April 7

"Bulldozer Meets Quagmire"
--Commentator David Ignatius, regarding the situation faced by the State Department's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, on occasion referred to as "the Bulldozer"; image from

"La vie est le sillon du vaisseau qui s’éloigne,
C’est l’éphémère fleur qui croît sur la montagne,


C’est l’ombre de l’oiseau qui traverse l’éther,
C’est le cri du marin englouti par la mer...
La vie est un brouillard qui se change en lumière,
C’est l’unique moment donné pour la prière."

--Guy de Maupassant; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Obama turns to public diplomacy in Istanbul: US President meets Turkey's religious leaders, students as he tours ancient monuments in Istanbul – Middle East Online: "A public opinion poll found in February that 39.2 percent of Turks had confidence in Obama, making him 'the most trusted leader' in Turkish eyes. In 2005, only 9.3 percent said they trusted Bush, giving him only a slight lead over Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who had the confidence of 4.6 percent."

Obama Praises Modern Turkey’s Founder Ataturk (Update1) - Edwin Chen and Hans Nichols, Bloomberg.com: "During his presidential campaign, Obama vowed to undertake a vigorous 'public diplomacy program' that would distinguish his approach to foreign relations from that of former President George W. Bush. Obama has described the Bush doctrine as “a small group of political officials at the State Department explaining a misguided war.” See also; Ataturk image from

Obama sells himself to sell U.S. - Jonathan Martin, Politico: "Muslim citizens, wary of American intentions, may not just feel more warmly toward the United States because of the sort of outreach performed by Obama [in Turkey] ... but because they can relate to him at least a little more than any of his predecessors."

President's European trip a success — and a reality check - Richard Wolf, USA Today: "The effort to speak directly with Europeans was purposeful on Obama's part. 'Public diplomacy is at least as important as the concrete policy agenda,' says Charles Kupchan, professor of international relations at Georgetown University and a veteran of the Clinton administration. 'The challenge of public outreach plays to one of Obama's greatest strengths. He is, if nothing else, a superb communicator.'"

Interview 'A Very Good Week' in Europe for President Obama – Council on Foreign relations: "Interviewee: Charles A. Kupchan, Senior Fellow for European Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Interviewer: Bernard Gwertzman, Consulting Editor, CFR.org Charles A. Kupchan, CFR's Europe expert, says that President Barack Obama's trip to Europe 'went as well as could be expected' in light of some of the policy differences that became clear ahead of his departure. He said Obama put particular emphasis on public diplomacy to win over the broad publics in Europe to the importance of a better relationship with the United States." Image from

The President in Europe - Michael Sean Winters, America Magazine: Comment by reader Milbo: “I'm not at all against being liked on the world stage. It's certainly better than being hated. But are we really to believe that these crowds are cheering on America, or her policies, as opposed to her president? Obama's election was a coup for our public diplomacy, and that's not nothing, but don't mistake the crowds in Prague and Strasbourg for a realignment towards U.S. leadership.”

“A Day Late and a Photo Short” - White House and State Department Websites Rarely Updated during Obama’s European Trip – Ted [Lipien], FreeMediaOnline.org, Free Media Online Blog: “It appears that the Obama Administration officials were not prepared for the usual public and media outreach expected from the White House during presidential trips abroad. They also could not count on much support from the State Department. During the previous two administrations, U.S. government’s public relations functions abroad, also referred to as public diplomacy, were eliminated or outsourced to private contractors. … One bright spot during President Obama’s European trip was the effort by some of the U.S. embassies to provide media with background information and official copyright-free photos that were missing from the main State Department website."

