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--A Google warning to a link to a Arizona State University study, cited below, with more than 1,500 quotes from the Qur’an; image from
VIDEO
US Embassy Dublin Hosts Former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: "In this video [US Poet Laureate (2001-03) Billy] Collins reflects on his favourite Irish poets and speaks about the unique experience of being U.S. Poet Laureate."
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Study: Islamist extremists stress self-defense, not world domination - asunews.asu.edu: "Researchers with ASU’s Center for Strategic Communication (CSC) analyzed more than 2,000 items of propaganda from al Qaeda and related Islamist groups from 1998 to 2011. They catalogued more than 1,500 quotes from the Qur’an that extremists used to support their arguments, and identified the chapter (surah) and verse represented in the quote. Results showed that most of quotes are about enduring hardships and maintaining faith and hope in the face of attacks by enemies of Islam. The so-called 'Verse of the Sword' (9:5) that
says 'fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them' was used only three times. ... The Center tteor Strategic Communication is a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a strategic initiative of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. Established in 2005, the center promotes advanced research, teaching, and public discussions of the role of communication in combating terrorism, promoting national security, and improving public diplomacy." Image from article, with caption: A team of ASU researchers catalogued more than 1,500 quotes from the Qur’an that Islamist extremists have used to support their arguments. Their findings challenge the idea of a clash of civilizations. [NOTE ON GOOGLE ENTRY: THIS PAGE HAS INSECURE CONTENT]
U.S. Study: Terrorists Aren’t “Aggressive Offensive Foe Seeking Domination” - "A new government study says Muslim terrorists are widely misunderstood and don’t wish to impose Islam around world as is commonly believed in the west, they simply murder innocent people to defend against foreign attacks by enemies of Islam. At least that’s what the experts at a public university in Arizona have determined. They offer details and make rather comical recommendations to counter terrorism in a taxpayer-funded study released this week. The highly-regarded academics operate a special center dedicated to studying the role of communication in combating terrorism, promoting national security and successfully engaging in public diplomacy worldwide. To fulfill this mission, the center gets big bucks from the U.S. government. In fact, earlier this year it got a rather generous $6.1 million grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) for a neurophysiological study involving narrative comprehension and persuasion. The center’s biggest project, however, is a six-year, $4.5 million study on Islamist extremists’ use of narrative to influence contested populations in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, North Africa and Europe. It is important to be realistic about Islamists’ arguments when trying to counter their influence attempts, says a professor to co-authored this study. 'If we try to portray them as evil conquerors when their audience sees them as protectors and champions, it damages our credibility and makes our communication less effective, 'he said. The report’s lead author confirmed that “what extremists are really saying to Muslims is ‘our communities are under siege and God will defend us if we have faith and courage’."
U.S. Gov. Study: Muslim terrorists are widely misunderstood and don’t wish to impose Islam around world as is commonly believed in the west - Will, mfs-theothernews: "A new government study says Muslim terrorists are widely misunderstood and don’t wish to impose Islam around world as is commonly believed in the west, they simply murder innocent people to defend against foreign attacks by enemies of Islam. At least that’s what the experts at a public university in Arizona have determined. They offer details and make rather comical recommendations to counter terrorism in a taxpayer-funded study released this week. The highly-regarded academics operate a special center dedicated to studying the role of communication in combating terrorism, promoting national security and successfully engaging in public diplomacy worldwide. To fulfill this mission, the center gets big bucks from the U.S. government. In fact, earlier this year it got a rather generous $6.1 million grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) for a neurophysiological study involving narrative comprehension and persuasion.
