September 23-25

"[T]here’s an argument to be made that her entire life has constituted an exercise in public diplomacy."

--Christian Science Monitor correspondent Jennifer Skalka Tulumello, regarding Caroline Kennedy, nominated by President Obama to serve in her first official government post (Ambassador to Japan); Kennedy image from

“It’s public diplomacy at its best.”

--Lawrence Pintak, dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and a former CBS News correspondent in the Middle East, regarding Syrian President Bashar Assad's appearance in a Fox News Channel interview that is the latest installment in a charm offensive intended to counter portrayals of him as a bloodthirsty dictator; according to Hannah Allam, McClatchy Washington Bureau, "His clean-shaven, business-suited image makes for a stark juxtaposition with bearded, gun-toting rebels waving the black flag of militant Islamists." See also; image from

[WATCH] The Public Diplomacy Battle over Syria - thepublicdiplomat.com: "It’s an over-simplified, unanswerable question, but who won the public diplomacy battle over Syria: Russia or U.S.?"

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

The Geneva Conversion - Christopher R. Hill, mareeg.com: "America’s supply of moralistic – and even churlish – advice to the rest of the world has greatly exceeded international demand for it.

And its willingness to engage militarily as an early step, rather than as a last resort, has alienated many around the world. No amount of 'Muslim outreach' and other public diplomacy alone will change that." Image from

The Strategy that Dare Not Speak Its Name - Matthew Duss, American Prospect: "A new book from Ken Pollack [Unthinkable: Iran, the Bomb, and American Strategy] unpacks the potential ways the United States could move forward with Iran, and why containment may be the least bad option we have. ... Taking on criticisms, mainly from the left, that Obama has not done enough to demonstrate American good faith to the Iranians, Pollack de-couples the two parts of this argument. First, on the question of public messaging, he shows that the administration has tried, both through its public diplomacy (such as Obama’s Nowruz greetings, where he spoke directly to the people and the government of 'the Islamic Republic of Iran') and at the negotiating table, to demonstrate to Iran that the United States does not seek its destruction and would like to lessen tensions. In this respect, the claim that Obama has simply continued the approach of the previous administration falls on its face."

News media’s revolving door to Obama White House blurs lines of objectivity - Jennifer Harper, The Washington Times: "News media and politics in the age of Obama have grown uncomfortably close. So many journalists have found employment in the Obama administration that the phenomenon has become a story itself, with a dozen news organizations tracking the cross-pollination between the two and speculating on the implications. The current count of press turncoats varies from a low of 15 reported by The Daily Beast to a high of 24 as reported by The Atlantic. ... For conservative critics of President Obama and the mainstream media, the traffic between the two suggests a bigger problem. 'If one has a propensity to start out at a left-wing publication and then become an objective reporter, or one is readily willing to leave being an objective reporter to be a mouthpiece for one side or the other, it reveals their world view,' Erick Erickson, founder and editor of RedState.com, told The Washington Times. He recently rattled the media landscape with a detailed accountof the revolving door between the press and 'left-wing politics,' sparked by Richard Stengel’s recent decision to leave his managing editor post at Time magazine and become undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs." See also.

The Secretary, IIP and its new leader: can it be made to work? - Patricia H. Kushlis, Whirled View: "Of all the new appointments made by the Obama administration in the area of media and public relations, by far the most intriguing is Macon Phillips, the guru who shaped President Obama’s re-election social media campaign.

Phillips is slated to be the new coordinator of IIP, the State Department’s troubled International Information Programs Bureau. ... What no administration has yet to grasp is that to be successful, IIP needs continual care, feeding, support and respect for its mission. Its staff needs to combine a blend of considerable domestic and foreign policy knowledge, and international communication skills. It must be savvy enough to know when to employ what, where and to be able to act in the immediacy of the moment. The question today, however, is whether a bad situation can be turned around. It is possible but whether probable is a different story. Why? I’m not convinced that the State Department can change its spots enough to accommodate an open, not secretive, environment in its midst that is minimally hierarchical or whether it will agree to fund and staff such a bureau adequately and then let it do what it can do best." Image from

White House digital director leaves for State Department - Justin Sink, thehill.com: "The first-ever White House director of digital strategy is leaving the West Wing to head the State Department's international propaganda program. Macon Phillips, an Obama campaign veteran who has managed the president's social media and Web presence since the beginning of his first term, will move to Foggy Bottom to head the Bureau of International Information Programs . ... In his new job, Phillips hopes to use the same tools to reach foreign audiences. He'll help reimagine a bureau grappling with how to best convey foreign policy ideas and American culture in an increasingly diverse and fractured media environment. ... The State Department has also used social media to help in the wake of international disasters. During Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's tenure there, the department used social media to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake."