What Does the New Tech Guru at the State Department Mean for Public Diplomacy? – Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner: “[T]he appointment of Mr. [Alec] Ross [as new 'senior adviser on innovation' at the State Department] is yet another indication of the not-so-subtle fracturing of America’s public diplomacy apparatus that had been coalescing under the previous Under Secretary. … In my opinion, the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy must be effective at coordinating, directing, motivating, empowering, educating, encouraging, and facilitating global engagement across USG and outside of USG.” Image from

State Department embraces new media tools - Alex Pinto, OhMyGov! - Government News, Knowledge & Networking: "’Digital Diplomacy’ is the phrase being used to describe the State Department's mission to use Web 2.0 technology to increase awareness among citizens of foreign countries, and thereby improve attitudes toward the U.S. internationally. The State Department now operates a social networking site called ExchangesConnect where dialogue is encouraged among international users concerning foreign policy. When Hillary Clinton has travelled abroad this year, the traditional press corps bumped elbows with local bloggers from Asia and the Middle East. And this January saw an online debate between then-Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy James K. Glassman and a group of Egyptian bloggers, wherein 200 people participated via the Internet, nearly half of them from the Middle East. But is online outreach good for diplomacy? Some, like author and Web 2.0 consultant Rob Salkowitz, doubt the ultimate advantages of this approach. 'Diplomacy isn't all about conversation and mutual understanding,' said Salkowitz. 'Used correctly, it is the method states use to unite their allies and divide their enemies in order to forward their national interests. It is communication with a purpose, and the purpose comes first.' Fair point, but isn't increasing communication in and of itself a purpose? "

In Egypt, detentions, but no general strike (News Feature) - Monsters and Critics.com: “A small group of Internet-savvy activists, smelling revolution in the air …

used the social-networking websites Facebook and Twitter to call for a national strike in support of Mahalla's textile workers, who planned a strike for April 6, 2008. Egypt's opposition press endorsed their calls, and thousands joined the group organizers created on Facebook. They became known as the 'Facebook Youth,' or the 'April 6 movement,' and they caught the imagination of the international news media to such an extent that James Glassman, former US under secretary of state for public diplomacy, last November identified them as 'Egypt's largest opposition group.' But since March 2008, or around the time the 'Facebook Youth' were born as a group, the price of wheat - of which Egypt imports 7.5 million tonnes a year, more than any other country in the world - has dropped more than 57 per cent. … Which may help explain why, despite calls for a general strike originally posted on the social networking website Facebook and amplified in Egypt's opposition newspapers, few heeded the calls this year.” Image from

The Launch of a Journalistic Experiment: The Virtual Newsroom of the American University in Cairo – DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age: “Today at the Virtual Journalism Conference at the Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University (WSU), Dancing Ink Productions (DIP) is proud to premiere our latest documentary: 'Virtual Journalism: Inside the Virtual Newsroom of the American University in Cairo.' The documentary is part of an ongoing project in collaboration with Lawrence Pintak the director of the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism and Research to explore the transformation of the business and culture of journalism in a global context. It was produced in conjunction with Ill Clan Animation studios. It describes a news conference in Second Life organized by DIP and AUC which brought together James K. Glassman who was then US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and a group of eight Egyptian bloggers.”

The Islamist threat is worse than you think - Andrew C. Mccarthy – Doc’s Talk: "In rationalizing that the only real problem is terrorism, our government promotes the project behind the violence by embracing Muslim leaders, no matter how radical they are, as long as they are not currently in the act of terrorizing. In 2005, for example, Alberto Fernandez, then the State Department’s director of public diplomacy in the Middle East, praised the Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, as an 'intelligent and thoughtful voice from the region,' a 'respected scholar . . . worthy of the deepest respect' and 'deserv[ing of] our attention.' Then as now, Qaradawi had been banned from the U.S. for promoting terrorism."

VOA in Pashto – Aly Jiwani, Perpectives on Public Diplomacy: “[N]ot all people in the region [Afghanistan/Pakistan] are against the United States.


We just have to use this segment of the population that is not sympathetic to the Taliban strategically to our advantage and offer them a system of sustainable protection.” Image from

AU Does 2.0! – Kathy, Perspectives on Public Diplomacy: “For all those of you who have seen AU's New Website (which must be everyone by now) this will be old news, but it's at least worth a mention. AU has officially jumped on board the web 2.0 movement. … Any thought's on AU's newest tool of ‘public diplomacy?’"

Smart Power Meets Star Power: Hillary Clinton In Mexico - Pamela Starr, Public Diplomacy Blog USC Center on Public Diplomacy: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent trip to Mexico (March 25-26) demonstrated, once again, the power of public diplomacy. The trip was a tour de force (with only one minor mishap) that opened a window of opportunity in a bilateral relationship that had become badly damaged. Prior to her trip, the mood toward the United States in Mexico was quite sour, the consequence of both Bush administration policies and recent developments.

