April 14

"There was a certain symmetry ... in the rescue ship USS Bainbridge being named for William Bainbridge, one of the American Navy officers who helped suppress piracy on the Barbary Coast of Africa 200 years ago."

-- Commentator H.D.S. Greenway, "Obama's first victory went beyond luck," Boston Globe; Bainbridge image from

"'Well, the wait...is over. The Obamas have chosen a new White House dog.' It is 'a Portuguese water dog named Bo. Very cute dog. Their first choice was 'a wheaten terrier, but it was arrested for tax evasion.'"

--Talk show host Jimmy Fallon; from "Today's Political News,' Bulletin News, U.S. World and News Report; no link

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Naya Barshako Suba-Kamana! [Happy New Year 2066!] - United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal: "Change they can believe in: America’s new approach to public diplomacy. Hillary Clinton issues a New Year message to us: 'Nepali New Year (Bikram Sambat)

Message Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC April 13, 2009 To all those around the world who share common Nepali cultural and linguistic traditions, I send best wishes for a happy 2066. I hope that in this New Year, Nepal will continue on the path to peace and prosperity.'” Image from

VOA's Persian News Network does good work... – Warren Strobel, Nukes & Spooks: “[B]ut is not a good place to work. That's the bottom-line conclusion of a new report by the State Department Inspector General's office, after inspecting the Voice of America's 24 hour-a-day Farsi-language broadcasting service, which beams news about U.S. foreign policy and life to the people of Iran. … Part of PNN's problems may be growing pains. Under a Bush administration policy to vastly expand public diplomacy aimed at Iran, the service grew from 30 staff in 2007 to 83 full-time equivalents and 120 contractors today.” Image from

Alhurra broadaster is 31 on list of top 50 Arab television presenters - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

In India, to get news on the radio, listen to AIR, or listen to shortwave - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "VOA Hindi dropped its radio broadcasts in 2008. To fill the radio news void, perhaps Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty will add a Hindi Service. Or would it be Radio Free Asia? No, actually, RFE/RL and RFA would likely both add Hindi services. VOA, seeing this new competition, would restore its Hindi radio service. Then there would be three US government funded Hindi radio services with largely the same content. Just a prediction. Bet on it."

Conover successor Russ Davis featured on internet TV show - Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "Russ Davis is the successor to Willis Conover.

His program is weekends on VOA Music Mix and is, apparently, not available on demand or as a podcast. As for listening live, even I, an international radio listener with 45 years experience, am flummoxed." Image from; On Willis Conover, see.

Crossing Over Technology With Government - Aaron Brazell, Technosailor.com: “There are a tremendous number of social software applications in national security writ large (defense, diplomacy, and development) including contracting, human resources, networking warfighters’ families, public diplomacy, and empowering people in war-torn areas.”

False hope of US Public Diplomacy? - cb3blog: "The phenomena of ultimately leaving much foreign policy communicative effort to the military, who at least have the resources (but not necessarily the expertise), appears to be common, not only in the US but also, maybe to a slightly lesser degree, in the UK. NATO and the EU (within ESDP civ-mil operations) are also not immune to this. Further, the narrowing of the word-deed gap is critical to the success of PD, which requires it to be deeply ingrained in policy-making (as Murrow appreciated). The corporate world has taken this on board but political institutions, even in the most developed nations on the planet, still don’t fully appreciate this fact, despite the recognition of the monumental societal changes being brought about by the information age. The Obama administration is good on the word but still has to follow upon the deed (good intentions lead the way to hell etc). The US is now in a good position to make good on the Obama effect and take PD seriously, but I fear that political infighting is taking its toll. State needs to take a stand if the US is to capitalise on this window of opportunity.” Image from

Defense vs. State – Aly Jiwani, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy: "Under Secretary of State Clinton, one of the goals of the State Department is to reassert its centrality in making foreign policy."

Noteworthy - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: Link provides “[a] small sampling of [public diplomacy-related] posts and articles worthy of your attention.”

