December 15-17

"I can't relax."

--Deceased American diplomat Richard Holbrooke; image from; see also

“This is the end of diplomacy!”

--Lord Palmerston, receiving the first diplomatic cable at Whitehall in the mid-nineteenth century

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Obama asks Pak Army to do more - PakTribune.com: "Talking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, President Obama said he had spoken with President Zardari and President Karzai about the AfPak review and discussed with them ways to tackle terrorism.


He said despite difficulties, it looks that 'we are on the right track but the challenge remains to make our gains durable and sustainable'. ... The document describes Pakistan as being central to efforts to defeat al-Qaeda and prevent its return to the region. 'We seek to secure these interests through continued, robust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by our improved understanding of Pakistan’s strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy.'” Afghan girl image from

US committed to partnership that is supportive of Pakistan's interests: White House - Associated Press of Afghanistan: "The White House on Thursday said the U.S. is steadfast in its commitment to an enduring partnership with Pakistan that is supportive of the South Asian country's interests as the Obama Administration noted 'significant progress' in dismantling al-Qaeda along Pakistan's Afghan border. ... According to a summary of the annual review the U.S. would continue the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, and sustain senior level engagement including an exchange of visits by Presidents Obama and Asif Ali Zardari. The document describes Pakistan as being central to efforts to defeat al-Qaida and prevent its return to the region. 'We seek to secure these interests through continued, robust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by our improved understanding of Pakistan's strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy.'"

U.S. cannot pull out of Afghanistan‎ - Michael Den Tandt, St. Catharines Standard: "Even allowing for the obfuscation and rosecoloured optimism that you'd expect from a top-level strategic review written for public consumption, U.S. President Barack Obama's new Afghan primer contains striking revelations. Most important, Afghanistan now ranks third on the administration's list of strategic priorities for winning the war -- after defeating al-Qaida and pacifying the border regions of Pakistan.


'Pakistan is central to our efforts to defeat al-Qaida and prevent its return to the region,' the five-page document reads. 'We seek to secure these interests through obust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by our improved understanding of Pakistan's strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy.'" Image from

A Clinton takes over Obama's White House briefing again; this time it's Hillary - latimes.com: "Overview of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Annual Review, as provided by the White House. ... 2. Pakistan 'In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust.' -- President Barack Obama, West Point, December 1, 2009. Pakistan is central to our efforts to defeat al-Qa’ida and prevent its return to the region.


We seek to secure these interests through continued, robust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by our improved understanding of Pakistan’s strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy. Progress in our relationship with Pakistan over the last year has been substantial, but also uneven."

US to continue long term cooperation with Pakistan: US Envoy - app.com.pk: "American ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter Friday appreciating Pakistan’s military contribution in war against terror in Swat and other areas, assured US would continue its long term cooperation with Pakistan to eradicate the menace of terrorism. ... Munter said America will seek to secure the interests of two countries through continued, robust counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency cooperation and a long-term partnership anchored by improved understanding of Pakistan’s strategic priorities, increased civilian and military assistance, and expanded public diplomacy.”

Three questions to Marwan Bishara - Marwan Bishara, Aljazeera.net: "Al Jazeera's senior political analyst comments on the US administration's review of its military strategy in Afghanistan. Why a review of the military strategy in Afghanistan?: Releasing the review is an exercise in public diplomacy; it marks the first year anniversary of President Barack Obama's speech last year that laid out his surge strategy to avoid losing the war in Afghanistan. During long and difficult deliberation with his national security team in 2009, the president was sceptical of the generals and hardliners' argument for surge of troops without clear benchmarks and for a major escalation without exist strategy, according to Bob Woodward inside account of the White House meetings in Obama's Wars.


Today, his administration is offering what is deemed balance sheet that shows 'progress' but also difficult challenges ahead. Claiming progress that includes halting the momentum of the Taliban, operational gains and damage to the al-Qaeda leadership, and greater co-operation from the Pakistan government. On the other hand, persistent concern over the reliability of the Afghan government and safe havens for Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan all of which means transition to effective Afghan control will take time." Image from article

Why are 100,000 US Troops Fighting in Afghanistan ? It's All In the Pipeline - Karl Naylor Blog: "The reason Obama will not explain why US troops are coming home in coffins and so much blood and treasure has been sunk in Afghanistan is obvious: the Afghanistan War is being fought to build the TAPI pipeline and this is not seen as the correct narrative to market as 'public diplomacy.'"

US Afghan war review is propaganda: Taliban - The Nation, Pakistan: "The Taliban on Friday rejected the review of President Barack Obama's year-old war strategy in Afghanistan, saying that it has failed on both the military and the civil administration fronts."

Remarks at Town Hall Meeting on the Release of the First Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, "Leading Through Civilian Power" - Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Anne-Marie Slaughter Director Patrick F. Kennedy Under Secretary for Management Rajiv Shah USAID Administrator Dean Acheson Auditorium Washington, DC - U.S. Department of State: "... UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: A question from the field. MS. GREENBERG: Good morning. Our first Sounding Board submission comes from Andrew Miller of Consular Affairs. He asks: Will we be revisiting the American Presence Posts concept? Could we consider single-mission American Presence Posts? More than just flying the flag, but have a focus based on an area of need; for instance, one focused solely on development with an AID presence, one focused solely on rule of law with an INL presence, one focused solely on consular work in India or China, lean and mean, virtual as much as possible, but still with some brick-and-mortar requirements?