The center’s biggest project, however, is a six-year, $4.5 million study on Islamist extremists’ use of narrative to influence contested populations in the Middle East, Southwest Asia, North Africa and Europe. That brings us back to this week’s rather sympathetic report (How Islamist Extremists Quote the Qur’an) portraying Muslim terrorists as misunderstood by westerners. It spans 14 pages, but here is the gist of it; based on how they quote religious texts (Quran), Islamic extremists are not 'an aggressive offensive foe seeking domination and conquest of unbelievers, as is commonly assumed. Instead they deal with themes of victimization, dishonor and retribution.' The report continues: 'The verses frequently utilized by extremists' address subjects such as 'enduring hardships and the importance of fighting against the unjust unbelievers who oppress men, women and children.' This shows close integration with the rhetorical vision of Islamist extremism, according to the brilliant academics that compiled this on the government’s dime. Now that we better understand these violent terrorists, researches recommend that the west abandon claims that Islamist extremists seek world domination, focus on counteracting or addressing claims of victimization, emphasize alternative means of deliverance and work to undermine the 'champion' image sought by extremists. After all, 'studies' have shown that al Qaeda-linked militants are 38 times more likely to kill a Muslim than a member of another group, according to these researchers, who say this is hardly the activity of a 'competent champion. 'It is important to be realistic about Islamists’ arguments when trying to counter their influence attempts, says a professor to co-authored this study. 'If we try to portray them as evil conquerors when their audience sees them as protectors and champions, it damages our credibility and makes our communication less effective,' he said. The report’s lead author confirmed that 'what extremists are really saying to Muslims is ‘our communities are under siege and God will defend us if we have faith and courage’.'Hmmm.....Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.' ~ Luke 23:24." Image from
Gaming an Iran War: How Washington Plans For Aggression as Part of a Reelection Campaign: Pentagon Official Joins President’s Reelection Campaign - Danny Schechter, globalresearch.ca "[S]anctions [against Iran] are being sold as just one more step in a chain that includes public diplomacy and a related orchestrated media campaign, all 'carefully timed' to have a cumulative impact. Diplomacy' in this context does not mean dialogue or negotiations. It means lining up support and building global consensus for intervention."
How U.S. Leadership Can Succeed Against Terror in Sub-Saharan Africa - Ashley Boyle, americansecurityproject.org: "[T]he US should be challenged to renew its public diplomacy efforts in
We are also hosting a discussion this week with Representative Adam Smith to discuss how
With Morsy, an untested relationship between the US and Brotherhood - Egypt News: "Under Mubarak, US-Egypt foreign policy happened almost exclusively behind closed doors, often between intelligence officials and the military, rather than diplomats, from the two countries. ... Public diplomacy presents a greater opportunity for diplomatic stumbles.
What might have been a short conversation behind closed doors can turn into international controversy." Uncaptioned image from article
The Rockower administration - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "I went from being Asst. Director of YES Academy Iraq to Acting Director of YES Academy Iraq. How did day one of the Rockower administration go? I had to kick in a bathroom door to save a kid locked inside (incidentally, the same one I had to take to the hospital), intervened to keep one kid from getting sent home, and booted another. Meanwhile I helped finish an report from a pan-Arab satellite station, and closed the deal on an NPR story on YES Academy. It has been a long day, and it is still not over."
Building U.S.-India Connections through Dance - grantfundingjournal.blogspot.com: "Description [:] Section I. Funding Opportunity DescriptionThe U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section in New Delhi is soliciting proposals for grants ... from individuals, non-governmental organizations, and other legally-recognized non-profit institutions that meet Indian and U.S. technical and legal requirements to develop and implement educational and cultural programs . ... Information about the Public Affairs Section can be found at: http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/.Section II. Building U.S. ... [L]ocal publicity should be part of this cultural program in order to address the following goal: expand media engagement and increase awareness of U.S. Public Diplomacy cultural and educational programs through the creative and effective use of traditional and social media. This should be done in coordination with the U.S. Embassy (and American Center) in New Delhi, and the U.S. Consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Hyderabad. ... The project addresses one or more of the Mission India objectives and priority public diplomacy program."
Putin Tells Diplomats to Improve Russia's Image - Nikolaus von Twickel, Moscow Times: "President Vladimir Putin has called on diplomats to use more soft-power tactics to improve Russia's 'distorted' image abroad. Speaking to the Foreign Ministry's annual assembly of ambassadors on Monday, Putin said that envoys should add new technologies, 'so-called 'soft powers'' to their traditional work methods. He argued that the country's image was lopsided — not because of the government's actions but because of its failure to communicate them correctly. 'So far, we must admit that Russia's image abroad is by and large not being formed by us. For that reason, it is distorted and does not reflect the real situation in the country and its contribution to global civilization, science and culture,' he said, according to a transcript on the Kremlin's website. ... Soft-power politics, originally coined by U.S. scholar Joseph Nye, means to project influence by means of cultural initiatives and humanitarian cooperation. The concept has long been among Putin's priorities. In 2005, he set up a new department in the presidential administration overseeing foreign cultural relations.