Will Anyone Speak Farsi at NYUAD? - irangcc, Iran in the Gulf: “Within the next few years, New York University (NYU) will have implanted a full-service campus on Saadiat ‘Happiness’ Island, the future cultural and educational center of Abu Dhabi. New York University-Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)’s stated mission is to become a regional hub for quality liberal arts education for more than 2000 undergraduates and less than half as many graduate students. …While the word 'Iran' doesn’t figure in any of NYUAD’s communications … it is apparent Iran may indirectly and directly play a big part in its success, as well as provide for a 'public diplomacy' coup, if not for the U.S., then for NYU and its hosts. There are currently more than 500,000 Iranian nationals living in UAE; with well over a million in the Arab Gulf States. This is a population that is for the most part pro-American and for whom education is a high priority. A good number are very affluent; more are unable to access an American education directly.” Image from

Why Barack has to speak out (but won't) – Stan, Oh Boy It Never Ends: “On the topic of art, US Foreign Service Officer Aaron Snip (US State Dept's DIPNOTE) writes of rushing to pull off preparation for an important 2006 visit: Part of my job as Public Diplomacy Officer is to share U.S. culture and values with Iraqis, but it's also to support Iraqi efforts to preserve their own culture.”

Changing the Image of the “ugly American”: Interview with Keith Reinhard - Kara Bentley, Hdhod: - “It’s not just the world view of the American government that has slipped in the past few years; it’s the view of American citizens and businesses too. Keith Reinhard aims to find a business-oriented solution to the problem through his organization Business for Diplomatic Action. …

[Question:] ‘How does Business for Diplomatic Action’s methods and principles differ from other public diplomacy efforts? [Answer:] --Well I’m not sure I know all the other public diplomacy efforts and all of their methods but I think what’s different about Business for Diplomatic Action, is that it is a business initiative. We are available to the government but we are not working with the government, so this is strictly a private sector initiative. We think in that way it’s different, and also it’s different because it is dedicated to action. This is not another think tank or another policy group. This is about finding the nature of the problem and then turning that into actions that might address and ameliorate the problem.’” Image from

No Sphinx, but a Peace Challenge from Damascus - Daniel Levy, TMP Café: “[Syrian] ambassador to Washington, Imad Moustapha, was anything but sphinx-like in openly embracing the peace process and setting forth a challenge to both the new Israeli and America governments on Fareed Zakaria's GPS show yesterday. … Judging by his performance yesterday, Moustapha seems to be suggesting that now is the time to shift Syrian public diplomacy toward the US up by several gears. In responding to Zakaria's question about the Obama election victory and how it was received in Syria, the ambassador stressed that, 'America has vindicated herself... after eight terrible years,' describing how the ordinary Syrian was, 'overjoyed.'"

Israel Fulfilled its Peace Commitment in 242 - Eli E.Hertz, Doc’ Talk: “Professor Eugene Rostow, then U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs and the former dean of the Yale Law School, went on record in 1991 to make this clear: 'Resolution 242, which as undersecretary of state for political affairs between 1966 and 1969 I helped produce, calls on the parties to make peace and allows Israel to administer the territories it occupied in 1967 until a just and lasting peace in the Middle East is achieved. When such a peace is made, Israel is required to withdraw its armed forces from territories it occupied during the Six-Day War - not from the territories nor from all the territories, but from some of the territories, which included the Sinai Desert, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Five-and-a-half months of vehement public diplomacy in 1967 made it perfectly clear what the missing definite article in Resolution 242 means. Ingeniously drafted resolutions calling for withdrawals from 'all' the territories were defeated in the Security Council and the General Assembly. Speaker after speaker made it explicit that Israel was not to be forced back to the 'fragile' and 'vulnerable' Armistice Demarcation Lines, but should retire once peace was made to what Resolution 242 called 'secure and recognized' boundaries..." Image from

Beijing reiterates sincerity in ASEAN-East Asia cooperation - Gloria Jane Baylon, Positive News Media: “Beijing has assured governments of Southeast Asia that China remains sincere, confident and responsible in facilitating East Asian cooperation with Southeast Asia, evidenced by the attendance of Premier Wen Jiabao at last week's 14th ASEAN Leaders Summits in Pattaya, Thailand. This was conveyed to reporters by the Chinese embassy in Manila, using government media quotes from Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. … The embassy released the information apparently to make the most public diplomacy out of China’s key role in bankrolling the proposed multilaterized Chiang Mai Initiative (CMIM).”

April 21, 2009: CPD Workshop: Celebrity Diplomacy – School for Communications, USC Annenberg, University of Southern California: "The USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School and the Norman Lear Center are proud to host a workshop on Celebrity Diplomacy, which will explore the intersecting themes of the UN celebrity programs, the 'soft power' of Hollywood celebrities, and public diplomacy. The workshop will commence with a panel discussion on the effectiveness and value of celebrity diplomacy, and will be followed by a roundtable focusing on the role of the agents, advisers and administrators who work with and advise celebrities behind the scenes." Image from

Walter Douglas: The Middle East Priorities of the Obama Administration - The Northern Nevada International Center: “The NNIC is proud to present Walter Douglas - Director, Office of Press and Public Diplomacy for the Near East, U.S. Department of State - who will give a presentation on The Middle East Priorities of the Obama Administration.”