DR. SLAUGHTER: I will field that one. Thank you for the question from the field. What we provide is exactly to explore, partly through the new public diplomacy strategy that Under Secretary McHale has outlined, a range of posts, including American Presence Posts. This particular vision would be one that we would consider an implementation. But we’ve also emphasized that for experts of the type you’re talking about, whether somebody focused on law enforcement or on women’s issues or on public-private partnerships, they would be regional circuit riders, where they would be based at regional hubs and they would travel around the different embassies of the region to cross-fertilize information, to provide expertise, and to help us think regionally on specific issues. SECRETARY CLINTON: I want to add that we are both looking, as I said in my remarks, to better unify and focus the physical presence at posts of different agencies under chief of mission authority. I know in my prior lives as First Lady and as senator, it was often clear as I traveled around the world that even in countries where we had State, USAID, and many other U.S. Government agencies represented, there wasn’t the level of cooperation and partnership, so that you sometimes found that people who were working on a different aspect, say, of development didn’t even know who else was in the country from a different American agency. That has absolutely got to end. And so what we’re trying to do is physically better coordinate under chief of mission authority all of the American Government efforts. But we’re also looking at ways of supplementing posts, as Anne-Marie was saying, with virtual interventions, with regional hubs and circuit riders, because not every post can have a rule of law expert, but there are certainly many places where we would like to further the rule of law as part of our democracy and governance agenda. So I think this will be somewhat of an implementation demonstration in different places to best see what works, but our goals are very clear." Slaughter image from

State’s QDDR and Its Academic Cognates - Peter Spiro,opiniojuris.org: "Secretary Clinton yesterday released the much-awaited first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. It’s an important document, and if implemented (a big if, given the shift in Congress and threats to cut State’s funding) it would have important consequences on the ground. The central theme of 'civilian power' has a nice ring to it in the context of situating diplomacy, a riff on the now-popular concept of non-military 'soft power'. ... It’s a practical blueprint, along the lines of the best sort of consultant work. One wouldn’t necessarily think it the product of an effort led by two international law professors, Anne-Marie Slaughter and Bill Burke-White (see pp 213-14 for the staffing). In fact, the term 'international law' makes not a single substantive appearance in its 200+ pages. That’s savvy; any strategy document showcasing international law as such would be DOA. Public diplomacy gets much more of an institutional push. The report recommends that all regional bureaus now include deputy assistant secretaries for public affairs; no mention of increased legal staffing."

Bread for the World Applauds Administration’s Commitment to Reforming Foreign Policy - press release, businesswire.com: "Today the U.S. State Department released the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), 'Leading through Civilian Power.' Aimed at setting a sweeping reform agenda for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the QDDR takes a comprehensive look at the role of U.S. foreign aid and global development initiatives in a world with increased needs, threats, and opportunities. 'This is a major accomplishment for Bread for the World members who have pushed the administration and Congress on U.S. foreign aid reform. We are thrilled at the release of this review and look forward to bipartisan legislation to make these plans permanent.' 'The QDDR is an important step in reforming U.S. foreign aid, making U.S. support for development and poverty reduction around the world more effective,' said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.


'This is yet another way the administration is showing its dedication to providing effective assistance to people all over the world who desperately need it.' The QDDR is an extension of the Global Development Policy that President Barack Obama announced in September, with a focus on strengthening and better coordinating U.S. diplomacy and development efforts, as carried out by the State Department and USAID. This review places greater emphasis on interagency collaboration and public diplomacy, focusing U.S. support for more inclusive, sustained economic growth, and elevating and transforming development to deliver results by supporting innovation and measuring results. Under the QDDR, the U.S. government will elevate development as a priority and strengthen USAID. The U.S. Agency for International Development will assume a leadership role for Feed the Future and eventually the Global Health Initiative." Image from

Brother, Can You Paradigm? - The Skeptical Bureaucrat: "The part about 'new platforms for outreach' refers to the American Spaces initiatives and other new public diplomacy vehicles, and those are addressed elsewhere in the QDDR. ['] The review will develop a new conceptual approach to balancing risk acceptability with risk mitigation that will be conveyed by State Department leadership to all Chiefs of Mission; ['] If I read this right, 'risk acceptability' refers to waivers of security standards, and 'risk mitigation' refers to compensatory measures taken to reduce risk. At present, when a post requests a waiver, the COM provides a statement of concurrence, the Regional Security Officer provides a separate statement about mitigation, and the decision to waive or not is made in Washington by the DS Assistant Secretary or, in certain cases, by the SecState. ['] examine standards and mechanisms for determining security restrictions and granting security waivers within a country, particularly those that affect travel and diplomatic platforms outside the embassy; consider the appropriate allocation of security decision making authorities between Washington and the field; ['] I hope this means that waiver decision-making will be pushed down to the level of Chiefs of Mission."

Updated Time: Secretary of State Hilary R. Clinton to Present 2010 Awards for Corporate Excellence - Notice to the Press, Office of the Spokesman, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC: "The U.S. Department of State will present the twelfth annual Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) on December 17, 2010, during a ceremony in the Benjamin Franklin Room of the Harry S. Truman building, Washington, D.C. ... The prestigious and competitive ACE is designed to recognize the important role that U.S. businesses play in advancing good corporate governance and democratic principles worldwide. The award honors exemplary business practices, corporate responsibility and innovation in a company’s overseas operations. This year, a record number of 78 nominations were received for American companies operating in 46 different countries.


The winners were chosen by the Principals’ Award Selection Committee. The Committee, chaired by the Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs, includes a representative of the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Global Affairs, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and various Assistant Secretaries. It also includes the President of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and senior officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Department of Commerce." Image from

Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs - ttkn.com: "[T]he Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs leads America’s public diplomacy outreach, which includes communications with international audiences, cultural programming, academic grants, educational exchanges, international visitor programs, and U.S. Government efforts to confront ideological support for terrorism. The Under Secretary oversees the bureaus of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Public Affairs and International Information Programs, and participates in foreign policy development. Judith McHale is the current Under Secretary. She was sworn in on May 26, 2009. The Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs welcomes questions and comments about the Department of State’s public diplomacy strategies, programs, and initiatives, along with requests for speakers. Please feel free to send these to us at AskPD@state.gov."