The department's mission was described at the time as increasing Moscow's influence in the former Soviet Union. The Kremlin has also founded state-sponsored think tanks in France and the U.S. and overseen a significant expansion of the state media's foreign reach, including the foundation of RT, the English-language television news channel formerly known as Russia Today. Analysts have said that Putin's foreign policy concept, which he published in February as part of a series of election campaign articles, was weak on soft power, mentioning the concept only once, with regard to its use by foreign-funded NGOs.But in a sign that the concept has not been forgotten, the Kremlin this spring appointed Konstantin Kosachyov, the State Duma's long-standing Foreign Policy Committee chairman, as the new head of Rossotrudnichestvo, the federal agency that oversees relations with former Soviet states. Kosachyov told Vedomosti in June that his agency's 2 billion ruble ($60 million) budget for this year was insufficient to meet 'President Putin's task to widen our global humanitarian presence.' The soft-power concept receded somewhat under Dmitry Medvedev, who held the presidency from 2008 to this year. But Medvedev, whose image as a leader was far softer than Putin's, famously said in 2010 that instead of frightening others by "gnashing teeth," the country should display a smiling face to the world. On Monday, Putin told ambassadors to keep their focus on Russians living abroad, many of whom, he said, want to be useful to their ancestral homeland: 'Sometimes — I say carefully — our foreign missions underestimate this,' he said. Putin also said that the government should make it easier for former Soviet citizens to obtain Russian passports and added that this policy should extend to descendants of those who left the country during the tsarist era, which ended in 1917. Past Kremlin policies to attract Russians living abroad to improve the country's dire demographic balance have seen little success. For instance, attempts to lure back some of the more than 2 million ethnic Germans who left for their historic home country in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in only a trickle of returnees." Via SL on email.
Russian "Orientalism"? - Yelena Osipova, Global Chaos: The UNdiplomatic blog on public diplomacy and international communication: "'Russian Orientalism' might sound inapplicable or ironic, given that the Russians themselves have been (and still are) the subject of the 'West''s Orientalist stereotypes and approaches, especially with regards to references such as (and those reminiscent of) 'Oriental' and/or 'Enlightened Despotism'. But, since everything is relative, Russians themselves have had their Orientalist stereotypes, which are still very much alive and kicking (trust the one with the 'Armenian' label, on this). ... And, just as everywhere else, these stereotypes come in very handy for propaganda purposes, 'put into effect' by the government at times of need. [A] RFE/RL report ... [video of report included in entry] does a great job summarizing this Russian 'Orientalism' in the Soviet/Russian film (which, by the way, seems to be on the high, again, after the disastrous 1990s). ... A couple of questions: How does this affect the public diplomacy 'semi-efforts' by countries that become subjects of such attitudes? And secondly, can the Kremlin really just 'decide' some day that it is going to work on improving these stereotypes and approaches, and seriously hope to succeed? I doubt that."
Israel brands itself as "green country" with CNN International ads - Kim Andrew Elliott eeporting on International Broadcasting.
The BDS movement at 7: Stronger, more widespread and more effective than ever - mondoweiss.net: "Seven years after the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel was launched, the global BDS campaign has become stronger, more widespread, more effective and certainly more diverse than ever—a true cause for celebration by all those groups and conscientious citizens of the world who contributed to this success. However, Israel’s intensifying violations of international law and basic Palestinian rights, the direct threat Israel poses to the freedom of peoples across the region, and the impunity that Israel still enjoys are cause for reflection and the continuous fine-tuning of our strategies to further spread BDS and further isolate Israel as a world pariah, just as South Africa was under apartheid. ... The global reach of the BDS movement is maybe best highlighted by this year’s edition of the BDS Global Day of Action which took place in 23 countries and the fact that the 8th annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) was organized this year on campuses in 202 cities across the world, causing near panic in the Israeli public diplomacy ministry, which scrambled 100 envoys to counter IAW around the world."
Of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Union - David B Roberts, e-ir.info: "In mid-December 2011 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called for the Gulf Cooperation Council to move towards 'a stage of union in a single entity'. What exactly he meant by this was never officially fleshed out, as is the way in the Gulf where public diplomacy is a rarity. Instead it was left for the editorialists, a few scattered comments by Ministers, and peoples’ fevered imaginations to fill in the blanks particularly in the run up to the following GCC meeting in May 2012."