Rabens fosters next generation of government leaders - Michael O'Connell, federalnewsradio.com: "Through his work as a special advisor for youth engagement at the State Department's Bureau of Near East Affairs, Andrew Rabens, 30, helps young people from the Middle East and North Africa to be come the next generation of leaders in the their countries. Rabens helped put together the 2012 Active Citizen Summit, which brought 55 delegates to the U.S. from the Middle East and North Africa to share ideas on how to become effective leaders in their nations. 'Andy was able to recruit these people by working with our embassies and design a program that really gave them the opportunity to meet each other, to see what their counterparts in different parts of the region were doing and what the United States has to offer,' said Mario Crifo, the bureau's deputy director of public diplomacy. For his efforts, the Partnership for Public Service named Rabens as a finalist for the 2013 Service to America Medal in the Call to Service category. The medal honors a federal employee whose work best reflects the achievements of the new generation coming to public service."

Photo of the Day: US Embassy Manila Hosts First “Eco-Fashion” Show -- Via US Embassy Manila - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: “U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr. hosted 'Forward Fashion,' U.S. Embassy’s first eco-fashion show on September 17, 2013 at his residence. The event was a celebration of U.S.-Filipino collaboration in eco-fashion and design, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable development under the creative direction of Aristeo Tengco and showcasing eco-fashion designs of Dita Sandico-Ong and Paul Cabral.

Some of the celebrities who donned the designs for the runway were Anne Curtis, Dennis Trillo, Matteo Guidicelli and Venus Raj.” Image from entry

Voice of America abdicates its responsibilities under its Charter, VOA journalists say - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "The American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1812, published a commentary on the failure of the Voice of America management to cover news in a timely and comprehensive manner. Since the original publication of this article, BBG Watch reported that the VOA English website is more than just frequently late in posting news stories or uses short Reuters reports instead of original reporting by VOA correspondents. Last weekend, VOA failed to report altogether on a news story about a near nuclear explosion in the United States in 1961. Nearly all international media reported on this story, with BBC and Russia Today getting thousands of Facebook 'Likes' for their reports."

VOA going silent in Iran? - Ed Morrissey, hotair.com: "Earlier today, I mentioned the significant role that the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe played during the Cold War, undermining the credibility of oppressive regimes in Russia and eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain by broadcasting objective news and American viewpoints.  One might think that such an effort would be worth making in Iran, where people rose up once to attempt to shed themselves of the mullahcracy. Apparently the VOA doesn’t believe in that mission, at least not for the editorial broadcasts in Farsi . ... Two points. First, putting forth the US government’s position is almost the literal definition of American diplomacy. The VOA is supposed to serve that purpose, not its own organizational ends. Second, anyone who thinks that removing the editorials will make people think the the Washington-run VOA is more independent is fooling themselves. If the VOA wants to just be an independent news agency, then perhaps its board should resign, raise private funds for its operation, and let the VOA get back to its mission."

Connecting Some Dots - The Federalist, usgbroadcasts.com: "Russia Today plays an important role in the Putin public relations, public diplomacy offensive. In so many words, Mr. Putin and the Russians stole a march on the US Government. One consequence is that Russia Today is scoring an even higher volume of hits to its website along with viewers to its television broadcasts.

You may not agree with their editorial position, but you do need to watch and listen to what they are saying, being not too far removed from the thinking inside the Kremlin. In the meantime, one of our sources sent us a quote attributed to a media consumer abroad and reposted by the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) 'employee-blogger' Kim Andrew Elliott on his 'private' website: 'RT (Russia Today) is a never-ending, forever repeating documentation of the American tragedy.' For the purposes of discussion, here is our point of view: If this is coming from inside the Cohen Building, message to the IBB: Stop whining! ... While the IBB is engaged in a consummate exercise in irrelevance, the United States Government has likely spent BILLIONS of dollars deploying the Sixth Fleet and other military assets for a possible strike against the Assad government in Syria. Worse, the United States is confronting an increasingly anarchic situation on the ground in Syria where there are no good guys and a plentiful cornucopia of bad guys. Adding to the nightmare scenario, the American public wants no part of Syria in any way, shape or form regardless of the heinous acts against defenseless civilian populations in the war zone. And to complete the downward spiral toward a Middle East apocalypse, some news reports – including national security correspondent Bill Gertz’s column in The Washington Times on Thursday, September 19, 2013 – now suggest that part of the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal may have already been dispersed to Iraq and Lebanon. This agency [Broadcasting Board of Governors], at the hands of the IBB, is as labeled: dysfunctional and defunct." Image from entry; on Russia today.  See also John Brown, "Propaganda, Public Diplomacy, and the Most Watched Foreign News Channel ....," Huffington Post (2012)

New advocacy Please Increase 2 Time Clock radio RFA [Google "translation"] - vietbao.com: "After the project is astir would increase 2 hours broadcaster Radio Free Asia.

strapping Arts Project RFA Vietnamese overtime RADIO moving target: increase request RFA Vietnamese radio broadcaster to 5 hours a day instead of just includes 2 hours at present." Image from entry

PA deputy minister of information meets US officials - maannews.net: "The Palestinian Authority deputy minister of information met with officials from the US consulate general on Wednesday. Mahmoud Khalefa met with head of public diplomacy at the US consulate, Richard Buangan, Press Attaché and Consulate Spokesperson, Leslie Ordeman, and the US Consulate Senior Information Specialist Mr. Naser Ideis.