Richard Holbrooke's Game-Changing Diplomacy - Parag Khanna, huffingtonpost.com: "[Holbrooke] tirelessly took his case to the world's public through the media, a reminder soft-spoken and camera-shy diplomats to stop debating 'public diplomacy' and actually take diplomacy to the public. At the same time, sly signaling is no substitute for direct, face-to-face communication. ... A chief lesson all diplomats need to learn from Holbrooke is that diplomats have a higher calling than just representing the 'national interest.' They should think fundamentally about the end-state, helping others help themselves."

Holbrooke warned of Afghan perils at Yale - Randall Beach, New Haven Register: "Seven months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., foreign diplomat [sic] Richard C. Holbrooke, who died Monday, gave Yale students and faculty a taste of his feisty, outspoken views and warned of the perils ahead in Afghanistan. ... Holbrooke’s Yale appearance came nearly a full year before the U.S. invaded Iraq. He said the Bush administration was justified in its aim of removing Iraq leader Saddam Hussein.


'The single greatest U.S. foreign policy mistake of the past 27 years came in 1991 with our failure to finish off Saddam Hussein' at the end of the Gulf War, Holbrooke said. During an interview with the New Haven Register that day, he said the terrorism task force had concluded 'a sustained effort in Afghanistan on nation-building is critical. It’s not being done now.' He also said, 'Our public diplomacy needs to be significantly improved. We are losing the battle of public opinion among the world’s Muslims — and we’re losing it to a mass murderer (Osama bin Laden).'” Image from

Mirwaiz: Holbrooke Behind Kashmir’s Curtain - hadalzone.blogspot.com: "Holbrooke wasn’t completely inactive, and there’s no doubting Washington’s movement behind Kashmir’s curtain. Now Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), has pulled the curtain back, saying, 'Holbrooke was never officially working for Kashmir, but the fact remains that he was in touch with the leaderships in Pakistan, India and to some extent with the Kashmiri leadership.' Farooq hoped that Holbrooke’s successor will pursue the same course: 'It’s time the US appointed an envoy to take the Kashmir process forward. Peace in Afghanistan is important, but it cannot be achieved in a real sense unless and until other issues in the region are addressed.' Unfortunately this isn’t going to happen. Holbrooke replacement, Frank Ruggiero, isn’t nearly as strong and may be relegated to lesser duties. He won’t be touching Kashmir. Farooq’s statements aren’t surprising so much as frustrating. Washington’s problem isn’t a complete absence of diplomacy, but a lack of public diplomacy. Kashmir is a sensitive issue that requires careful handling, partially justifying Washington’s timidity."

Diplomacy Will Survive WikiLeaks‎ - Parag and Ayesha Khanna, Big Think: "[D]iplomacy, as the saying goes, is the second oldest profession. It has adapted to many technological revolutions and persists in perpetually modified form. ... [D]iplomacy has survived competition from technology and the media much as journalism will survive beyond the print age as well. Indeed, cyberspace today is alive with virtual diplomacy: Sweden, Brazil, and other governments have opened virtual consulates in the universe of Second Life, where former U.S. undersecretary of state for public diplomacy James Glassman held debates with Egyptian bloggers. Senator John Kerry has even proposed the creation of an 'ambassador for Cyberspace.' Now that Google and the U.S. Department of Defense’s research and development office DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) have pioneered handheld universal translation devices, everyone is a diplomat. The who, what, when, where, why, and how of diplomacy have thus all been thrown into flux well before WikiLeaks. But as before, diplomacy will evolve, for we wouldn’t have a global system to speak of without it." Below image from


Wikileaks Illustrates a New Dynamic at Play Across the Globe - Elisheva, My Colorful Chaos: "One step that the State Department should take in particular is to empower its diplomats at all levels to take more steps outside of the elite bubbles in which most government employees operate abroad.


The department should reinvigorate American public diplomacy initiatives to reach the new centers of power that are shaping geopolitics." Image: Elisheva, from her blog

For news about W1kiLeaks and international broadcasting, go elsewhere - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "According to news reports, the WikiLeaks dump of US diplomatic cables includes occasional mentions of US and other countries' international broadcasting. As a federal employee during my day job, I am not allowed to facilitate access to these cables, including in this website. In fact, it's questionable whether I should be reading the cables even at home. This is problematic, because during my daily web search for media news, it's difficult to swing a cat without hitting one of The Guardian's verbatim transcripts. (With apologies to our family cat.)"

15th December 2010: Iran-Twitter Q&A - Alex Burns Blog: "Over a year ago Ben Eltham and I did a conference paper on Twitter’s role in Iran’s 2009 election crisis. The paper proved too controversial for the conference’s refereed stream yet it has gone on to become our most widely read and cited paper. Today, Paul Raymond posed some questions about Twitter and Wikileaks for a forthcoming article in Saudi Arabia’s magazine The Diplomat. Below are my email answers: You express doubts that Twitter and other social network tools will 'enable ordinary people to seize power from repressive regimes.' But what other political potentials do these networks have, in terms of broadening the public sphere for debate, mobilizing political networks, and helping to globalise civil society? What will be the results of these potentials for governments? Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking tools certainly have the potential to broaden debate, mobilise political networks, and to globalise civil society. Perhaps they are today’s equivalent of the Cold War’s Radio Free Europe or Voice of America broadcasts. They are able to mobilise autonomous, self-regulative networks of people on a salient issue, and allow government agencies like the US State Department to reach a wider audience. However, these same qualities also mean that particularly for Twitter, social networks can be used to spread rumour and propaganda. ...US neoconservatives recognised these qualities in 2000 during their discussions on what a ‘next generation’ capability might resemble. Twitter’s interest in Iran gradually faded after the weeks of political uncertainty, as it became clear that Ahmadinejad’s regime would remain in power. ... The US State Department implicitly recognised Twitter’s importance when it asked Twitter to delay server upgrades – or at least, officials wanted to know what would happen next in the political cyber-laboratory of Iran.