Students learn about politics and culture up close in Taiwan - news.yorku.ca: "Through the Young Leaders Delegation Program, the government of Taiwan aims to familiarize young people from other countries who are expected to be future decision makers, with the political, socioeconomic and cultural realities of Taiwan.
The selection committee at YCAR was looking for students with leadership potential, strong academic records and familiarity with the Asia-Pacific. .. The Young Leaders Delegation Program is one way that Taiwan’s government tries to influence the public, rather than the government, of another country, so that its situation is better understood. Image from article, with caption: Josh Taiwan
US airport security checks to be tightened after handgun find - relax.com.sg: "The Aviation Police Office said Sunday that it will tighten security checks after an outbound US citizen was found to have a handgun and ammunition concealed in her checked-in luggage a day earlier. ... Meanwhile, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) declined to comment Sunday on the case.
Asked about the incident, Sheila Paskman, the AIT's chief of public diplomacy, said she could not discuss cases involving American citizens without their permission because of US privacy laws. The AIT represents US interests in Taiwan in the absence of official relations between the two countries."
Taj Group, Govt launch ‘India Is’ initiative - thehindubusinessline.com: "Hotel chain Taj Group has announced its partnership with the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs for its “India Is” initiative. The campaign, which was launched in 2011 with support of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign, is a crowd sourcing initiative that invites a global audience to participate and share their perceptions and experiences about India. The 'India Is' photography competition is slated to start from August 2012 while the video competition will start from December 2012. Both the competitions are expected to capture various facets of India, the Taj Group said in a statement."
Phl Embassy in Riyadh Conducts Staff Training on Services and Other Refresher Courses - .dfa.gov.ph: "Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ezzedin H. Tago led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh in a series of training and refresher courses on 'Embassy Services, Programs and Procedures.' ... The lectures
Public policies and politics in Papua - Kerry B. Collison Asia News: "The issues of Papua are truly complex social issues in which multidimensional aspects are involved. Today’s critical situation in Papua is attributed to accumulative degenerative public policies that have been imposed on this richly endowed island for almost five decades. Acknowledging the root causes and implementing the right solutions are two daunting challenges for us if we want to truly save Papua. ... [T]he government needs to engage in ... five interconnected measures by using all available instruments of national power: the economy, information, the military, intelligence, diplomacy, financial acumen and law enforcement; as well-crafted soft and hard power will generate the smart power required to deal with the daunting challenges of Papua. ... The third measure is public diplomacy in order to win the support from domestic and international stakeholders. However, good public diplomacy must be accompanied by a set of real actions in order to gain credibility and trust."
London 2012: Influence on London Property Market - lebernproperty.skyrock.com: "The UK government has undoubtedly invested vast amounts of money in setting London up for the [Olympic] games, with the creation of the Olympic Village, investment in the surrounding East London region and mass marketing in attracting visitors to the UK. The games will offer a unique opportunity for visitors to take a fresh look at the changing face of London and the UK generally. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and their Public Diplomacy Partners have grasped the games as an opportunity to change the perceptions of Britain and to raise its mark as a global City."
James Carville, Karen Hughes headline 2012 Domenici Public Policy Conference - business.nmsu.edu: "The man who helped engineer former President Bill Clinton’s winning campaign, James Carville, and a prominent adviser to former President George W. Bush, Karen Hughes, will go head-to-head in a debate at the 2012 Domenici Public Policy Conference. Carville and Hughes will be verbally dueling over the 2012 elections, including the candidates for the White House and the implications of various races for the U.S. Congress. ABC News contributor Sam Donaldson will moderate the debate. ... Hughes
served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, where she led the U.S. State Department’s effort to communicate America’s values abroad. Image from article, with caption: Ambassador Karen Hughes, former counselor to former President George W. Bush, will be discussing the 2012 national elections with former President Bill Clinton’s campaign manager and high-profile political consultant James Carville at the 2012 Domenici Public Policy Conference Sept. 19-20 at the Las Cruces Convention Center.
