February 23

"Art is more engaging that propaganda."

--American musician Larry Norman; image from

VIDEO

The Building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 - Propaganda Documentary (1962)

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

On Iran, take a lesson from Burma: verify and never trust - ‎David Meyers, Daily Caller: "Iran is more determined than ever to produce a nuclear weapon. But sanctions and other Western efforts are having an impact, and Tehran now claims it wants to negotiate. The U.S. and Europe should expose this stalling tactic for the sham that it is. And the West’s policy on Burma provides the perfect paradigm for doing so. For decades, the regime in Burma has been as despicable as the one in Iran. The ruling junta has used violence and murder to stifle dissent, denied freedom and human rights to its people, and counted itself as an ally of North Korea and other despotic regimes. The United States and Europe used sanctions and public diplomacy to try to effect change in Burma.

We cut off non-humanitarian funds, targeted the regime with stiff sanctions, and publicly challenged the junta on its human rights abuses. For years, these efforts failed to produce any meaningful change. The junta would promise to enact reforms, only to quickly reverse course or never follow through. But the United States and its allies weren’t deterred. The Bush and Obama administrations and bipartisan majorities in Congress progressively increased sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Burma. ... And then something remarkable and unexpected happened. The Burmese junta installed a 'civilian government' that actually began making real and meaningful reforms.” Image of Burmese woman from

As Yemen's Election Brings New President, U.S. Must Refocus its Foreign Aid and Counterterrorism Strategy - Paul Leuck, policymic.com: "Yemen’s election on February 21 confirmed Abed Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, the only candidate, as the new president of Yemen. In backing the Gulf Cooperation Council transition plan, the United States sought

a short-term solution to enact regime change. Now the hard work begins and the United States must refocus its efforts in Yemen on long-run results. ... Long-run rethinking of U.S. counter terror strategy is also needed but solutions are far more difficult to identify. U.S. airstrikes remain the most reliable means of targeting AQAP [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] members in the near term, but overreliance on them is unsustainable if the U.S. wants to maintain a positive relationship with Yemen for years to come. The negative impact of collateral civilian damage and hitting misidentified targets can quickly undermine U.S. foreign assistance and public diplomacy efforts." Image from article, with caption: Over a year of protests in Yemen, like this one from March 2011, have resulted in a new president.

Cultural Diplomacy for the 21st Century: Empowering Local Voices - Cynthia P. Schneider, Huffington Post: "The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people to people or arts/culture/media to people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The [USG-supported] programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran all contribute to core goals of U.S. policy in those countries. Each succeeds by empowering local voices, rather than by conveying ideas through American emissaries."

A hamster shrugged - Yulia Ponomareva, The Moscow News: "According to some pro-Kremlin sources, the U.S. Department of State is financing the opposition protest movement in Russia – but if that’s actually the case, it’s art lovers in the capital that may find themselves saying 'God bless America.'

Creativity, as opposed to violence, has spilled onto Russian streets as the result of political protests conducted by a group of people previously derided as useless “hamsters on the Internet” – and creative posters with slogans demanding fair elections have been recognized as works of art. Some of these posters now hang in an exhibition at Moscow’s Artplay gallery." Image from article, with caption: Kenny from "South Park." Via MT on Facebook

US Embassy visits Stenden Rangsit University - stendenrangsit.com: "On Wednesday 23 February Stenden Rangsit University was honored and pleased to host Mr Stephen Valen, Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Embassy in Bangkok. Mr Valen provided our International Protocol and Diplomatic Studies (IPaDS) students with a guest lecture on America’s role in the ASEAN region and shared his personal experience as a diplomat. This lecture is the first in a series of guest lectures and field trips the students will participate in over the course of their semester in Bangkok."