Buangan was briefed on the media situation in Palestine and the difficulties faced by Palestinian journalists in their work due to Israeli restrictions on movement, such as military checkpoints and roadblocks. The meeting also discussed joint cooperation for media development and capacity building. Mr. Buangan commended the PA ministry for seeking new opportunities for training Palestinian media professionals, despite the difficult conditions in Palestine. Maher Awawdeh, Director General of External Media at the PA Ministry of Information, said that further training and infrastructure is needed to develop specialized Palestinian journalism." Uncaptioned image from article

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s Washington Post op-ed, annotated - Max Fisher, Washington Post: "Recently inaugurated President of Iran Hassan Rouhani published an op-ed in The Washington Post today. It's yet another of many gestures of goodwill Rouhani has made toward the United States, with which he advocates seeking detente, since taking office in August. It's also an interesting bit of public diplomacy, revealing as much for what Rouhani says as how he says it -- not to mention what he leaves out."

After Miss America controversy, Indian Embassy opens cultural center - Rahat Husain, Washington Times: "The Indian Embassy intends to open a cultural heritage center in Washington D.C., said the Hindustan Times, a mere one week after media sources noted widespread racist reactions to the selection of Nina Davuluri as Miss America. While born and raised in the United States, Davuluri was born to a family of immigrants from India.

The Indian Ambassador to the United States, Nirupama Rao, dismissed the notion of widespread racism against Indians. 'At the popular level, there is a tremendous interest and goodwill that Indian culture enjoys in the United States. To sustain this spirit of inquiry about India among our American friends, we hope to establish an Indian Cultural Center in Washington D.C. soon, which would provide a platform for exchange of ideas and intellectual discourse between our two peoples in the coming years,' said Ambassador Rao in public remarks last year while speaking at Harvard. ... India maintains cultural centers in major cities throughout the world, spanning such countries China, Russia, Germany, England, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Nepal." Image from article

Israel Trolls Iran With Parody Rouhani LinkedIn Account - Eli Lake, Daily Beast: "At 6:15 p.m. Monday, Israel’s embassy in Washington tweeted a link to a parody LinkedIn account for Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani. ... The parody LinkedIn page refers to Rouhani as 'President of Iran, Expert Salesman, PR Professional and Nuclear Proliferation Advocate.' Among the president’s skills listed on the page are 'Weapons of Mass Destruction,' 'Ballistics,' and 'Military Justice.' The bio for the Iranian president then goes on to say, 'Since my election as President of Iran in 2013, I developed and executed an unprecedented PR campaign for the government of Iran. Through a series of statements, tweets, op-eds and smiles I have re-branded the human rights suppressing Ayatollah led regime as moderate and a source of hope among the international community.'  The parody was created by

Noam Katz, the embassy’s minister of public diplomacy. He told The Daily Beast on Tuesday, 'LinkedIn was our way to highlight Rouhani’s long history in Iranian politics and his true position as the leading PR face for the regime that the public is largely unaware of on a platform they’re familiar with.' ... Israel’s mocking of Rouhani is in contrast to the regime’s recent approach to Twitter diplomacy. A Twitter account associated with Rouhani’s office tweeted a Rosh Hashanah greeting to Jews earlier this month, though his office later disavowed the tweet. A similar Jewish new year greeting from Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, was not rescinded."  See also. Image from entry

Hassan Rouhani: Refreshing Iran’s Image? - Javad Rad, PD News–CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "This week, Hassan Rouhani is going to address the world as the new face of Iran at the UN General Assembly. There is even a chance for him and Obama to meet during Rouhani's visit to New York. Politicians around the world, especially in the Middle East and Europe, will be eagerly listening to what the moderate Rouhani says. However, the world will wait to see if Rouhani will actually implement the change he has promised."

US and Chinese Interests Align in Pakistan - Andrew Detsch, thediplomat.com: "While Washington has attempted to instill a top-down approach, sending taxpayer-funded aid grants directly to Islamabad, Beijing has poured private investment into infrastructure, arts and cultural projects. ... China has also been expanding its cultural diplomacy with Pakistani as of late.