Wilton Park Annual Report and Accounts, HC 320 Session 2012-2013 - official-documents.gov.uk: "Human Rights, Democracy and Governance ... The ‘statecraft’ of diplomats underpinned a workshop on diplomatic excellence commissioned in support of a recent FCO initiative and the 5th conference in the public diplomacy series which considered the 'conversion challenge' of turning academic theory on soft power into practical application. The conference examined the role of culture, sport and the military and explored the specific activities of non-state actors including the OECD and Facebook. Speakers included Ido Aharoni (Israeli Consul General in New York and former Head of Israeli Branding); Professor Nick Cull (University of Southern California); and Navdeep Suri (Joint Secretary, Head of Public Diplomacy, Indian Ministry of External Affairs)."
Guess Who's Helping Assad Get Away With Murder? - noahdavidsimon.posterous.com: "Brown Lloyd James apparently has 'extensive experience managing complex international projects—including media campaigns and special events—for prominent clients, including for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Bid, the 2022 Qatar World Cup Bid, the United Nations Independent Inquiry into the Oil-For-Food Programme, AARP, Qatar Foundation, The City of London Corporation, the Independent Panel Review of the World Bank, Al Jazeera English, The Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and various heads of states and government officials from around the world.' Frankly, they sound like the kind of firm that would test their applicants' suitability for the job by offering them a newborn kitten and seeing if for the right price they'll stomp on it. It's led, among others, by one Mike Holtzman: [']... Mike ... served as a Consultant at the US State Department, serving as an advisor to the Director of Policy Planning Staff. Recently, Mike wrote two important commentaries on US public diplomacy in the New York Times. During the Clinton Administration, Mike worked in the Executive Office of the President as Special Advisor for Public Affairs to United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky. He was Director of Public Affairs to the Council on Foreign Relations from 1996-1998. [']
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Names John E. Osborn Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs - salesandmarketingnetwork.com: Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONXX) today announced that it has appointed John E. Osborn as Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs. ... Mr. Osborn ... served with the U.S. Department of State during the George H.W. Bush administration, and in 2008 was confirmed by the Senate as a member of the bipartisan United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy."
A luta continua: Against poverty, hunger, and HIV/AIDS in Mozambique - exchangediplomacy.com: "Written by Michael McLean, Public Diplomacy graduate student, Syracuse University [:] As a summer intern with the Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique, I have had the opportunity to see and do quite a bit in just my first month. Assigned to the Political/Economic Section, I am at the heart of the Embassy. The Political/Economic Section functions as sort of a 'right hand' of the Ambassador and her Executive Office. When we aren’t writing briefing documents for the Ambassador’s meetings and trips or serving as control officers for official visits, my section is covering a multitude of topical areas from human trafficking to maritime security to the extractive industries sector.
I have been writing a large amount of briefing and reporting documents and can say that the Public Relations Writing course I took at the Newhouse School has helped me out tremendously. State Department and public relations writing are more similar than one might think. One of the highlights of my time here in Maputo has been getting out of the Embassy and into the field. My first week here I had the opportunity to accompany a delegation from D.C. on site visits to U.S.-funded de-mining projects in Maputo Province. ... Although I am assigned to the Political/Economic Section, my supervisors are allowing me to work with all sections of the Embassy, especially Public Affairs. At the Embassy I have gained hands on experience in the field and have become even more passionate about furthering U.S. efforts throughout the world." Image from entry, with caption: Mike and a colleague form the Embassy visiting a mine field which is being de-mined through funding from the U.S. Department of State. The Center for Strategic Communication is a research unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a strategic initiative of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. Established in 2005, the center promotes advanced research, teaching, and public discussions of the role of communication in combating terrorism, promoting national security, and improving.
So You Want to be a FSO Part 1 - pulisha.blogspot.com "So You Want to be a FSO Part 1 Basically the process goes like this - 1st you register to take a written exam known as the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). It is given 3 times a year (generally in Jan/Feb, Jun, and Oct). You can resister for the exam on the State Department’s website under the Careers tab. When you register (which is similar to filling out a job application, in fact you should probably think of it as a job application) they will want to know which cone you are applying your candidacy to. There are five cones: Consular, Management, Economic, Public Diplomacy, and Political."
RELATED ITEMS
Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan - Peter van Buren, We Meant Well: America’s worst enemy is itself, not the Taliban.
Hillary Clinton, diplomat in chief: The secretary of State's standing has soared, as her views have remained constant - James Mann, latimes.com: Obama remains something of a dove. Some of his pronouncements dare to hint that America's role as the world's preeminent power is time-bound. Clinton's public pronouncements point more to America's enduring role in the world. She adheres to the basic tenets of U.S. foreign policy since World War II, emphasizing our leadership and alliances. She carries forward the ideas of the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War, when President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called America "the indispensable nation." Obama sees himself as an agent of change, seeking ways for America to adapt to new circumstances.