What would be a proper response by western governments to the results, including the “unintended uses” different actors gained from the network? Firstly, to understand that Twitter, Facebook and other social networks will have their own dynamics similar to the CNN Effect of the 1990-91 Gulf War. Second, to counterbalance the ability to reach different audiences with the reality that people may only sustain their attention during a crisis. Third, that different actors will use ‘open network’ tools for their own ends and ethics, such as the Iranian Basij paramilitary using Twitter to arrest and kill protestors. A ‘proper response’ may depend on the specific government agency. Whilst the US State Department was interested in public diplomacy, other agencies may have different agendas or uses for the same data. The US Department of Defense may be interested in the danger of social networking sites to be used for adversary propaganda and disinformation to international public audiences. A US intelligence agency may be interested in ‘contextual intelligence’ that may arise from diaspora networks, or alternatively, how many ‘tweets’ or messages can lead to ‘noise’. We tried to explore how the same data could be used in different ways depending on the aims and objectives of the specific end-user. ... What general rules would you suggest governments apply to make best use of the public diplomacy potential of social networking? Use social networking tools to openly inform the public, such as Saudi Arabia’s initiatives on combatting terrorist financing and successful rehabilitation programs for ex-jihadists. Understand the limitations of social networking tools, such as their varied use by different groups, and how they can become disconnected in crisis situations from ‘on-the-ground’ events. Have mechanisms in place to identify, monitor and to counter disinformation and propaganda that may propagate on such social networks. Integrate social networking tools into a ‘hearts and minds’ strategy that uses a variety of media." Image from

"Al Hurra was more of an American bad, rather than an American good" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "It's not realistic to expect Alhurra to rival the audiences of Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya. But if the Broadcasting Board of Governors has data showing how Alhurra is doing vis-a-vis the other Arabic-language channels of non Arab countries (e.g. BBC Arabic, DW-TV Arabic, France 24 Arabic, Euronews Arabic, CCTV Arabic, Rusia Al Yaum, Al Alam, etc.), now would be a good time to share it. The more the BBG delays doing so, the more difficult it will be to justify the continued existence of Alhurra."

Listen to NPR's foreign editor describe VOA as "a bit propagandistic" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. See also John Brown, "VOA, NPR, and Public Diplomacy/Propaganda," Notes and Essays.

From Heritage Foundation, mistaken impression that VOA was going to drop Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Indonesian - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "International broadcasting does not really need 'strategy.' Audiences in some countries have need for news that is more comprehensive and reliable than what they get from their state-controlled, i.e. 'coordinated,' domestic media. Provide that news through a medium prevalent among the audience, and an audience is achieved. If strategy


is a matter of the 'agency or center for strategic communication' dictating that US international broadcasting should emphasize this, and discuss less of that, with the expectation that audience opinion will fall into line (and in fact erroneously assuming that there will be an audience), US international broadcasting will fail. If the strategy is limited to determining in what languages US international broadcasting should transmit (such as the Foreign Office does for BBC World Service), success is possible, but there is hardly a need for a separate agency or center to perform this task. (In contrast to the Heritage Foundation, I believe in limiting the size of government.)" Image from

Domestic dissemination? "The Voice of America" is coming to NBC - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Unreality Shout, 14 Dec 2010, Jo Curtis: 'It seems the NBC are keen to ride on the gravy train that is American Idol and the forthcoming US X Factor by launching their own singing talent show. To premiere in spring next year, ‘The Voice of America’ is being produced by Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Apprentice) and John de Mol (Big Brother). It’s based on the successful Dutch version of Idol which is entitled, ‘The Voice of Holland’ and will feature four celebrities forming 'teams' of singers who they’ll coach and mentor throughout the competition.'"

Chinese Mongolian dissident released after 15-year prison term for VOA interview, etc. - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Why the BBG spent $50,000 to support a conference near Montreaux - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

American geophysicist aims to boost science program in Basra - DVIDS: "U.S. officials in Basra have signed a mutual agreement with Collaboration Organization Basra, a non-governmental organization for community developments, establishing a science program for middle and high school Iraqi students. 'Without science there is no technology,' said Jasim Al Sarraf, a geophysicist from Missouri, United States Defense Support Public Diplomacy Advisor in Basra and founder of the Club of Science Hobbies, established 29 years ago."



Image from article with caption: Jasim Al Sarraf (in white shirt and tie), a geophysicist and founder of the Club of Science Hobbies signed a mutual agreement with the chairman for the Collaboration Organization Basra, Shuker Mahmmod Jasim, establishing a science program for middle and high school level Iraqi students in Basra at the Basra International Business Center.