Big Names at Tufts for Media Forum – InsideMedford.com: “Tufts’ Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is home to the Edward R. Murrow Center for Public Diplomacy, which contains many of Murrow’s papers.” On Murrow, see

Bush Aide Perino to Join Firm Led by Clinton Adviser - John D. Mckinnon, Wall Street Journal via TPM, Democratic Underground: “Dana Perino, President George W. Bush's last White House press secretary, will join Clinton administration adviser Mark Penn at public-relations firm Burson-Marsteller, where she will be 'chief issues counselor.' … Other key members of Burson-Marsteller firm include Don Baer, a former Clinton administration communications director, Josh Gottheimer, a former Clinton speechwriter, and Karen Hughes, Mr. Bush's counselor who also served as undersecretary of State for public diplomacy.” Hughes Image with musical group from

U.S. Embassy Rabat Human Resources Office: Vacancy Announcement: Social Media oordinator/Webmaster Valable jusqu’au 21 Avril 2009 - Tiznit Blog Emploi: "The U.S. Embassy in Rabat is seeking an individual for the position of Social Media Coordinator/Webmaster to work in the Public Affairs Section (PAS)."

Public Affairs Officer – ReliefWeb: “Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) … The Public Affairs Officer has responsibility to undertake media and public affairs work in AusAID and to support the AusAID ING Public Affairs Manager. … The Australian Government is committed to engaging Australian audiences on the importance of Australia's aid program, while public affairs at post supports program implementation and public diplomacy.”

RELATED ITEMS

The price of piracy: Sunday's rescue of an American ship's captain was welcome news. But the piracy problem off Somalia remains – Editorial, Los Angeles Times:

The international community must do more to protect shipping in these waters, restore the rule of law in Somalia and improve the economic conditions that make piracy such an attractive profession. Image from

War at sea: Despite the rescue of Captain Phillips, pirates remain a serious threat - Our view, Baltimore Sun: No one wants to contemplate a military incursion to clean out pirate havens on Somalia's coast. But Americans will have to take the lead in formulating a workable strategy to defeat the threat that all the world's navies can get behind.

Obama And The Pirates - Marc Ambinder, Atlantic: You could make the case that the White House wants to show that Obama is deliberate and cautious when it comes to authorizing military force -- fine -- but this was a hostage rescue mission, the U.S. has specially-trained counterterrorist forces for precisely this sort of thing, and military aciton was almost inevitable. Really, what this weekend's drama was, was a test of the National Command Authority, the NSC's ability to communicate with commanders in the crisis, and some good field training for Navy SEALs.

Convoys Are an Answer to Piracy: The same tactic that defeated the German U-boats could work today - Peter D. Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal

A Solution for Somalia: What it will take to stop the threats of piracy and terrorism – Editorial, Washington Post: A coordinated international effort to build up a Somali government and security forces would cost many billions of dollars and take many years to pay off. It is also the only way to end the threats of piracy and terrorism from the Horn of Africa.

How to solve the pirate problem: Shooting three Somali pirates was a good start. Now let's shoot some more - Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times: The question is whether Obama will prevent a pirate crisis from emerging by making it easier to shoot even more pirates.

Addled by Fidel - Eugene Robinson, Washington Post:

The Congressional Black Caucus delegation that visited Havana last week was naive not to notice -- or disingenuous not to acknowledge -- that Cuba is hardly the paradise of racial harmony and equality it pretends to be. Still, that's no reason for the United States to continue the illogical, ineffective, hard-line policies that have produced an unbroken 47-year record of failure. Image from

Obama's Cuba Policy Is Half Right - Andrés Martinez, Daily Beast: Easing restrictions was a decent first step, but to make a difference in Cuba, the president must end the embargo and unite Latin America against the Castros.