Clinton focuses more on America's continuing strength, in the tradition of Democratic presidents at the peak of U.S. power, from Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman to John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Remember the 2007 debate in which a YouTube questioner asked the candidates whether they would "meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration … with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea"? Obama immediately said he would. Clinton demurred, saying such a meeting could be used for propaganda purposes. At the time, the Obama campaign claimed Clinton had a "Washington salon foreign policy." But Obama must have recognized she was right because (other than a quick handshake with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez) he hasn't been willing to meet unconditionally with any of these leaders. It turns out that in quite a few ways, Obama has changed more than Clinton. Image from article, with caption: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrives for the action group on Syria meeting in the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Is Clinton's record-breaking travel taking its toll? [Video]: - Jill Dougherty, CNN: With one hundred countries already under her belt, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently on a marathon 13 day, 9 country trip that will stretch multiple continents. The issues addressed are as diverse as they are serious, and at a stop in Vietnam, the trip seemed to take a visible toll. CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Dougherty reports.
Picking a winner in Afghanistan - Michael O’Hanlon, washingtonpost.com: The next Afghan leader has a chance to restore U.S. faith and to help forge the kind of enduring security partnerships that the United States gradually developed with Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, South Korea and Taiwan. Afghans must be persuaded to defeat the crooks and warlords who may seek to replace Karzai. Thirteen years of American effort and treasure — and the Afghan people’s ability to escape what has become a generation of war — depend greatly on achieving a sound election process and outcome in 2014.
Libya’s all-important post-election steps - Editorial Board, Washington Post: The biggest political challenges may be determining the degree of federalism in the new state and fairly distributing the country’s bounteous oil revenue among a population of 6 million. That will be easier to do if the new government can succeed in imposing its authority across the country, including disarming militias or integrating them with official security forces, and freeing prisoners from irregular detention. The United States and its NATO allies could help with this: Libyan officials have repeatedly requested assistance with reorganizing and training the army and police forces. NATO’s intervention in Libya last year paved the way for Saturday’s landmark election. Now the Obama administration and its allies should help the new authorities attain their goal of a democratic Libya.
Russian Autumn: A U.S. response to the latest Putin crackdown - Review and Outlook, Wall Street Journal: Mr. Putin no doubt figures the West will ignore this as it has his other authoritarian habits. But Members of Congress should consider it one more reason to pass the Magnitsky Act sanctioning Russian officials implicated in human rights abuses. The Obama Administration wants to offer Mr. Putin most-favored trading status without Magnitsky, which it views as a diplomatic irritant. But Congress should care more about sending a message to the Russian people that it supports their fight for freedom and self-government. Image from article, with caption: An activist protests the NGO bill outside Russia's lower house of parliament in Moscow.
Islamists in a Changing Middle East - Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: The appeal of violent jihadism has clearly faded, at least for now, and few Islamists still openly reject the principle of democracy. Al Qaeda has struggled to adapt to the Arab uprisings, with the American killing of Osama bin Laden marking at least a symbolic ending to a decade dominated by a so-called "War on Terror." But it would be wrong to assume that this will necessarily last. Indeed, one could easily imagine the appeal of jihadism returning with a vengeance should democratic politics fail or should Islamist politicians compromise so much that they alienate purists in their ranks.
AMERICANA
What's on Americans' minds? Increasingly, 'me' - Sharon Jayson, USA Today: An analysis of words and phrases in more than 750,000 American books published in the past 50 years finds an emphasis on "I" before "we" — showing growing attention to the individual over the group.
School is too easy, students report - Greg Toppo, USA Today: •37% of fourth-graders say their math work is "often" or "always" too easy; •57% of eighth-graders say their history work is "often" or "always" too easy; •39% of 12th-graders say they rarely write about what they read in class.
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A Minor Note: Dear PDPBR readers, at the risk of being paranoid, may your compiler note it appears that this harmless blog, already banned (so far as I know) in mainland China, is being interfered with in its compilation/posting from sources about the Middle East (of course doubtless not limited in their restrictions to your compiler alone) the origins of which are unknown to me.
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