VOL. VI NO. 25, December 03-December 16, 2010 - The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media
"Al-Jazeera’s Degree of Press Freedom in the Spotlight After last week’s release of yet more US diplomatic cables, news sources around the globe are questioning the neutrality and independence of the Arab world’s premier Al-Jazeera television network at time when Qatar just obtained the right to host the World Cup.
Hollywood – 1, Jihad – 0 Successful in providing global news sources endless fodder, Wikileaks again has released US State Department cables that highlight previously-unknown facts and observations about the world. In this round, diplomats have made the truly shocking discovery that US TV shows and films broadcast uncensored in Saudi Arabia are actually quelling extremist tendencies among youth.
Qatar Wins Right to Host the World Cup in 2022 The emirate of Qatar was thrilled to learn that it is going to host the World Cup of 2022, the first Middle Eastern country to receive such an honor. Although the tiny country faces many logistical challenges, the World Cup bid committee feels as though the event will be a spectacular triumph for the region.
Changing the World a Scandal at a Time The WikiLeaks release sheds light on some glaring weaknesses in US diplomacy. Many scholars suggest that the US should work harder both to present a more humble face and listen more to the people on the ground.
WikiLeaks, Social Media and the Arab World With the latest release of cables on WikiLeaks, Arab journalists consider a similar website concept for the Middle East region. Some journalists warn of the dissemination of false information, urging reporters and bloggers to take caution about the content they post.
Obama’s Approach to the Middle East In terms of rhetoric, the Obama administration harbors a laudable strategy towards working in the Middle East arena. However, there are strong sentiments that there needs to be more action on the ground in order to instigate true positive change.


Released Cables Ignite Debate on Press Freedom Arab media currently struggling with reporting WikiLeaks, fear government intervention and possibly imprisonment. Experts question whether the information may cause a significant change in the citizen-government relationship throughout the region, while others criticize the lack of journalistic ethics.
Shopping for Diplomacy: American Cultural Center Opens in Jakarta Mall The US Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, recently opened a state of the art technology center at a downtown mall in which Indonesians can learn about American culture in addition to sharing aspects of their own culture with young Americans via technology.
WikiLeaks Sheds Light on US Diplomats There are a plethora of different reactions to the latest WikiLeaks release, in which the diplomatic correspondence of Foreign Service officials was released to the public by the infamous whistle blowing site." Image from

Students of Neval Thomas Elementary School gain new appreciation about Bangladesh - usanewsny.com: "The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC in collaboration with the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area and the Embassy Concert Series in DC hosted 50 students and 4 teachers of Neval Thomas Elementary School on 15 December. Following a power-point presentation on Bangladesh’s rich history & culture and its impressive achievements, the students also interacted with Akramul Qader, Bangladesh Ambassador to USA and State Minister. The enthusiastic students, who are 4th and 5th graders, posed questions to the Ambassador on Bangladesh, diplomacy, role of Ambassadors, his social life etc. Ambassador Qader expressed his satisfaction for the keen interest of the young, inquisitive students and hoped that they would carry home a positive image of Bangladesh. ... The event is a part of the Embassy’s public diplomacy and outreach program to project Bangladesh’s rich culture and tradition to wider audience in the USA. The participants were served with traditional Bangladeshi refreshments."

Inauguration of Honorary Consulate of Azerbaijan held in Santa Fe - News.Az: "Santa Fe resident Art McHaffie as appointed Azerbaijan’s Honorary Consul with responsibilities covering the State of New Mexico on October 25, 2010. ... Honorary Consul McHaffie along with Los Angeles-based Consul General Suleymanov and Vice Consul Gurbanov visited with Governor Bill Richardson and Mayor David Coss to present copies of Mr. McHaffie’s consular patent, a diplomatic document signed by the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and confirming the honorary consul’s appointment by President Ilham Aliyev. Governor Richardson, who was getting ready to visit North Korea to try to ease tensions in the region, stressed the importance of public diplomacy for America’s success abroad and welcomed Azerbaijan’s decision to open its first honorary mission in Santa Fe.


Richardson fondly recalled his trip to Azerbaijan, where he traveled as President Clinton’s Energy Secretary in order to strengthen the partnership with the strategically important energy-producing Caspian nations." Image from article

WikiLeaks cables: India accused of systematic use of torture in Kashmir: Beatings and electric shocks inflicted on hundreds of civilians detained in Kashmir, US diplomats in Delhi told by ICRC - Jason Burke in Delhi, guardian.co.uk, posted at Pakistan Defence: "US embassy cables: Seeing eye to eye on counter-terrorism ... Tuesday, 18 April 2006, 07:08 ... S E C R E T SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR APRIL 19 US-INDIA CT JOINT WORKING GROUP ... 22. (C) Mission India executes robust and forward leaning programming designed to counter extremist ideologies (Ref O). We provide numerous exchange, educational, and outreach programs to counter extremism, primarily through the Front Office, PA, POL, and USAID. A special public diplomacy effort is made to engage with Indian Muslims, including young students and other young people, and to foster interfaith dialogue among India's multi-cultural and multi-religious communities. Front Office, PA, and POL officers provide critical personal and media interaction to perpetuate the USG message of moderation and tolerance. Our outreach ranges from one-on-one engagement with elites to press interviews to mass-audience interaction to overcome misperceptions and stereotypes. We also monitor and report trends in religious extremism."

'Can learn a great deal from India on harmony' - The Hindu:


"At a time when nations around the globe are losing ground to extremism, India’s tradition of tolerance and its management of a large and diverse society can be an important learning ground for the world, a U.S. cable from its New Delhi embassy said in 2006. ... The cable said in the democratic, multi—religious, and multi—ethnic society that India is, secularism is synonymous to tolerance of all faiths and extremists are far outnumbered by ‘secular’ moderates. The Embassy noted that a special public diplomacy effort is being made to engage with Indian Muslims, including young students and other young people, and to foster interfaith dialogue among India’s multi—cultural and multi—religious communities." Image from

India Should Upgrade Its Public Diplomacy - Philip Seib, Huffington Post. See also.

My talk at MEA’s International Conference on Public Diplomacy 2010 - The Acorn: "Last week I spoke at a conference in New Delhi on how the proliferation of social networks is creating new imagined communities—that I call Netions—and how they are profoundly changing international politics."

