"An egg without a shell."
--Parshall Schall, who ran a school for retarded and emotionally disturbed children, describing one of his pupils, Hermann Hesse; cited in The Times Literary Supplement (September 14, 2012), p. 7; Hesse image from
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Non-Random Notes (Throughout the day): How Romney Should Have Attacked Obama: Anatomy of a Geopolitical Crisis - newwestnotes.com: "[Republican presidential candidate Mitt] Romney missed a big opportunity last week when he so foolishly and shallowly attacked President Barack Obama after the attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt. Because mistakes were made by the Obama Administration, mistakes that matter far beyond the usual vicious campaign ping pong, that call into question Obama’s strategy as he attempts to execute America’s geopolitical pivot from over-engagement with the Islamic world of the Middle East and Central Asia to increased engagement with Asia and the Pacific. ... Why was our consulate in Benghazi — and our popular ambassador to Libya, whose popularity threatened jihadist interests — so lightly guarded on the anniversary of 9/11? Why hasn’t all of Obama’s vaunted public diplomacy in the Islamic world bought America enough credit to head off wild protests against a truly preposterous little movie?"
Pashtun Awakening: Defeat the Taliban by Changing the Narrative - invisiblehistory.com: "The Afghan think tank ... New World Strategies Coalition, has released an important policy brief. Pashtun Awakening: Defeat the Taliban by Changing the Narrative outlines a solution for the disintegrating situation in Afghanistan that can work for all the Afghan people. ... The objective of this brief is to provide U.S. policymakers with a snapshot of the ground truth in Afghanistan so they can make informed decisions on how to best address the de-Pashtunization of Afghan society. The key to setting the Afghans free is by setting the truth free, as the brief explains: ['] There is still hope if the Pashtuns can restore their sacred tribal structure and identify the Taliban movement for what it really is – a religious mafia concocted on white boards in Rawalpindi. In order to accomplish this, NATO and ISAF should focus on unifying the Pashtuns through a grassroots information campaign – a path that will be much more effective than the military option: ['] If the crux of the problem is a lost narrative the solution is taking it back from the jihadists who hijacked it. This calls for identifying, confronting and defeating propaganda through public diplomacy counterstrikes and preemptive psychological tactics. ['] The Policy Brief can be downloaded by clicking here."
Aung San Suu Kyi visits RFA. Aung San Suu Kyi visits VOA. Aung San Suu Kyi visits BBG - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting. Image from article
Experts focus on United States’ relationship with Iran - Chuck Uzoegwu, daily Trojan: "Experts discussed possible resolutions to the nuclear conflict between the United States and Iran at an event hosted by the USC Center on Public Policy on Wednesday in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The event, 'The Iran Project: A U.S.-Iran Public Diplomacy Road Map,' focused on the challenging diplomacy issues in the context of the current United States-Iran relationship.' The bipartisan panel featured
USC Professor Philip Seib and members of The Iran Project, a non-governmental organization that issued a comprehensive report on potential solutions to the conflict between the United States and Iran. Ambassador William H. Leurs [sic], Ambassador Frank G. Wisner and Admiral Eric T. Olson were representatives of the project." Image from article, with caption: Nuclear · Ambassador Frank G. Wisner (left) and professor Philip Seib participate in a panel, which focused on the U.S.-Iran relationship.
MK Shai wins award for doctoral thesis on public diplomacy - Lahav Harkov, Jerusalem Post: "MK Nachman Shai (Kadima) was awarded the 2012 Tshetshik Prize for Security Studies on Thursday, for his doctoral thesis on public diplomacy. Shai received his doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in 2010, studying public diplomacy and in low-intensity conflict, his area of expertise after serving as IDF Spokesman during the Gulf War and several other high-ranking positions in the Israeli media. The Kadima MK's thesis, which examines Israeli public diplomacy during the Second Intifada, will be published as a book next month. The Tshetshik Prize for Security Studies is awarded by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies."
RELATED ITEMS
A death at Gitmo: Adnan Latif's case shows the need to end our Guantanamo experiment - Marc Falkoff, latimes.com: Obama was right to order the prison closed on his second day in office. But he was wrong to cave in to pressure from political opportunists in Congress who threw roadblocks in his way. Guantanamo should be shuttered because it is unjust and un-American.
The longer it stays open, the more men will die there, to the shame of us all. Image from article, with caption: Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif died alone in his cell after being held at Guantanamo Bay for more than 10 years. The grimmest fact is that no one really thought he should have been there.
The United States and the Muslim World - Editorial, New York Times: It would be wrong to retreat from supporting people in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt who are committed to building democratic governments and pluralistic societies based on the rule of law as some in Congress urge. The United States has to stay engaged in whatever ways it can.
U.S. should redouble effort to boost Russian democracy - Editorial Board, Washington Post: Since announcing his return to the presidency last year, Mr. Putin has faced a swelling opposition movement. In its attempt to squelch it, the Kremlin has concocted legal charges against leaders, ramped up penalties for participation in “illegal” protests and rammed through a law requiring non-governmental organizations that receive foreign funds to register as “foreign agents.” Its booting of USAID will strip funding to groups such as Golos, an independent election monitoring group that publicized fraud in Mr. Putin’s reelection as president last March. This is a time for the
Putin Does His Own 'Reset': The Russians expel a U.S. agency, proving Mitt Romney had a point - Review and Outlook, Wall Street Journal: In the latest slap to America, the Kremlin announced this week it is expelling the U.S. Agency for International Development. The aid arm of the State Department has spent almost $3 billion in the last two decades to feed and modernize Russia and, in recent years, promote human rights and free elections. The relatively small $50 million annual program will close October 1. Justifying the move, the Russian foreign ministry on Wednesday accused the U.S. of trying "to influence political processes, including elections of various types." The Obama Administration responded to the expulsion with what has become a familiar nonchalance. "It's their sovereign decision to make," said State's spokeswoman. Team Obama won't admit that its ballyhooed "reset" in relations with Russia has been a failure. Russia's beleaguered democrats deserve better, and Congress can help by passing a human-rights bill named after slain lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The bill has bipartisan support but has been held up by legislative bickering. The Magnitsky Act punishes Russian rights abusers by blocking their ability to travel and bank in the U.S. Prompt passage would be an ideal riposte to Mr. Putin's reset of the reset.
No comments:
Post a Comment