BBG Gone Pravda – BBGWatcher, USG Broadcasts/BBG Watch: "Almost every weekday morning, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) sends out 'BBG in the Media,' a digest of news and commentaries about U.S. international broadcasting, also referred to as 'Media Highlights.' But as in the Soviet

newspaper Pravda, some U.S. and international stories just don’t make it into the BBG Media Highlights. They can be classified as 'bad propaganda' and as such they must be banned, just as Soviet Pravda ignored any news story that did not meet the Party’s standard of what was 'good news' about the USSR and 'bad news' about the capitalist world. ... Perhaps a perestroika in the ranks of the Broadcasting Board of Governors executives and managers is in order." Image from article

Student work visa conference in Myrtle Beach draws questions about jobs - Lorena Anderson, myrtlebeachonline.com: "Though international students come here on work visas each summer, their primary goal is not earning a lot of money. That’s what Elizabeth Dickerson, a representative from the U.S. State Department, told those gathered for a meeting of the International Students Outreach Project in Myrtle Beach on Wednesday. Students from other countries here on J-1 work-travel visas are not supposed to supplant full-time local workers, Dickerson said, but are to be hired only in temporary, part-time jobs that can keep them self sufficient while they are here learning about the United States. ... Ultimately, the J-1 work-travel visa is a ticket to a cultural exchange program, Dickerson said. ... While most of the international students’ jobs must be vetted and confirmed before they can even apply for their

J-1 visas, that isn’t always the case. In the past, there have been problems with promised jobs not materializing, or not being exactly as the employer offered, said Phil Simon, who represented a group of agencies that sponsor the international students. ... Today’s international student could be a leader in his or her home country in the future, Simon said, and they will take home their experiences and their understanding of the United States. That could influence the development of countries that are just starting down the path of democracy, he said. 'The benefits of their visits here are education, friendships, public diplomacy and the breaking down of barriers between cultures,'” he said. Image from

A Brief History of the Smith-Mundt Act – Matt Armstrong, Mountainrunner: "This [1948] legislation that empowered the U.S. to combat intentional disinformation, incidental misinformation, and to fill the void when information was lacking, is now, ironically, itself victim to all the above. ... While it is easy to dismiss Smith-Mundt today as insignificant or irrelevant, continuing misperceptions of its purpose and impact severely hampers U.S. global engagement. It implicitly labels many news and engagement activities by the Government as 'propaganda' by declaring it unfit for consumption within our borders. The prohibition on allowing the content to be available inside the U.S. creates and encourages opposing views in how we operate and organize. In the physical world, the split is domestic against foreign. In the bureaucratic and organizational, it is public affairs versus public diplomacy, and in the conceptual or doctrinal domain we see the difference in inform and listen against engage and empower. The distinction is not lost on commentators both in the U.S. and abroad and leads to the 'propaganda' label to our own material."

Pakistan foreign Minister underlines the importance of public diplomacy Pak-UK trade and investment roadmap to be prepared soon - officialnews.pk: "Foreign Minister of Pakistan Ms Hina Rabbani Khar has said that the UK and Pakistan have agreed to further strengthen relationships in the fields of economy, trade, education and culture. She was addressing the Pakistani origin media in London today.

Ms Khar said that her visit to the UK was a part of Pakistan’s outreach efforts to counter the negative and hostile narrative about Pakistan. She said that her address at Oxford University and Chatham House was aimed at the public diplomacy which is the need of the hour. She further said that public diplomacy and outreach by Pakistan would be strengthened in the important capitals of the world in coming times. She specifically urged the Pakistani Diaspora abroad to help build positive image of Pakistan." Hina Rabbani Khar image from

Members of public want to create a favorable environment to help to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - "Delegation of Azerbaijan and Armenia participated in the opening performance of the Musical Theater headed by Mikhail Shvidkoy in the frame of recommendations made by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents on further development of humanitarian cooperation on Feb.21. The Chairman of the Russian State Duma Sergey Narishkin, famous art and culture figures, members of the public and the Diaspora attended the event, Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia said. … President's special representative for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvidkoy, first deputy chairman of the Public Chamber Mikhail Ostrovskiy, head of the Public Chamber's working group on international cooperation and public diplomacy Alexander Sokolov, member of the Russian Public Chamber's commission for tolerance and freedom of conscience Alla Gerber and member of the Russian Public Chamber's commission on support for mass media Andrey Dementyev also attended the meeting, executive director of the Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation of the CIS Armen Smbatyan represented Russia. … Dementyev said about the necessity of cultural dialogue between the representatives of the independent states, which will promote mutual understanding. Gerber supported Dementyev's position and said the organization of mutual funds, festivals, 'round tables' with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia - will be a good ground for mutual contacts. Shvidkoy said it is the first meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals after two years. And the Public Chamber, representing different sectors of civil society, can become the platform for a discussion on which they can act not as the warring parties, but as opponents. Thanking for the opportunity to host