Documentary film-funding up for grabs: Documentaries to be made on varied themes in India, and PSBT shall support them - Satyen K Bordoloi, mumbaimirror.com: "One of India’s oldest documentary financing agencies, Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), is offering funds for nearly 100 documentaries to be made on different themes in India. The funds begin from 2.5 lakh for a 26 minute documentary. The deadline for submitting ones proposal is December 20. ... In total PSBT is seeking 52 half hour films on DV cam in partnership with Doordarshan, 35 films between half and one hour on DV cam in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and 5-7 films on DV Cam in partnership with the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry for External Affairs."

Let us meet in cyber space! – Babar Ayaz, Let us Build Pakistan: "Six months from now, business between Indian and Pakistani IT companies should be initialized and progressing and 'money should be flowing both ways'. Such was the positive wish of the Indian IT delegation leader, Dr Ganesh Natarajan,


at a meeting with his counterparts last Friday. ... To bring the two countries together, a lot of emphasis was given to building ‘public diplomacy’. As the nonsensical visa regime between the two countries is a great obstacle in the way of public diplomacy, an interesting suggestion of helping the people meet 'in the clouds' through tele-presence was made by tech savvy participants." Image from article

Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched intensive staffing changes: the elite echelon of Foreign Affairs had become! - 2jJj.CoM: Military of China, force comment: "[O]nce he became successively in Iran, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands Ambassador Hua Liming: Because that’s basically in our era of revolutionary struggle, so we enter the year when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told us that the main work of our is the struggle against imperialism, with the fight against revisionism, then the reform and opening up, the situation has changed a lot, China’s diplomacy in the international arena for China to win more friends and win a better and peaceful international environment, we need this new generation of diplomats in public diplomacy, the image of peace and diplomacy in this area do a great job. from 'taking class struggle as the key link' to the skilled use of 'cultural diplomacy', 'public diplomacy' This shift to far off Lenin equipment, used to drink coffee, and tie is much more complex. But shoulder the historic mission, China’s diplomats must be successfully completed their 'role. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mobilize people, that public diplomacy team’s renewal and upgrading of China’s foreign policy also shows the gradual change in meaning.'”

Eastern Countries and Western Countries Right to Speak Different Places - Norman Kirby, psychicarticles.co.uk: "Development of discourse strategies[:] The goal of public diplomacy must be strategic, specifically, the pressure to resolve China's development, to reduce China's development of resistance. China's development very quickly, enhance the right to speak to keep up the rhythm of public diplomacy. To improve the image of the country through inter-generational change, expect a generation to change the impression is very difficult. Public diplomacy is a voice line, it contains many levels, including the government's preference, the construction of the humanities, the Government's actual policy actions. ... [M]any news media's efforts in this area,


People's Daily, Xinhua and other Chinese mainstream media have set up overseas branches, while also taking actions such as the acquisition of foreign media. Public diplomacy activities have been promoted to the agenda, in particular, the Foreign Ministry received great attention. ... Public diplomacy should be found to target countries with opinion leaders, and then affect them, and then using their position to influence the target country's overall public opinion. Social interaction in promoting the improvement of mutual relations is beneficial. ... For now, China's public diplomacy strategy and technology should focus on two levels. Chinese and Western modalities should be changed, pay attention to advanced interactive, interactive one to the next level, so as to enhance China's right to speak." Image from

American Values and National Sovereignty - William R. Hawkins,
familysecuritymatters.org: "Not only has history not come to an end in the 21st century, neither has ideology. And, more importantly, neither has the nation-state faded from the scene as liberal thinkers had hoped. Here, Chinese thinkers have a valid point which should be of interest to American patriots as well. A December 1 Global Times commentary by Professor Zhang Zhongzaia of the Public Diplomacy Research Center at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, argued that international standards cannot override national sovereignty. Zhang rejects the claim made by Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland in a New York Times op-ed that, 'The idea of sovereignty changed during the last century, as the world moved from nationalism to internationalism.'"

Hard to show off the power while the North Koreans in China wish to explore the soft power is an adult - d.hatena.ne.jp: "JoongAng Daily - [editorial] that public diplomacy is close to the hearts of desperate Chinese 朝鮮半島が統一され、韓国が直接、中国と国境を接するようになったとき、「韓米同盟は大切な資産」だが、一方で不安定要因でもあることを考え、中国との関係の重要さを指摘する。 Korean peninsula is unified, Korea directly, as when the border with China, 'Korea-US alliance important asset,' but also thought that the instability, while the importance of relations with China said. と同時に、そのためにはまず中国の実態を研究することの重要性を指摘する。 At the same time, in order to point out the importance of China to study the situation first. 冷静だなあ。 What a cool. そして、こんなくだりが続く。 The passage continues like this. こうした努力に劣らず重要なのは公共外交（ｐｕｂｌｉｃ ｄｉｐｌｏｍａｃｙ）を通じ、韓国に友好的な世論を作ることだと考える。 Of these efforts is equally important public diplomacy (public diplomacy), via the public think to make a friendly in South Korea. われわれと体制が違うとしても、世論の動向に気を遣わないわけにはいかないのは中国も同じだ。 Even with our different systems,


we can not care 遣Wanai public opinion is not the same for China. 情報技術（ＩＴ）の急速な発展は市民の活発な意思表明を可能にしている。 Information technology (IT) has been rapid development of enabling citizens express an active intention. 中国のネットユーザー数だけで４億人だ。 Number is 400 million Chinese netizens. 知らず知らずに中国ネットユーザーの世論は中国政府の政策にも影響を及ぼすほかない。 Chinese internet users unwittingly opinion has no choice but to affect government policies in China. 相手国の国民の心に食い込む公共外交はソフトパワーを重視する２１世紀外交のトレンドでもある。 Cut into the heart of public diplomacy citizens of other countries are also the trend of the 21st century to focus on soft power diplomacy. きのう米国務省が発表した「４年ごとの外交・開発政策見直し（ＱＤＤＲ）」が提示したキーワードのひとつも公共外交だった。 U.S. State Department announced yesterday, 'Foreign Affairs Development Policy Review yearly 4 (QDDR)" public diplomacy was also presented by one of the keywords. クリントン 国務長官は「２１世紀の外交官は該当国の外務省担当者だけでなく、田舎の部族の元老にも会わなければならず、縞柄スーツだけでなく作業着も着なければならない」という話で公共外交の重要性を強調している。 Clinton Secretary of State is 'the diplomat country in the 21st century foreign ministry as well as representatives of rural tribal elders must also meet, also must wear work clothes as well as striped suit, 'said that emphasizes the importance of public diplomacy in." Image from