Professional Notes –Bulletin Today, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota: "Dr. Pam Nice, College of Arts and Sciences (English Department), had two screenings of her most recent film, 'Desert in the Coffeehouse,' in early March in Cairo. In this film, she interviewed Twin Cities coffeehouse patrons about their views and knowledge of the Middle East. It is intended for both Arab and American audiences. One of the screenings was at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, which wants to use the film as part of its public diplomacy initiative. Image from

MAE carries out communication and public diplomacy campaign to celebrate NATO’s anniversary – Financiarul: "The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of NATO and the 5th anniversary of Romania's NATO membership through a communication and public diplomacy campaign that will span the entire 2009."

Nigeria: Changing the Leopard's Spots - Michael John, Daily Independent (Lagos): "What [Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications Dora Nkem Akunyili] has in mind is called 'Nation or Place branding.' It is an attempt to measure, build and manage the reputation of a country using approaches deployed in commercial brand management practice. Pioneered by Simon Anholt, who regularly conducts global surveys known as the Anhold Nation Brands Index and Anholt City Brands Index, it is based on the idea that brand images of countries are essential to their performance in the global marketplace and the sell of their products and services. According to Wikipedia Encyclopaedia, 'the successful transference of this image to its exports - is just as important as what they actually produce and sell.' Something approximating the bible of place branding has been published by leading global publishers, Palgrave Macmillan, and edited by Anholt. The book is called 'Place Branding and Public Diplomacy.'"

Create a Dialogue to increase Accountability and Transparency - rotw2009 blog: “David Saranga is the Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Consulate General in New York. Maintains direct contact with America’s New York-based national media and oversees public relations initiatives as part of Israel’s branding strategy. * First Israeli diplomat to implement new media methods (Web 2.0) in the field of public diplomacy.”

Gainful Employment (August 2007) - Alex, False Dichotomies: “Israel regularly sends teams abroad to assist in the case of tragedies, whether it is the tsunami in South-East Asia or forest fires in Cyprus. … This is (and here I’m editorialising) partly a matter of public diplomacy, partly an extension of ‘light unto the nations’, and partly an extension of the ‘Alliance of the Periphery’, an early foreign policy doctrine.” Image from

Education Calendar: 04/07/2009 - Traverse City [Michigan] Record Eagle: NMC [?] International Affairs Forum, April 16, 6 p.m., Milliken Auditorium. "Why Do They Hate Us? The Challenges to Public Diplomacy,"

Kathakali dancers to perform Chinese play – Times of India: “The cultural wing of the Indian embassy … has been trying to give a greater play to public diplomacy to deepen and expand the India-China relationship.”

Call To Attend PR Forum In June - Bahrain News Agency: "The Organizing Committee Of The Third Gulf Public Relations Forum Dr. Fahd Al Shehabi Said Prof. Abdulnabi Al Shoala accepted an invitation to be one of the key speakers of the Forum titled 'Public Diplomacy'' and scheduled for June 9-11 At The Movempic Hotel, Manama."

Lake Travis Reads immerses in life, culture of Afghanistan – laketravisview.com: “Several speakers at last week’s 'Afghanistan: Building Bridges Between Cultures,' held by Lake Travis Reads, detailed how they were making a difference in the lives of students a third of the world away. …


The most well known speaker of the night was Karen Hughes, former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and Department of State Ambassador. She laid the foundation for a social bridge between Texas and Afghanistan when she brought the Afghan Women’s Council to Austin in 2003.” Image from

In Pursuit of Foreign Service - Red Wolf’s Den: “[T]here are five FSO tracks: Management, Consular, Economic, Public Diplomacy, and Political.”

RELATED ITEMS

Kremlin owns up to new media empire - Evgeny Morozov, Foreign Policy: Alexander Zharov, deputy minister of communications in the Russian government, said that the government is going to double its support to “socially important” web-sites, bringing it to almost $35 million a year (this roughly translates into a dollar per every Internet user in Russia).