In downtown Islamabad’s sprawling Rose and Jasmine Garden, Beijing spent 3 billion rupees to build the Pakistan-China Friendship Center, a state-of-the-art performance, conference and exhibition space boasting an 800-seat auditorium, eight conference halls and 105 residential rooms. Projects like this are 'indeed solidifying the goodwill for China in Pakistan,' said Irfan Shahzad, Lead Research Coordinator at the Institute of Policy Studies, an Islamabad think tank, in an interview with The Diplomat. But that facility is just the tip of the iceberg: institutions such as the China Study Center, inaugurated at the Islamic International University Islamabad last year, along with engineering and science scholarships for Pakistani students to study in the mainland, will be critical in efforts to forge cultural linkages with elites. But China’s practical security concerns still outweigh efforts at public diplomacy, and it is here that Chinese and American interests increasingly overlap." Uncaptioned image from article

China, S. Korea should strengthen public diplomacy: officials - "China and South Korea should boost mutual-understanding through more public diplomacy initiatives including the economic and trade exchanges, personnel exchanges, research cooperation, the mass media and others, officials said Tuesday during the Sino-South Korea forum on public diplomacy held in Seoul. 'China and South Korea have lots of similarities in history and culture. The public diplomacy are valued and implemented by leaders of both sides. Frequent communications between citizens of the two countries have laid solid foundation for bilateral relations. So it is quite necessary for China and South Korea to boost mutual understandings through various public diplomacy activities in future,' said Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the China Public Diplomacy Association, also former Chinese foreign minister.

Li added that many Chinese people have known the economic development and high technology of South Korea through its TV series, which demonstrates that cultural public diplomacy can be a good supplement to state diplomacy. At the forum, more than 200 officials, scholars, enterprisers and journalists discussed how to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of public diplomacy including non-political diplomacy efforts toward the public of the two countries. 'We will take advantages of K-pop, TV series, Films, education and other soft powers to promote South Korea's cultural prosperity. Meanwhile, we would like to share our experiences with China and other countries to make more contributions to the world,' said Hahn Choong-hee, an official of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs." Image from article, with caption: Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the China Public Diplomacy Association, also former Chinese foreign minister, addresses the Sino-South Korea forum on public diplomacy in Seoul, South Korea, Sept. 24, 2013. China and South Korea should boost mutual-understanding through more public diplomacy initiatives including the economic and trade exchanges, personnel exchanges, research cooperation, the mass media and others, officials said Tuesday during the forum. See also (1) (2)

Kolkata to Kunming: Forum to focus on seven areas - india.nydailynews.com: "The Kolkata to Kunming (K2K) Forum, that seeks to strengthen sub-regional economic cooperation between India and China, will deliberate on seven sectors for greater collaboration at its ninth session here Nov 21-22. ... Binoda Kumar Mishra, secretary general of the forum, told IANS that agriculture and food processing, non-conventional energy (solar), textile, leather, tea and jute products, travel and tourism and IT are the seven sectors identified for greater exchange and collaboration between West Bengal and Yunnan. ... The forum meets every year alternatively in Kunming and in Kolkata. The forum will this time focus on business, academic exchanges and cultural ties. The forum started as a civilian initiative in 2002 to promote India-China relationship through interactions at the sub-regional level. The purpose of the forum is to promote mutual understanding between India and China through increased interactions in the fields of economy, culture and academics. ... In 2010, K2K Forum, with active support from the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), put up an exhibition of artworks by Chinese artists depicting their understanding of India and artworks by Indian artists depicting their understanding of Chinese society. It brought together paintings from Rabindranath Tagore's time till date. Mishra said the Yunnan provincial government had lent its support to the forum and participated in each of the meeting held in Yunnan. From last year, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) participated in the forum through Indian Consulate in Guangzhou and the public diplomacy division of the ministry funded the Forum."

China: The Internet And The Birth Of Cyber Diplomacy - Richard Rousseau, diplomaticourier.com: "In the 2000s, 'public diplomacy' became a central part of the function of diplomacy. As a result of the communications and transportation revolutions, diplomats, national leaders, and more can now be seen and heard by more people in more places than at any previous time in history. Skillful public diplomacy can influence public opinion beyond one’s own country to support policies and positions, and can influence foreign peoples to have a favorable view of one’s country. Conversely, blundering public diplomacy can undermine even well-conceived policies and positions, and can project an extremely negative image of a country. Public diplomacy is important at other levels as well. Diplomats often seek and accept speaking engagements and media interviews, and work with other outlets in which they can obtain the opportunity to influence others to view their country and its policies favorably. At times, such public diplomacy may be considered by host countries as meddling in their internal affairs. At other times, such it may be virtually identical to a diplomat’s representation function. However, recently a new type of diplomacy, more malign, came into being. On January 7, 2010, Google announced that it had been victim of a major hacker attack that began in mid-2009 and continued through December 2009. The attack, known as 'Operation Aurora' and described by the largest search engine in the world as 'sophisticated' and 'high-level,' was aimed at more than 30 other organizations, including Adobe Systems, Rackspace, Yahoo, Symantec, Juniper Networks, Morgan Stanley, Northrop Grumman, and Dow Chemical.