the meeting of delegations of the two republics, Azerbaijan Ambassador Bulbuloglu said there are representatives of civil society who do not make the task of resolving political issues. Later, the ambassador recalled that the first trip … organized between the representatives of the intellectuals of the two republics and Armenian ambassador to Russia A.Smbatyan to the Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan [was] in 2007. The meetings were held with the presidents of both countries. Then, Bulbuloglu said that it caused an ambiguous reaction in the society. 'Someone has supported them, but there were many critics. They are not scared. The mission of public diplomacy reiterated its trip along the same route in 2009. There were more supporters. ['] The tours of the Youth Symphonic Orchestra of the CIS countries headed by outstanding musician Vladimir Spivakov to several Commonwealth countries, including Azerbaijan and Armenia were organized by the International Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of CIS member states in September of 2010. The public reaction of the two republics was positive, confirming our osition that these actions are necessary, Bulbuloglu said." See also (1)(2). Image from

Al-Shabaab nixes Somalia's Spring: UK PM - press release, Hurriyet Daily News: "Turkey’s Public Diplomacy Coordinator’s Office has said the total aid sent from Turkey to Somalia had reached $640 million."

40 countries to map Somalia's future - Konye Obaji Ori and Prince Ofori-Atta, The Africa Report: "Getachew Reda, a public diplomacy and communications director general at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday said the coordinated military operations, to wipe out Al-Shabaab in Somalia, had left fighters of the al-Qaeda linked extremist group in 'disarray'. " Above image from article

Report: Netanyahu Cleaning House - Gavriel Queenann, Arutz Sheva: "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday that his main spokesman, Yoaz Hendel, had resigned . … 'Netanyahu thanked Hendel for his great contribution to Israeli public diplomacy in Israel and the world,' a statement from the PMO said, adding the new communications director will be Liran Dan."

Mobilefilmworks Signs Agreement With 'India Is', To Stream Top Thirty(30) Video Film Finalist to Mobile – Press Release, digitaljournal.com: "Mobilefilmworks announces an agreement with 'India Is' to stream top thirty(30) video finalists to mobile. This ground-breaking initiative will enable global audiences to view, and cast their votes for 'India Is' film shorts on mobile devices. The top thirty(30) video finalists, are available for viewers to cast votes at www.mobilefilmworks.com, through March 14th, 2012. Mobilefilmworks is delighted with the opportunity to assist 'India Is' in creating a better understanding of India, by showcasing the diversity of India's rich culture, and engaging global audiences. 'With this agreement, 'India Is', now has the ability to reach more than 280 million mobile subscribers, employing the latest in mobile technology that delivers optimal mobile viewing experiences,' comments Jameela Lee, VP of Content Acquisitions and Business Development. Powered by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the 'India Is' Global Video Challenge, invites the world to both share their perspectives, and vote for contestant 2-minute video shorts. 'India Is' contestants, are eligible to win and receive up to US $7500 in prizes."

Chinese Firm's Investment Challenged – Crafar Farm Deal on Hold - pacificusblog.blogspot.com: "Recently, the High Court of New Zealand overturned a decision by the Overseas Investment Office to allow Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin to purchase the

Crafar Farms, sparking worries about the ability to attract future FDI, maintaining positive trade relations with China, and the situation’s implications for future partial sales of state owned assets. A new decision should be reached within days, with some foreseeing the inevitability of the sale due to the potential increased export business driven by Shanghai Pengxin’s connections. The court ruling in NZ and the frenzies surrounding the potential farm sale demonstrate our simultaneous fascination for and wariness of China. With significant experience in FDI and trade agreements, China can easily perceive the public relations issues and react with public diplomacy and economic incentives." Image from

The Internet has changed public diplomacy - Vasileios Gkinopoulos, vasgk.com: "In a recent article on NPR by Michele Kelemen, one can read how Social Media have affected Public Diplomacy. The Arab spring has been used as a bedrock for people arguing about the role of the Internet in regime change and public diplomacy. It is not just Social Media, but the Internet as a whole. Some people consider Social Media to be websites such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, flickr, Blogs and more. That is not the case. These tools are just Internet applications. ... [W]ith the correct use of Social Media, one should not only get the word out, or set the record strait; but actually listen to citizens and social groups, engage with the public and create a two-way communications stream between the diplomatic core and the public. ... Internet public diplomacy, is not only geared towards communicating with the public, it should be a medium for engagement between diplomats, countries, international organizations and NGO's."  More on social media in below "Related Items."