Malaysia's niche - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "Malaysia strikes me as a Middle Power that is underperforming. It doesn't seem to have a niche in which it can maximize its public diplomacy exposure. I have been thinking that because of Malaysia's diversity (nearly half the country is either Chinese or Indian), they could market the country as a facilitator of communications between China and India."

Putin talks to the nation - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: "Funny. While Medvedev is talking to the Federal Assembly, Putin is conversing directly with the public. 4 hours 29 minutes. His 2011 televised call-in Q&A session apparently broke all records, at least in Russia. ... Well done?


Certainly, a very good PR move. At home. Abroad it all seems to have become a matter of ridicule. ... [T]he last remark is indeed priceless: Q: Who rules the country while you and the President of Russia are asleep? A: We take turns sleeping. Everything is under control. No doubt about that. Bad public diplomacy. But, who cares when domestic ratings matter more?" Image from article

Azerbaijani ambassador urges Russians to unite over riots in Moscow‎ - Trend News Agency: "Recent riots in the Manege Square and in Moscow Metro represent a great threat to multinational Russia, and this wave of violence can be prevented only by joint efforts of politicians, NGOs, intellectuals and ordinary citizens, said the ambassador of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation Polad Bulbuloglu,


RIA Novosti reported. ... 'As an ambassador of a foreign state, I can not interfere in the internal affairs of Russia. But as a man lived in Moscow for many years and a man whose son and granddaughter live in Moscow, I care about how people of different nationalities live in this city,' Bulbuloglu said Thursday, speaking at the international forum 'Role of public diplomacy in the development of international humanitarian cooperation' in Moscow." Image from article

British World War II-Era Propaganda Films Surface Online (VIDEO) - Huffington Post: "British propaganda films from half a century ago have made their way onto the Internet for the first time, and the kitschy clips are providing viewers with a snapshot> -- albeit one that's highly sanitized -- of U.K. life between the 1930s and 1950s. As the BBC is reporting, the overly cheery vintage scenes showing cricket matches and the delights of London's Kew Gardens had been kept in vaults at the British Film Institute. Some of them were reportedly shot by noteworthy filmmakers of the era, including cinematographer Jack Cardiff and director Ken Annakin. Martin Davison, the British Council's chief executive, says the clips would have been shown around the world in embassies and consulates, particularly during a time when fascism was quickly spreading around Europe. 'We're showing some very nice snippets of how cultural relations happened in the past, and we can perhaps contrast it with how things happen these days,' Davidson told the Guardian. 'We now have a much more mutual way of doing things.' Thirteen of the films are currently available online, with 160 additional clips to be released in the coming weeks.'"

PA steps up criticism of US 'pro-Israel bias' - Herb Keinon, Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post: "The Arab League foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, issued a statement saying they wanted to obtain a decision from the Security Council 'that confirms, among other things, the illegal nature of this [settlement] activity and that would oblige Israel to stop it.' Another Israeli official said that as chances were dimming that the Palestinians could get the US to agree to a UN Security Council declaration recognizing a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines, they were looking for Israel’s 'diplomatic and public diplomacy Achilles’ heel,'


which is the settlements. Israel has almost no support around the world for its settlement policy, the official said, so the Palestinians – following US President Barack Obama’s lead – are focusing on that." Image from

Iran's Supreme Power Struggle - Mehdi Khalaji, Project Syndicate: "Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has never been happy about the status of the Iranian presidency – neither during his own tenure, from 1981-1989, nor during the terms of his three successors. ... Khamenei does rely on Ahmadinejad to lead Iran’s public diplomacy. The president travels widely, speaks frequently, and mobilizes political support with his anti-American and anti-Western rhetoric.


But public diplomacy is not diplomacy itself. It is clear that no one in Ahmadinejad’s inner circle – certainly not the president himself – has gained the Supreme Leader’s confidence. The nuclear portfolio, for example, remains exclusively under Khamenei’s control." Image from article

Ankara to host Turkish-speaking countries media forum next week - Today's Zaman: "Journalists and media organ representatives from Turkish-speaking countries will gather in the Turkish capital city next week. 'Turkish-Speaking Countries Media Forum' will be held in Ankara on December 21-22, a statement from Turkey's Directorate General of Press and Information said on Thursday. ... During the sessions to be held as part of the forum, issues such as media's effect on democratization in the globalization process, media and NGOs' role in improvement of economic, social and cultural cooperation in the Turkic world, media's position in the Turkic world and its role in public diplomacy will be discussed by participants. Turkey's leading news agency Anadolu Agency's Director General Hilmi Bengi is also expected to deliver a speech on 'cooperation opportunities between Turkish-speaking countries in the field of media and preparation of common content for publications and broadcasts' at one of the sessions of the forum, the statement noted."

Air Kobe Encounters Geopolitical Turbulence - virpierce.wordpress.com: "NBA uber-star Kobe Bryant has signed a major endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines (a carrier controlled by the government of Turkey) to be a brand ambassador. The problem is, the deal immediately incensed the sociopolitical ire of the Armenian-American community, who have long been battling the Turkish government—and lobbying the US government—for official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. It is a battle that the Armenian people continue to wage through public diplomacy, and now, potentially through economic and market power.