In 2011, Google also said that the hackers, who were based in China’s Jinan province, had compromised personal email accounts of hundreds of top U.S. officials, military personnel, and journalists. Nobody has yet produced conclusive proof that such attacks were state-sponsored, but Google’s Press Office stressed that the primary goal of the hackers was to penetrate Google’s computers and access the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Google also said that, apparently, the attack failed, as users’ data was not compromised. ... These incidents led to diplomatic confrontations and raised profound questions about the future of online freedom and cybersecurity. ... In addition to the traditional contentious issues between the United States and China—freedom of information, human rights, commercial rivalries, and the most recent agreement between Washington and Taiwan for continued military procurements—the Google episode is the prelude to further diplomatic confrontations." Image from entry

Seoul steps up public diplomacy - Nurul Islam Hasib, bdnews24.com: "South Korea has stepped up its public diplomacy with Bangladesh to bolster its 40-year-old relationship with the South Asian country. In its latest effort, Seoul has appointed Bangladeshi actress Nusrat Imrose Tisha as its ‘goodwill ambassador’ for the country's Dhaka mission amid an ongoing, year-long cultural exchange programme. Ambassador Lee Yun-young handed over her appointment letter on Monday and said she would work for ‘public diplomacy’ over the next two years. The appointment has been made at a time when the world’s 15th largest economy is celebrating its 40 years of diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.

The embassy in Dhaka kicked off its year-long celebrations in January with a musical show by their leading musicians. The envoy termed Tisha’s appointment ‘a happy’ one and said she would play a strong role in the promotion of culture between the two countries. 'She is popular and talented'. ... This year, several leading cultural personalities as well as artists visited Dhaka to perform concerts and participate in joint art exhibitions. Bangladeshi artists have also visited Seoul. The embassy also organised seminars jointly with Bangladesh to give people an idea of Korea’s diplomatic as well as economic policies. The envoy said more cultural troupes would come in the coming days to perform in Dhaka to increase people-to-people contacts." Uncaptioned image from entry

Romania Ramps up Its Public Diplomacy - Philip Seib, Huffington Post: "Romania's new emphasis on reaching out to foreign publics -- not just other governments -- should be considered a useful step forward in a number of ways. It is likely to benefit Romania's regional stature and it will widen the circle of public diplomacy practitioners. In Europe, the collective political blood pressure tends to reach dangerous peaks. Public diplomacy may prove a helpful antidote."

Woman On The Go: Q and A With Sarah Shabbir, U.S. Foreign Service Officer - Suchi Rudra, asianfortunenews.com: '[Q:] AF: What are a couple of key issues or projects that you are involved in currently? [A:] Right now, I’m working from the State Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. in the field of public diplomacy, which focuses on people-to-people connections between

America and the rest of the world. Specifically, I cover all of South Asia. I work on providing support on outreach through social media, written materials, video and the like. My office also supports the 820 'American Spaces' we have in 169 countries all over the globe. These cultural outposts are usually small libraries where people can gather to connect to resources online, study English and learn more about America and its values." Shabbir image from entry

RELATED ITEMS

At the State Department, diversity can count against you - Lydia DePillis, Washington Post: The State Department has long precluded some people from serving in certain countries for various reasons.

For example: When Kendrick Liu was applying to serve on the D.C.-based desk that deals with China and Mongolia, he says he was asked to submit information about relatives who were foreign-born U.S. citizens, and was ultimately denied the position on security grounds (Diplomatic Security had previously forced him to forego an assignment in Hong Kong as well). Image from article, with caption: Michael Young, who was twice prevented from serving in China, in his native San Francisco.

President Obama at the United Nations - Editorial, New York Times: Mr. Obama affirmed his intention to use “all elements of our power, including military force,” to secure America’s interests, like preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But he also said that after more than a decade of war and a conflicted record in the Middle East, America has gained a “hard-earned humility” about its ability to alter the course of other countries. The challenge for the United States is balancing those two ideas.

Obama Needed More Than Translators at the U.N.: The audience would have been justified in wondering about the president's foreign policy of the past five years - Lewis Libby, Hillel Fradkin, Wall Street Journal: Hasn’t America’s withdrawal from the burdens of leadership been the Obama administration’s message from the beginning?

Talking to Tehran makes sense: Despite distrust between the U.S. and Iran, a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue is worth pursuing - Editorial, latimes.com: In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama on Tuesday promised to engage Iran's new leadership in negotiations to prevent the development of nuclear weapons in that country as part of a broader normalization of relations. The president was right to say that "the diplomatic path must be tested" despite concerns in this country and Israel that Iran will never abandon its ambitions to be a nuclear power.

U.S. needs action, not words, from Iran: As charming as new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sounds, his deeds during his first 100 days in office are what matter - Ed Royce and Eliot Engel, latimes.com: Our current Iran policy reflects more than 30 years of violent and destabilizing behavior from Tehran, and there will not be support in Congress for an easing of sanctions absent a significant and lasting change in Iran's behavior.

Such a change cannot be demonstrated by soothing words alone, but must be proved through concrete action. Image from

He's Just Not That Into You: Iran's president can't even find a way to shake an eager Obama's hand - Review and Outlook, Wall Street Journal: Politics in the normal sense doesn't exist in Tehran, where the rules are set and the players chosen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who is accountable to nobody. What Iran's leaders do understand is how to humiliate adversaries they consider to be weak.