Heteropolarity, globalization and the new threat set – Daryl Copeland, Embassy: “In the heteropolar world under construction, security will flow not from defence, but from development and diplomacy. And the diplomatic centre of gravity will shift away from formal chancelleries and into storefronts, souks, and conflict zones. The need for the traditional variety of international political communication as practised by designated envoys is not about to disappear. Yet the diplomatic centre of gravity is shifting—away from formal chancelleries and great halls, and into storefronts, souks, barrios, and conflict zones. Diplomacy is going public—moving, as it were, from the cathedral to the bazaar.

The transformation of the operating environment in turn requires new skills, sharpened cross-cultural capacity and a smarter, faster, more agile method of diplomatic practice generally. Diplomats must be equipped to undertake the task of nuanced, and highly complex balancing between dynamic poles, and to apply knowledge-based problem-solving in the face of common threats and challenges.” Image from

Australia-Korea Foundation: 2012-13 grant round now open - asiadesknt.blogspot.com: "The Australia-Korea Foundation 2012-2013 grant round is now open and will close on April 2, 2012 at midnight (EST-Sydney time) ... In 2011-12, funding priority will be given to projects and programs that strengthen Australia’s relationship with Korea through people-to-people engagements across a diverse range of sectors. Themes [including] ... Public Diplomacy, Media and Advocacy [:] Projects which highlight Australia's cultural and societal diversity, and encourage a greater awareness and well-informed knowledge of contemporary Australia among Korean influencers and in the broader Korean society."

Forbidden Education - Karen Calderon, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "On February 3rd, 2012, the USC School of Cinematic Arts held a screening for

'Education Under Fire,' a film that provides a provocative insight into the lives of Bahá'ís in Iran who lack access to the country’s education system. ... While watching the film, I was deeply moved by the struggles Bahá'ís would endure to access an education – while their non-Bahai’ counterparts (Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Mandeans, Yarsanis, and Zoroastrians) were able to take advantage of Iran’s educational institutions. ... The Education Under Fire campaign skillfully utilizes documentary filmmaking as a public diplomacy tool to address the needs of the Bahá'í in Iran." Image from

New Center for Strategic Communication hosts special event: The new Center for Strategic Communication (CSC) is hosting a special event in recognition of its approval by the Board of Regents to become an official University Research Center - PressZoom: "The new center is an initiative of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. It is home to a group of multidisciplinary scholars who apply theories and research in human communication to issues of countering ideological support for terrorism (CIST), diplomacy, and public diplomacy. The efforts of the group to provide essential research and advice resulted in a recent $4.5 million grant to investigate extremists’ uses of narrative to influence contested populations in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Africa, and Europe."

Debunking the Apartheid Myth - Neil Lazarus, israeljewsjudaism.blogspot.com: "Neil Lazarus is an internationally acclaimed expert in the field of Middle East Politics, Israel Public Diplomacy and Effective Communication Training."

Lazarus image from entry

RELATED ITEMS

SS Symbol Used By Marine Scout-Snipers – militaryreligiousfreedom.org: “Please stop thumping your chest and spewing your propaganda about the Marines using the initials SS. Yes it looks the same as the Nazi SS symbol. Marines use it because it the angular “s” resembles a lighting bolt and it looks cool. It stands for Scout-Sniper, which is what the Marines have called their sniper platoons for years.

The Marine sniper platoon is a reconnaissance asset that is organic to the infantry battalion and directly controlled by the battalion commander. They are also highly trained snipers with a mission to eliminate selected targets in combat operations. Therefore, scout-sniper or SS. It has nothing to do with Nazi’s [sic] or Aryan race.” Image from

Visas for Dollars Pilot Program Needs a Catchy Name, Just Don’t Call It Visa Express, Please – Domani Spero, diplopundit.net: In mid-January, President Obama announced new efforts to increase travel and tourism to the United States. The WH announcement pointed to this as “part of a comprehensive effort to spur job creation. The WH has charged the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security with the following:  Increasing non-immigrant visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40% in 2012.  Ensuring that 80% of non-immigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application. Increasing efforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program and travel by nationals eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, and expanding reciprocal trusted travel programs for expedited travel (such as the Global Entry program).