Indeed, talk is floating around of Armenian fans boycotting KB24 and the Lakers, in many ways similar to the boycott that the Hispanic community and various activists—including the city government of Los Angeles—attempted to wage against the state of Arizona earlier this year, in protestation of that state’s immigration policies." See also. Image from

Wikileaks releases alleged US Candid Assessment of Santa Claus, North Pole - Digger, lifeafterjerusalem.blogspot.com: "I can not confirm whether this is really a State Department cable, but I share this alleged cable with you because this is clearly information the public needs to know! (and no, I didn't write it, nor do I know who the author is or whether this is really a State Department cable). SUCRET NOFROST To: SECSTATE WASHDC From: AMEMBASSY NORTHPOLE INFO: AMEMBASSY FRANZ JOSEF LAND AMEMBASSY NUUK AMEMBASSY LONGYEARBYEN AMCONSUL NORD JTF WRANGEL ISLAND NORTH POLE COLLECTIVE TAGS: OVIP, ECON, PREL, PSANTA, XMAS, HOHOHO, SUBJECT: Upcoming Arctic Negotiations - Background for USDEL (SU/NF) Negotiations scheduled for December 16 in [location redacted] represent an important opportunity for the USG to improve relations with a globally influential Northern neighbor while increasing the delivery of child-oriented luxury/leisure goods to the United States. This cable provides background information on the North Pole’s enigmatic leader and his policies. ... POLAR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: THE KINDLY OLD MAN FACADE (SU/NF) Through his connections in Hollywood, Claus has over the years carefully cultivated the image of a kindly, avuncular senior citizen. But behind the scenes he has shown himself to be capable playing an almost Nixonian brand of political hardball. He seems to have a harsh, black and white, good and evil, with-us-or-with-the-terrorist worldview.


We are told that each fall, Claus’s staff prepares for him a worldwide 'enemies list.' Enemies are listed as 'naughty,' friends as 'nice.' To prepare this list, Claus seems to make use of a sophisticated intelligence network. One staffer told us (in an arrogant tone): 'Look, it’s like this: He’s gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.' And then, a threat: 'You better not pout, you better not cry.' Claus himself reportedly checks the enemies list… twice." Image from

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China launches propaganda 'Twitter' - en.rian.ru: China has launched Red Microblog, a propaganda site visually similar to Twitter, Britain's Daily Telegraph reports. Red Twitter encourages people to write "text messages praising the country or the city," instead of writing ordinary daily updates telling what is new.

Iran detains family of imprisoned filmmaker - businessweek.com: Iranian authorities on Thursday detained family members of an imprisoned documentary filmmaker after they showed up outside a Tehran prison to inquire about his reportedly failing health, an opposition website said. Kaleme.com said filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad's


wife, son, two daughters, parents and brothers were in custody after being picked up outside Evin prison, where Nourizad is serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence for spreading propaganda against the government and insulting Iran's leaders. Nourizad image from

Reading Strauss in Beijing：China’s strange taste in Western philosophers - Mark Lilla, New Republic, posted at jurachina.cn

Christmas propaganda to be used on North Koreans - Examiner.com: A Seoul-based church has been given permission by the South Korean Defense Ministry to string lit Christmas lanterns around a tall steel tower located on a 155-meter-high hill just south of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. The lights, which are set to be lit a few days before Christmas, can be seen from many North Korean border towns. The aim, however, is not only to spread Christmas cheer. They are actually part of a restored propaganda operation aimed at denouncing Kim Jong-il’s regime. The use of religion is an old propaganda tool that South Korea suspended in 2004, but due to recent North Korean belligerency, the strategy has resumed.

Propaganda needed to free North Korea‎ - George Hogan, Examiner.com: The airtight seal that once kept North Koreans believing that they live in a paradise has been broken and now is the time for a third alternative to get some major attention. Instead of sending aid or bombs to the North, a relentless and multi-pronged propaganda campaign needs to ensue. Below image from


N. Korea slams S. Korea over propaganda leaflets as activists vow to send more - Sam Kim, english.yonhapnews.co.kr

Private radio stations targeting North Korea press for medium wave access in South Korea - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on INternational Broadcasting

Through various media, North Koreans are increasingly aware of the outside world - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on INternational Broadcasting

Korean Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo: Retrospective Analysis - Branding Korea: In this interview, Jay Wang discusses the following points: •The Korean Pavilion was highly localized for the Chinese audience, with a broad spectrum of experiences; •The pavilion featured a strong behavioral engagement; •Coherence and consistency between a focused message and the creative execution are keys to provide a compelling brand experience in a pavilion; •The competitive context of the Expo has to be taken into account in the positioning of the pavilion and in developing the execution; •The multifaceted aspect of the Expo and the participation of the general public make it a unique communal experience for a global society, with the potential to enhance the international stature of the host country.

Wartime propaganda posters popular souvenirs in Vietnam‎ - Amelie Bottollier-Depois, AFP: Vietnamese wartime communist propaganda posters featuring the goateed face of Ho Chi Minh or heroic images of Viet Cong fighters have become popular souvenirs for tourists -- but not for Vietnamese.


The posters are common items alongside jewellery, clothing and more routine memorabilia like elephant figurines and keychains in the narrow, congested streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter tourist district. Image from article

OLD SOVIET JOKE


"In 1921, two [former] Red revolutionaries meet and start talking about all the hardship and the horrid famine that hit the country. One of them says, 'Hey, let's organize another revolution!' The other replies, 'What if we win again?'"

--From Global Chaos; image from