No Brief Encounter - Maureen Dowd, New York Times: Maybe the tweet-happy Iranian president was too busy retweeting Christiane Amanpour to have time to pretend to bump into the American president in a U.N. hallway.

Striking Deals With Despots Stalin played FDR in 1945. Iran's Rouhani now attempts to do the same with President Obama - Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal: President Obama has spent five years giving abundant evidence of his desire to reconcile with autocrats, as he did with his Russian reset; to overcome mistrust by demonstrating the purity of his intent, as he tried in his Cairo speech; to seize on any enabling fiction that will relieve him of his commitments, as he has done with Syria. A deal with Iran, arranged via a first-of-its kind meeting with Mr. Rouhani, is a personal and ideological temptation Mr. Obama is incapable of resisting. Should it happen (I'm betting it will), Mr. Obama will be hailed as a master diplomat and a triumphant peacemaker. As with Yalta, it won't take long to learn who is betrayed, and what is lost, in the service of an illusion.

Book Review: 'Unthinkable' by Kenneth Pollack: The U.S.-Iran conflict is about Tehran's ideology of enmity, not its nukes. The Islamic Republic knows this. Washington doesn't - Sohrab Ahmari, Wall Street Journal: Surveying 34 years of unprovoked Iranian terrorism, Mr. Pollack concludes, "it is not American behavior that generates Iran's objectionable actions" but rather "the Iranian leadership's pathological perceptions of the United States or its own aggressive ambitions."

The book's most compelling section contends, convincingly, that the West should attempt to foment revolution inside Iran by supporting dissidents—regardless of which policy we pursue on the nuclear front.

Obama at the U.N., Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: You wonder if there is anyone in this administration (Samantha Power? Someone at Foggy Bottom? An NSC staffer?) who is appalled by the gap between action and rhetoric and by the complete failure to pair American values and power.

Guilty! UN Report on Syria Does Not Say What John Kerry Says it Said - Peter Van Buren, We Meant Well:  "The UN released its report on chemical weapons use in Syria. You can read it here. It’s not that long, just some forty pages including legal appendices. John Kerry says it confirms that the Assad regime fired the gas rockets. Unfortunately, that is not what the actual report says. In a court, Kerry’s case might be seen as circumstantial at best, certainly not enough for a jury to return a guilty verdict in a murder trial."

A mathematical approach to Syria: Game theory suggests we should seek the least worst option - K. C. Cole, latimes.com: Whether or not turning over Syria's chemical weapons to the United Nations works, the present pause in the stalemate gives everyone time to think things through.

A Sinking Empire Called America - Leon Hadar, watchingamerica.com: The Syrian crisis of 2013 is likely to be remembered as a turning point in which it becomes clear that the hegemonic status the United States enjoyed in the world and in the Middle East after the end of the Cold War no longer exists and that the unipolar balance of power has gradually become multipolar. The weakening of the foundations of the United States’ economic and military power has transformed the nation into one of a few major powers that must take into account the interests of other world powers, as well as the fact that its ability to serve as a steady backrest for Israel in the future will be limited due to international changes and the constraints which the American public will place on Washington.

Al Qaeda's African Surge Threatens the U.S.: The affiliate that attacked the shopping mall in Kenya includes young Muslim recruits from Minnesota - Katherine Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal: Groups like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Ansar al Shariah in Libya, Ansar Beit al Maqdis in the Sinai, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb have metastasized from local to networked global al Qaeda groups. Al Shabaab is following al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which first hit Saudi targets and then moved on to the United States. Yet the U.S. government insists on calling al Shabaab a local, Somali threat, playing down the potential threat to the U.S. See also.

AMERICANA

--From What is the Most Screwed Up Thing About Your State? Check This Chart - Chris Miles, policymic.com

MORE AMERICANA

Not making it up: Miley Cyrus raps in new video - USA Today

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“asymmetrical pleasures of seduction.”

--The sociologist Irène Théry, calling for a "féminisme à la française"

JESZCZE POLSKA NIE ZGINĘŁA

From: Karczeby: The Roots of Polish Life - Photographs by Adam Panczuk - lensculture.com

September 22

"Specifically, your product contained content which infringes upon the intellectual property rights of National Security Agency. We have been contacted by legal representatives from the National Security Agency, and at their request, have removed the product from the Zazzle Marketplace."