U.S. "decline" extremely "overstated": Scholar – CBS News: Robert Kagan was recently described by The Washington Post as President Obama's favorite Romney adviser. That's because the president gave a thumbs-up to

"The Myth of American Decline," an essay Kagan wrote for The New Republic magazine. It didn't seem to bother Mr. Obama that this senior fellow at the Brookings Institution is a foreign policy adviser to Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Below, a transcript of Charlie Rose's conversation with Kagan: Kagan: I'm saying we have tremendously overstated, and it's very premature to declare that decline. We are -- the truth is, the United States, both economically and militarily, and also in terms of its overall influence, really is as strong as it's ever been, and I think part of our problem is we have a mythical view of the past. People think that we were able to do everything we wanted, tell everybody what to do, order the whole world around in the past, and now we can no longer do it. The truth is, we've always had difficulties, it's always been a struggle, but I think the United States is still in a very strong position. Well, we do face a more diverse, diffuse kind of power in the world. We have some strategic advantages in dealing with China. I think China's going to be economically powerful, but strategically, it faces powerful allies of the United States around its periphery, from Japan all the way around to India. We have to manage those alliances well. We have to engage both, including our European allies. I think those alliance structures remain the core of American influence in the world. Image from

Getting Iran to back down on its nuclear program - David Ignatius, Washington Post: Recent history shows that the Iranian regime will change behavior only if confronted with overwhelming force and the prospect of an unwinnable war. Short of that, the Iranians seem ready to cruise along on the brink, expecting that the other side will steer away. Clear messaging to Iran -- and to Israel, too -- is important as the tension mounts over a possible Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear targets. The clerics in Tehran won’t accept a deal unless they conclude that there’s no alternative but a punishing war.

Iranian scientist's goal: To annihilate Israel - Dudi Cohen, ynetnews.com: Iran is continuing to milk the assassination of its nuclear scientists for internal propaganda against the "Zionist entity": The wife of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who was deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, told the Fars News Agency in an interview published Tuesday that "Mostafa's ultimate goal was the annihilation of Israel."

U.S. on guard against possible Iran plots – John Miller, CBS News: The U.S. is working overtime across 16 U.S. intelligence agencies to identify, monitor, and disrupt the activities of Iranian agents and surrogate groups like Hezbollah as officials see a growing possibility of an attack by Iran on American interests. The concern is based on two factors: one, an uptick of surveillance of U.S. targets overseas by suspected Iranian agents. And two, the rash of coordinated plots against Israeli targets in four countries last week.

Is Iran Plotting Terror on U.S. Soil or is it Just Propaganda? - John Rivera, ampoch.wordpress.com: The U.S. government and the neocons are preparing us for war reminiscent of the weeks and months leading up to the Invasion of Iraq. But such a conflict would have terrible implications. Already we are seeing oil prices skyrocketing.

This President has already shown his willingness to fight wars, as with Afghanistan. Many naively believe that Barack Obama is a total departure from the Bush years in where wars were started under false pretenses. And if re-elected the current occupant of the White House will most likely get us into another disastrous conflict overseas. Image from article

WSJ Iran Propaganda Is As Simple As That - John Glaser, antiwar.com: Today in the news section I wrote about a speech yesterday from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The title chooses what is the most pertinent part of the speech: Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei: We Will Never Seek Nuclear Weapons. “The Iranian nation has never pursued and will never pursue nuclear weapons,” said Ayatollah Khamenei amid calls from some hawks in Israel and the U.S. to attack Iran for its nuclear enrichment, which they allege is for nuclear weapons. ... By contrast, here is the Wall Street Journal‘s report of the same Khamenei speech: Iranian Leader Promotes Nuclear Plans -- U.S. and Europe Chastise Tehran for Blocking U.N. Inspections, as Khamenei Says ‘No Obstacles’ Can Stop Program.