Along with this announcement came the list of 81 “socially important” Web-sites and other electronic projects that the Kremlin funded last year. Morozov image from

Serb Demonization as Propaganda Coup - Edward S. Herman, Foreign Policy in Focus: The successful demonization of the Serbs, making them largely responsible for the Yugoslav wars, and as unique and genocidal killers, was one of the great propaganda triumphs of our era. It was done so quickly, with such uniformity and uncritical zeal in the mainstream Western media, that disinformation had (and still has, after almost two decades) a field day.

Obama Extends a Hand of Friendship to Islam - mran Pasha, Huffington Post: Obama's speech before the Turkish parliament repeated one word countless times. Respect. It is a word that Muslims have craved to hear from American leaders.

Obama's G-20 confession: "I take responsibility": World leaders may have struggled to reach consensus, but they did break new ground: Barack Obama admitted his country was responsible for the current crisis - Marc Hujer, Wolfgang Reuter and Christoph Schwennicke, Salon

A different Europe greets Obama - H.D.S Greenway, Boston Globe: Barack Obama may be personally popular, but there is no hiding the fact that the United States has badly mismanaged its stewardship of the world economy. There is great unease that Obama may be committing his country's resources into a quagmire in Afghanistan, and Europe doesn't really want to be there. Image from

Obama brings home a mixed bag from Europe: The president heard a lot of nice words from European leaders, but he got few solid commitments – Editorial, Los Angeles Times:

‘Excuse Me’ Diplomacy: Other countries may applaud our self-flagellation, but it won’t change them - Rich Lowry, National Review: With arms-control schemes it’s easier to get responsible states to comply than the truly dangerous ones — or they wouldn’t be dangerous.

Apologizing for America: In Obama’s telling, America’s arrogance comes first - Mona Charen, National Review: If Barack and Michelle Obama wowed the crowds in London and Prague, that’s nice. But what you might have missed in all the hyperventilating in the media about the new incarnation of Jack and Jackie was that President Obama was rebuffed by Europe. George W. Bush was never disrespectful to the Muslim world.

Obama initiatives confront unpleasant facts - Frank J. Gaffney Jr., Washington Times: Two images last week contrasted sharply with President and Mrs. Obamas' otherwise adulatory treatment in Europe and Turkey. The images show how out of touch with reality Team Obama is on two of the most important national security threats of our time: (1) the totalitarian theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls "Shariah" and (2) the proliferating danger of nuclear weapons and the ballistic missiles that will deliver them.

The Nuclear Illusionist: Obama's 'moral authority' won't deter Tehran or Pyongyang – Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal

On Diplomatic Outreach: Turkish delight – Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle: Obama's unspoken request was that Turkey come together to help the United States solve its own problems in the Muslim world. The Turkish parliament's polite applause and the mixed reactions from other Muslim countries suggest that Obama has a lot more courting to do, but this was a good start.

Turkey: Not the Usual Geopolitical Sandwich - William Bradley, Huffington Post: Obama seems to see Turkey, which has friendly relations with Israel, as potentially a much stronger partner than any other NATO nation, perhaps even Britain.

Obama in Istanbul: Test for the West - Nathan Gardels, Huffinton Post: The new Obama administration has assigned such pivotal importance to Turkey because it is the great experiment in the world today of both non-Western and post-secular modernity.

Resisting Turkey's lurch to Saudis: Obama's visit opens door to improved relations - Elliot Hen-Tov and Joshua Walker, Washington Times: Obama should welcome Turkey's ambitions and regional role while reminding Ankara that with this newfound power comes new responsibility.

Turkey in Full - Asli Aydintasbas, New York Times:


It is wonderful that the president reminded Europeans that Turkey’s place is in Europe. But let’s hope he also reminds Turks that getting there requires more tolerance and reform.

Obama woos Turkey but will it woo back?: Both countries can gain from improved relations that will help solve the region’s woes - Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor: One senses that Turkey is ready to work more closely with this president. The "Hussein" part of his name helps. But so does the fact that the US is preparing to pull out of Iraq. Helpful, too, is Mr. Obama's "listening" attitude, though his speech before the Turkish parliament in Ankara Monday at times sounded like a professor in a lecture hall.

Ethic Cleansing: Whose genocide are you on? - Michael Crowley, New Republic: "As president," Obama vowed, "I will recognize the Armenian genocide."