--E-mail from the custom goods marketplace Zazzle to entrepreneur Dan McCall, who put up a handful of the above T-shirt; cited in Peter Van Buren, "NSA Cites 1959 Law, Claims Use of Their Seal and Name is Illegal," We Meant Well

VIDEOS

--The Social Media and Loneliness. Via SO on Facebook

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Savir's corner: The limits of power and the power of diplomacy - Uri Savir, Jerusalem Post: "Diplomacy, above all, is the creative attempt to achieve goals by peaceful means. It therefore complies with the good of society, and not with the triumph of the nation. In the modern diplomacy era, societies must not only be listened

to by the leaders, but also, should partake in the process which is defined as public diplomacy. Obama’s decision to seek a diplomatic solution to the Syrian chemical arms attack and arsenal stemmed also from his being attentive to American public opinion. ... In the Syrian crisis, Obama has both learned and and has taught a lesson in adapting to today’s world." Image from

Voice of America on Mute: VOA supervisory board seeks to slash editorial broadcasts in FY2014 budget - Alana Goodman, freebeacon.com: "Voice of America (VOA) is on track to eliminate all of its Persian-language editorial broadcasts to Iran if its supervisory board’s 2014 budget recommendation is approved by Congress, according to an internal memo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The development is part of a larger effort by management to quietly phase out the airing of official U.S. government policy positions on the taxpayer-funded international broadcast services, sources say. The Office of Policy, a five-person department at the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) that produces the official U.S. government editorials aired on VOA, would have its budget slashed by nearly half if the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ proposal goes forward. ... Critics argue that the editorials detract from VOA’s efforts to appear objective. 'A lot of the management [previously worked at] CNN. They see their function as a pure news organization and resist being looked at as a tool for U.S. public diplomacy,' Helle Dale, a senior fellow for public diplomacy at the Heritage Foundation, said. ... Public diplomacy experts said they were puzzled by the broadcasting board’s proposal. 'It is insane.

Here we are trying to figure out what to do to prevent Iran from going nuclear, and the single most effective thing we can do is to encourage dissident forces within Iran to bring about regime change internally,' John Lenczowski, founder of the Institute of World Politics and a former State Department official during the Reagan administration, said. ... Dale said she considered international broadcasting 'to be one of the primary tools for U.S. public diplomacy.' ... Lenczowski said the policy office budget cuts are part of a larger problem of the U.S. government failing to prioritize public diplomacy. 'The larger public diplomacy policy questions address the problem of whether it is going to be Al Jazeera, or Russian radio, or Chinese television, or whoever it is, out there that’s going to explain to the world what American policy is. Or are they going to hear it from us?' Lenczowski said. 'These broadcast stations and internet sites are the only unfiltered news that gets into the minds of millions of people.'” Image from article

VOA going silent in Iran? - voapnnwatchdog.com: “Hotair, September 19, 2013 by Ed Morrissey Earlier today, I mentioned the significant role that the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe played during the Cold War, undermining the credibility of oppressive regimes in Russia and eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain by broadcasting objective news and American viewpoints.  One might think that such an effort would be worth making in Iran, where people rose up once to attempt to shed themselves of the mullahcracy. Apparently the VOA doesn’t believe in that mission, at least not for the editorial broadcasts in Farsi: Voice of America (VOA) is on track to eliminate all of its Persian-language editorial broadcasts to Iran if its supervisory board’s 2014 budget recommendation is approved by Congress, according to an internal memo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. The development is part of a larger effort by management to quietly phase out the airing of official U.S. government policy positions on the taxpayer-funded international broadcast services, sources say. The Office of Policy, a five-person department at the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) that produces the official U.S. government editorials aired on VOA, would have its budget slashed by nearly half if the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ proposal goes forward. The proposed cuts would 'gravely impair' VOA’s ability to fulfill its public diplomacy mission, gut the office staff, and potentially violate federal law, according to a May 31 memo sent from IBB’s Office of Policy Director Charles Goolsby to IBB Director Richard Lobo. Congress mandated in 1998 that VOA broadcast editorials reflecting the U.S. government’s position as part of its public diplomacy mission. Two points. First, putting forth the US government’s position is almost the literal definition of American diplomacy. The VOA is supposed to serve that purpose, not its own organizational ends. Second, anyone who thinks that removing the editorials will make people think the the Washington-run VOA is more independent is fooling themselves. If the VOA wants to just be an independent news agency, then perhaps its board should resign, raise private funds for its operation, and let the VOA get back to its mission."

Remind Me Again… - bobcesca.thedailybanter.com: "[Comment by:] muselet MrDHalen • 5 days ago − "Dilma Rousseff is engaging in a little show for O Globo and the more credulous members of the Brazilian public. Rousseff's government had to have known the US was intercepting its communications. It's what governments do. The press knew it too, or at least strongly suspected it, but—presumably to boost circulation—O Globo chose to make a big deal of it. Ignoring the outrage, however manufactured, over the US SPIES ON BRAZIL! story would have been terrible politics for Rousseff. She had to make a grand gesture of displeasure, and cancelling a scheduled state visit was just the thing. I'll bet you a cookie that 20-minute phone call was cordial or even friendly, and that the state visit has informally already been rescheduled. Public diplomacy isn't always pretty. –alopecia"

Deputy Foreign Minister of Kosovo meets with US senior official Reeker - Tinka Kurti, balkaneu.com: "Deputy Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi has met with the US Department of State senior official, Philip Reeker. Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informs that Mr. Selimi also met with Val Fowler, vice assistant of the US Secretary of State for Media Engagement, Vinay Chaula, director in the State Department for Digital Diplomacy.