How Can She Say That? – Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well: Despite the Yemeni election being just one guy, who is the hand-picked successor to an evil thug autocrat, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland

had a near-death level orgasmic reaction to the presidential election in Yemen– “The United States congratulates the Yemeni people on carrying out this successful presidential election and taking the next step in their democratic transition. Our understanding is that turnout was very high — and particularly high among women; among young people, voters under 30. And it just shows quite a bit of enthusiasm and ownership by the Yemeni people for this transition going forward.” Other popular rulers elected as the sole candidate in their “elections” include Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il. No doubt such a statement of pleasure by the State Department over the Yemeni race has dramatically increased US credibility throughout the Middle East. Nuland image from

‘Incident in New Baghdad’: What happened in Iraq? - David Montgomery, Washington Post: On July 12, 2007, during a long, hot mission, American soldiers searched houses in a ruined maze of a neighborhood in east Baghdad. The largely routine effort came to a violent conclusion: An Apache helicopter circling overhead spotted several men carrying weapons. The chopper stalked the targets, then opened fire. Among the 11 killed were a Reuters photographer and his driver. Among the wounded were two young children. The Army investigated. No one was publicly found at fault. Ethan McCord -- who says he scooped up the children -- and at least one of his comrades say the incident revealed the bankrupt brutality of the war. Michael Bailey -- a medic who treated some of the wounded Iraqis -- and an apparently larger number of 2-16 veterans say it showed soldiers acting honorably amid the inevitable horror of war. The two views might have remained frozen there, to be rehashed into old age in the twilight of VFW posts -- except that unlike so many fading war stories, this one comes with a DVD. First, a classified video of the action as seen from the Apache was released by WikiLeaks in April 2010. Now a 22-minute documentary of the “Incident in New Baghdad” by director James Spione is up for an Academy Award at the Oscar ceremony Sunday. Via DK on facebook,

Activists ensure that the world sees Syria's bloodbath - BJabeen Bhatti and Portia Walker, USA Today: In a secret studio jammed with video monitors, Syrian activists and journalists scan live cellphone-camera feeds of protests against Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and, in many cases, images of unmistakable atrocities and unimaginable human suffering. Working quickly, they transmit the videos via satellite link to the Internet, where the scenes of destruction that the Assad regime is trying to conceal are revealed in full color to the world. The Obama administration, reacting to the latest violence, said Wednesday it hoped for a political solution but that military assistance to the anti-Assad forces was not out of the question. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was traveling to Tunisia for a meeting Friday of more than 70 nations to look for ways to assist Assad's opposition. James Dobbins, a RAND Corp. analyst and former diplomat, says it appears the West might be heading toward a sort of Libya-type solution. He said Western military intervention would only come if the Syrian opposition unified, the Arab League endorsed a request for foreign intervention and a nation other than the United States played the leading role. The United States should send a covert team into Syria to assess the rebels and what they need and start working on training, doctrine and building a chain of command, says Tony Badran, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Propaganda festival on Syria - As'ad AbuKhalil, The Angry Arab News Service/وكالة أنباء العربي الغاضب: Here is the deal. Western media (with few exceptions from outside the US media--of course, Anthony Shadid was such an exception) automatically and pavlovianly vomits whatever they receive from the Qatari-funded Syrian opposition media. No questions are asked and no verification is required. Now after months of denial, the media finally acknowledges that the opposition (or many elements of it) is armed.

BBC 'is Britain's secret weapon' - gulf-daily-news.com: A prominent Bahraini journalist yesterday disputed claims that the BBC was not being used as a UK propaganda machine. Akhbar Al Khaleej editor-in-chief Anwar Abdulrahman objected as the BBC's coverage of Bahrain was being discussed during yesterday's British-Bahrain roundtable.

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) international security studies director Dr Jonathan Eyal, who moderated the event, said the BBC's coverage was not part of a government plan. However, Mr Abdul-rahman recalled the Suez crisis in 1956 and quoted then British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd saying the "BBC was our (Britain's) secret weapon we would use to the maximum.” Image, presumably of Akhbar Al Khaleej, from article

Learning about the Quran the hard way - Dale McFeatters, Korea Times: Muslims, especially the deeply religious, believe the Quran is a unique text, sacred above all others and containing the verbatim word of God. You do not have to share this belief to respect it. A principal tenet of radical Islamic propaganda is that the U.S. and the West are fighting a war, not just against Saddam Hussein, al-Qaida and their Taliban allies, but against Islam itself. Any insult to the Quran was cited as proof of that. Any rumor out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that the Quran was disrespected ― a popular charge was that guards were flushing them down the toilets ― was amplified and embroidered by the radicals' propaganda network. Distance doesn't make the insult any less harsh. In Afghanistan last April, 20 people died, including seven U.N. workers, in protests following a Florida preacher's widely self-publicized public burning of the Quran. But it makes the insult much worse when the burning of Qurans and interpretive texts also considered sacred takes place just outside of Kabul and in front of Afghans working for NATO forces. You have to wonder what kind of lapse in attention and common sense led NATO personnel at Bagram Airfield to haul bags of trash that also contained Qurans to be incinerated in burn pits.