Will Obama Say the ‘G’ Word? - Robert Fisk, Truthdig: When the Obama cavalcade turned up in the heart of the old Ottoman Empire last night, he and all his panjandrums were praying that he did not have to use the “G” word by calling the 1915 massacre of 1,500,000 Armenian Christians by Ottoman Turkey a “genocide”.

Telling the Truth About the Armenian Genocide: We must resist Turkish pressure to distort history - Christopher Hitchens, Slate

Barack takes a bow: The president shows fealty to a Muslim king - Editorial, Washington Times: In a shocking display of fealty to a foreign potentate, President Obama bowed to Saudi King Abdullah at the Group of 20 summit in London last week. The bow was an extraordinary protocol violation. Such an act is a traditional obeisance befitting a king's subjects, not his peer.

Yes, We Can . . . Disarm? Obama's Quixotic Rallying Cry for the World - Anne Applebaum, Washington Post: Although some things went well on this trip, some things went badly. The centerpiece of the visit, Obama's keynote foreign policy speech in Prague -- leaked in advance, billed as a major statement -- was, to put it bluntly, peculiar. Ridding the world of nuclear weapons would be very nice, but on its own it won't alter the international balance of power, stop al-Qaeda or prevent large authoritarian states from invading their smaller neighbors.

A World Without Nukes -- Just Like 1939 - William Kristol, Washington Post: So while Obama talks of a future without nuclear weapons, the trajectory we are on today is toward a nuclear- and missile-capable North Korea and Iran -- and a far more dangerous world. Image from

Obama's nuclear-free world: Don't bet on it – Editorial, Washington Times: The president quixotically says that a further U.S.-Russian nuclear drawdown will give the United States "greater moral authority to say to Iran, 'Don't develop a nuclear weapon,' to say to North Korea, 'Don't proliferate nuclear weapons.' " This is a charming notion, but it displays shocking ignorance of the strategic rationale driving countries toward creating or expanding their nuclear arsenals.

Listening in Kabul - David Ignatius, Washington Post: It is deceptive to suggest that Afghanistan's problems can be fixed by more open talk.

Breaking the Silence: Escalation in Afghanistan Does Not Keep America Safe - Jason Rosenbaum, Huffington Post

The Democrats and the Afghan War: Meet the New Escalators - Norman Solomon, CounterPunch

North Korea's rocket lingo – Editorial, Boston Globe: The North has been very clear about its ultimate aim - that the step-by-step denuclearization of the Korean peninsula outlined in the six-party talks culminate in peace and friendship with the United States. That is a political goal. It can be reached only through dialogue and negotiation, not by new sanctions and bellicose rhetoric. Below Image from

Confused on North Korea: Once again, the U.S. response to a provocation from Pyongyang is muddled – Editorial, Washington Post. Below image of "rocketman" from

On Diplomatic Toughness: Obama's North Korea wake-up call – Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle: Kim and his tantrum-like foreign policy may be just like his rocket- -- showy and half-baked. But he's also a reminder to his rogue-nation compadres like Sudan and Iran that dangerous and defiant policies can go unchecked. That should be a disturbing challenge to a new White House.

North Korea Rocket Stirs Hawks - Katrina vanden Heuvel, Nation: North Korea has launched a rocket into the Pacific Ocean. Now, the hawks are circling, threatening President Obama's sane approach to non-proliferation before it's even off the ground.

Decoding Obama Law - Marc Ambinder, Atlantic: Obama doesn't want to capture the bad guys who are out there; he wants to kill them, and he has the means and authority to do that. Whatever Obama's detainee policy will be once it's fully fleshed out, I doubt it will be strained by lots of new high profile captures.

Justice Extends to Bagram - Andy Worthington, Antiwar.com: Since coming to power in a blaze of reforming glory, promising to close Guantánamo within a year, stop the CIA from running offshore torture prisons, and restore the Geneva Conventions to prisoners seized in wartime, the Obama administration has proceeded to make a number of poor decisions in relation to its predecessors’ reviled "War on Terror" policies.

Obama's bailout for the despots: By investing political capital in the U.N. Human Rights Council, the president gives validation to a tainted organization - Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times