Daniel Twining, Weekly Standard: Afghans have not given up on democracy; it would be a sad and self-defeating commentary if we did.

Lights On: A streetlamp, a sheep, and Dr. Phil--a parable of rebuilding Iraq - Anna Badkhen, New Republic: There is no better way to guarantee Iraqis' commitment to reconstruction than for the Americans to step back and put them in charge of it.

Losing the Game: Pakistan on the Brink - Brian M. Downing, CounterPunch: Pakistan is of diminishing usefulness to US/NATO efforts in Afghanistan, but of increasing alarm to the region and to much of the world.

It's Iran--Not Obama--That Must Return to the Real World - Martin Peretz, New Republic: If Barack Obama's diplomacy with Iran succeeds -- which is to say, Dennis Ross' diplomacy -- the world would be a safer place.

Barack Obama's Uzbekistan Problem: Realpolitik ambushes Obama, and not just at home - Christopher Flavelle, Slate: Getting into bed with Uzbekistan could be Obama's first ugly but necessary foreign-policy compromise.