President Medvedev: International Decisions about Peoples' Destiny Shouldn't Be Taken under Influence of Propaganda - sana.sy: President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia on Wednesday reiterated Moscow's rejection of what he described as "rashness" in taking important international decisions about the destiny of certain countries, expressing Russia's interest in preserving the credibility of international institutions.

"We should not take decisions of grave importance for the destiny of countries and peoples, particularly in the complicated circumstances of the regional situation, rashly and under the influence of intensive propaganda," said Medvedev addressing newly accredited ambassadors of a number of foreign countries at the Kremlin. Medvedev image from article

Azerbaijan’s propaganda success complicates recognition of Karabakh’s independence - news.am: “Azerbaijan’s success in propaganda is complicating the process of recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh independence, political analyst Alexander Manasyan told the journalists on Wednesday. According to him, by signing truce the Armenian side thought the Karabakh war is over. ‘It is a peculiarity of Armenians’ way of thinking. If the fire is stops, we think the war is over too. However, it continues but in information field. We should accept and give an adequate response to this challenge,’ he said.

President Aliyev congratulates Russian scientist - news.az: On 22 February, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev congratulated doctor of physic-mathematical science, professor Sergey Kapitsa on his awarding with the Gold Medal of the Russian Academy of Science. According to the official website for the

President of Azerbaijan, the congratulation says: “Let me congratulate you on awarding with the Golden medal of the Russian Academy of Science for achievements in propaganda of scientific knowledge and wish you a sounf health and new scientific achievements. Your great contribution to development of science and propaganda of scientific knowledge is highly appreciated throughout the world including in Azerbaijan.” Aliyev image from article

Social Media “tactical Intelligence Collection”: Spying and Propaganda using Facebook, Twitter - Julie Lévesque, globalresearch.ca: A new study by the Mediterranean Council for Intelligence Studies’ (MCIS) 2012 Intelligence Studies Yearbook points to the use of social media as “the new cutting edge in open-source tactical intelligence collection”. IntelNews.org's Joseph Fitsanakis, who co-authored the study, reports: We explain that Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and a host of other social networking platforms are increasingly viewed by intelligence agencies as invaluable channels of information acquisition. We base our findings on three recent case studies, which we believe highlight the intelligence function of social networking. (Joseph Fitsanakis, Research: Spies increasingly using Facebook, Twitter to gather data, intelNews.org, February 13, 2012) What the study fails to mention, however, is the use of social media by intelligence agencies for other purposes. The study leads us to believe that social media is solely an intelligence gathering tool, when in fact, a number of reports have shown that it is used for propaganda including the creation of fake identities in support of covert operations. Those practices are discussed in Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda, Social Media: Air Force ordered software to manage army of Fake Virtual People and Pentagon Seeks to Manipulate Social Media for Propaganda Purposes, published on Global Research in 2011.

Top Social Media Websites Caught Censoring Controversial Content by Washington’s Blog - Censorship By Top Social Media Websites - piazzadcara.wordpress.com: Facebook pays low-wage foreign workers to delete certain content based upon a censorship list.

For example, Facebook deletes accounts created by Palestinian resistance groups. … Well, censorship is rampant in America … and social media has grown so big that it has become a target as well. … Gaming social media is only one propaganda technique employed by the government. Image from

The Secret State’s Mad Scheme to Control The Internet: Through The Wormhole - Tom Burghardt, powersthatbeat.wordpress.com: With electronic communications now blanketing the globe, it was only a matter of time before our political masters, (temporarily) outflanked by the subversive uses to which new media lend themselves, would deploy what Virilio called the “integral accident” (9/11 being one of many examples) and gin-up entirely new categories of threats, “Cyber Pearl Harbor” comes to mind, from which of course, they would “save us.” That the revolving door connecting the military and the corporations who service war making is a highly-profitable redoubt for those involved, has been analyzed here at great length. With new moves to tighten the screws on the immediate horizon, and as “Change” reveals itself for what it always was, an Orwellian exercise in public diplomacy, hitting the “kill switch” serves as an apt descriptor for the new, repressive growth sector that links technophilic fantasies of “net-centric” warfare to the burgeoning “homeland security” market.