Cuba: Island in the Dream - James Moore, Huffington Post: True freedom and capitalism are likely to sweep the island like an intoxicant if America ever gives Cuba actual business reconsideration.
Cubans cheer US family travel rules, but want more - Will Weissert, Associated Press, Washington Post

Topic A: Obama's Cuban Revolution? - Washington Post: Yesterday the White House announced that President Obama will lift restrictions for Cuban Americans on travel, remittances and other aid to Cuba. The Post asked advocates and experts to weigh in on the significance of the president's decision. Below are contributions from Bernard Aronson, Jorge Castañeda, Andrés Martinez, Peter Hakim, Wayne S. Smith and Sarah Stephens.

Reach Out to Cuba to Heal Guantanamo's Wounds - Marcus Raskin & Joshua Frens-String, Nation: Working with Cuban doctors and scientists to transform Guantánamo Bay from a blight on our national character to a healthcare center for the neglected diseases of the Americas would be a partnership whose results are felt throughout the hemisphere for generations.

The differing views of the "rule of law" in Spain and the U.S. - Glenn Greenwald, Salon: Scott Horton reports this morning that, in Spain, "prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and five top associates [John Yoo, Jay Bybee, David Addington, Doug Feith and William Haynes] over their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo." Spain not only has the right under the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture to prosecute foreign officials for torturing its citizens, but it -- like the U.S. -- has the affirmative obligation to do so.

What Mexico really needs from Obama: During his trip, the U.S. president should focus less on short-term military goals and more on helping our neighbor build effective institutions of government - John M. Ackerman, Los Angeles Times

Where the Occupiers Become Deranged: The Afghan Rubik's Cube - Conn Hallinan, CounterPunch:

Afghanistan is a gatherer of metaphors: “crossroads of Asia,” “graveyard of empires,” and the “Great Game,” to name a few, although it might be more accurate to think of it as a Rubik’s Cube, that frustrating puzzle of intersecting blocks that only works when everything fits perfectly. The trick for the Obama Administration is to figure out how to solve the puzzle in a time frame rapidly squeezed by events both internal and external to that war-torn central Asian nation. Image from

"What Have We Done to Deserve This?": Iraqi Militia Fear Reprisals After US Exit - Patrick Cockburn, CounterPunch: As American troops prepare to go home, the Sunni who changed from insurgents to US allies over the last two years are once more fearful for their future.

Unleash the financial furies against North Korea: Political sanctions rarely work, but Pyongyang responds quickly when its bank accounts are threatened - Juan Carlos Zarate, Los Angeles Times

Just Words: The UN Security Council's latest failure to check the North Korean threat - Joseph Loconte, Weekly Standard

The Fog of Warmongering - Jeff Huber, Antiwar.com: In the American century we have now, faux scholars of war use things like numbers of "soccer balls handed out to neighborhood kids" and "little Afghan girls going to school" to tout the "success" of COIN, or counterinsurgency, or what in that saner century we called being the world’s mommy. Image from

Obama’s Lesson: Only the United States has the capability or the will to enforce a rough global order - Rich Lowry, National Review: there’s no justification for slamming the brakes on the defense budget. The world hasn’t gotten any less dangerous, a fact to which Capt. Phillips can attest.

Seven Basic Palestinian Propaganda Devices - Cleveland Indy Media

Will Moscow Expand Assistance to Russian-Language Schools in Ukraine? – Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia

Condi Shocks World with Her Appreciation for Controversial Tiger Woods - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog: I STILL keep track of Condoleezza's hairdo so you don't have to: “Condi 'reported' on some golf game for the Tina Brown Thing. How did it go? Great! Condi was treated nicely by everybody, the course was beautiful, and Tiger Woods? He's really good! Um, the end. That's it! This is lightweight stuff even by the standards of 1. writing about Tiger Woods, 2. writing about Condoleezza Rice, and 3. writing for Tina Brown. God, I can't wait for her, like, twelve books to come; I'm sure they'll be equally compelling.” See also John Brown, "Ten Percent Intellectual: The Mind of Condoleezza Rice," PR Watch.Org, Center for Media and Democracy

AMERICANA

"Ms. Chambers was an aspiring actress and model in 1972 when she starred in 'Behind the Green Door,' a pornographic film about a woman who is abducted to a theater and ravished in front of an audience, ultimately to her great satisfaction, by both men and women.

It became especially popular when it was learned that its star was the same fresh-faced blonde who appeared beaming at a baby on boxes of Ivory Snow, a laundry soap famously described by Procter & Gamble, its manufacturer, as '99 and 44/100 percent pure.'"

--Bruce Weber, "Marilyn Chambers, Sex Star, Dies at 56," New York Times; Image from