Tony Jacobs: Palestinian propaganda at Boulder International Film Festival - dailycamera.com: With all the interesting films coming out of the Middle East that portray life among Jews and Palestinians in ways that reflect the hard realities of the situation without scapegoating either group, the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) chose to feature a piece of Palestinian propaganda with a description of the Israel Defense Forces in its brochure that matches the language of Hamas or Hezbollah. BIFF's film description of the good Palestinians versus evil Israelis doesn't hold up when you scratch the surface.

Vietnam: Cameras and Conflict - nouse.co.uk: After forty years , it is easy to look back on it as just another product of the Cold War: it was merely a tragic tale of America’s gung-ho attitude to the prevention of the spread of communism. Yet in so many aspects the Vietnam War was the first truly modern war. Though the scale of destruction had been far greater in the two world wars, the way the war was depicted back in America had become far more negative. Even the word ‘Vietnam’ conjures up images of marches, protests, hippies, and tremendous films made by politically motivated directors at the height of their powers. For this war was one of the first clear examples of propaganda being used to depict negative images of a war, which did not seem to have a genuine cause.

Governments were distrusted and censorship was fast becoming a taboo word. Freedom of speech and the liberal press enjoyed its finest hour during this bloody conflict and its influence can still be seen in the media today. The sense of American involvement being negative was greatly enhanced by a few famous photographs at the time, many of which are the most disturbing images captured on camera. The history of negative propaganda was relatively brief prior to the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was the first widespread hostility from the American people against the government’s handling of a foreign conflict. The legacy of the Vietnam War can still be seen in culture today. In Hollywood, films like ‘Apocalypse Now’ are considered to be masterpieces that explore the national consciousness of a disturbed people. The photographs still shock when viewed today, and have expanded to symbolize not just the brutality of Vietnam but of war itself. Image from article

Book review: ‘Brave Dragons,’ about an American basketball coach in China - Brook Larmer, Washington Post: It seems fitting that “Brave Dragons,” Jim Yardley’s rollicking book about basketball in China, should come out just as the world gets swept up in “Linsanity,” the electrifying rise of Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks’ 23-year-old Taiwanese American point guard. No, Lin wasn’t born in China (try California). He didn’t hone his skills in the rigid Chinese sports system (think Ivy League). Nor did he ever play for the

Shanxi Brave Dragons, the team of misfits and underdogs that Yardley follows for a season in the Chinese Basketball Association. In other words: Why are there no Jeremy Lins coming out of China? The answers lie in the murky labyrinth of China’s elite sports system, which Yardley -- a former New York Times bureau chief in Beijing -- explores during his season with what was once the worst professional team in China. In less capable hands, this journey might have resulted in a simplistic sports yarn -- “Bad News Bears” with Chinese characteristics. But drawing on his six years of experience in China, Yardley manages to capture, in touchingly human detail, the essence of a nation in transition. Chinese basketball, he suggests, is much like the country as a whole: caught halfway between an enduring socialist system and an amped-up commercial frenzy, anxious to absorb ideas from the West but deeply ambivalent about their influence. Image from article 

Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution: Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Metropolitan Museum, New York - Ariella Budick, Financial Times: A new exhibition reveals how Chinese artist Fu Baoshi withstood the turbulent political storms that raged around him. High quality global journalism requires investment.Fu Baoshi spent most of his life pitched on an artistic precipice, poised between the pull of tradition and the dictates of propaganda.

As deft a political creature as he was a painter, Fu thrived while China suffered through the death of empire, Japanese invasion, civil war, Communist dictatorship and famine. His work, by turns magical, kitschy and weird, but always virtuosic, reconciled an assortment of seemingly incongruous references: European modernism, Soviet-style socialist realism, classical Chinese painting, and Japanese woodblock prints. He found ingenious ways to adapt his conservative temperament to the staggering clip of change. Image from article, with caption: Fu Baoshi’s ‘The Far Snows of Minshan Only Make us Happy’ (1951)

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Via B-jC on facebook: Wild Wonders of Europe´s online Photo Competition presents the winning image from the adult crew, Nov 2011: Jose Luis Rodriguez, 51, Spanish, photographer.