Reeker praised Kosovo Foreign Ministry for the work done in inter religious dialogue, public diplomacy and lobbying." Fuzzy image from entry, with caption: Pristina, September 16, 2013

21 Journalists Make it Official: Leave News Media to Work Directly for Obama - Kyle Becker, ijreview.com: "The revolving door from left-wing activist news media to political positions in the Obama administration is direct and undeniable. ... The Atlantic, far from a 'right-wing' publication, documents those who have defected from 'journalism' to work in government. ... Rick Stengell

was the former Managing Editor of Time until leaving journalism to become the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the State Department." See also (1) (2) (3) (4) (5: "Media whores become Washington prostitutes: TIME mag editor to join Obama administration") (6) (7); image from entry.

The Two Faces of the U.S. Role in World Affairs - Vasily Likhachev, Moscow Times: "[T]he U.S. — the world's 'leading democracy' — is attempting to play the role of global arbiter. However, it has become a 'repeat offender' for violations of its legal obligations, including those it holds as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. ... All states, regardless

of their size and political or economic influence, must contribute to global security by continuing to respect the UN and international law. The members of the international community have a great deal of work ahead. It is very important that Russian parliamentary and public diplomacy work wisely and actively during this period. Both the executive and legislative branches of Russian government must work in sync to prevent the threat of a direct military intervention in Syria." Image from article

Roses really smell like poo-Putin - Developing Tomorrow: "President Putin’s ‘letter’ in the New York Times is nothing more than empty Russian words. ... While strategic communication and public diplomacy are American definitions to these concepts, it is a practice that has been other names and by other countries."

China intensifies public diplomacy efforts - wantchinatimes.com: "Chinese officials have stepped up their public diplomacy efforts by contributing more articles to international media organizations in order to reach out to the wider public in the international community. One such article, authored by Chinese premier Li Keqiang and entitled China Will Stay the Course on Sustainable Growth, was published in Britain's Financial Times on Sept 9, according to NewsChina, an English-language news magazine published by the Chinese government. ... In recent years more Chinese high-ranking officials have had their articles published before making foreign visits and attending important international meetings, according to NewsChina. Since most of their articles are related to economic and trade topics, the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal have become two of their favorite newspapers for getting their views published. ... These developments indicate that Chinese leaders are attaching greater importance to expressing their views, which will help boost diplomacy, experts said."

Why Do World Leaders Still Write Op-Eds? - Joshua Keating, slate.com: "With all the talk of how public diplomacy has been transformed in the Twitter age, world leaders still rely to a remarkable extent on the good old-fashioned newspaper op-ed. ... Putin has been particularly prolific. His first Times op-ed appeared while he was still prime minister in 1999 and his writing and since appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and Foreign Policy. Op-eds can be a useful way to communicate directly with interested parties and policymakers—if not the general public–in other countries, but there are also some pitfalls involved. For one thing, it’s important to choose your venue wisely. John McCain may have been under the impression that Pravda.ru enjoys equivalent influence in Russia to the New York Times and is the modern successor to the Soviet-era Pravda newspaper. Not exactly. ... For now, the op-ed may still be the preferred method for world leaders looking to stake out a public position, but Iran has actually been at the forefront of exploring some of the newer alternatives."

American Hypernationalism and Foreign Influence: A Last Word on Putin - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "The literature on the US as target for foreign public diplomacy is pretty substantial."

Raymond Maxwell - on Facebook: "Diplomacy, the practice itself, is on an evolutionary path. What began as a conversation purely between heads of states, kings, soon became a discourse between princes as the king's emissary. Then, as countries democratized and became republics, diplomacy became an exchange between governments, foreign ministries, diplomatic corps, with some elements, some vestiges remaining of the conversation between princes in the form of summit diplomacy. Now, in the age of the internet reality, we see heads of state and of governments making appeals directly to the people, hence Putin's op-ed in the New York Times, and the Iranian PM's piece today in the Washington Post. Ultimately, though, we (and diplomacy) will evolve to people-to-people diplomacy, with the people themselves making foreign policy decisions in their own names. This stage is greatly feared by governments and kings, who would prefer to maintain a monopoly on foreign affairs. But the genie is out of the lamp... [Comment by Valerie P. Reynolds:] And this is why Public Diplomacy remains critical."

Michael Oren: Obama passes the 'kishka test' - Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post: "In a candid interview with the ‘Post,’ outgoing ambassador to the US looks not only at the last 3 anxious weeks dominated by the Syrian crisis, but also at the US president’s relationship with Israel. ... [Q:] What was the highlight of your tenure there? [A:] Certainly Obama’s visit to Israel was a highlight. I often use a public diplomacy line that there is one country in the Middle East that is politically stable; that has never known a second of non-democratic governance; that is exceedingly robust militarily, technologically and academically; and which is unequivocally pro-American. That was the line, and I think Obama’s visit was the ultimate demonstration of that line. It is true. Obama is up there giving a speech before 2,500 Israeli students who are cheering him, and he is surrounded by American flags. ... [Q:] I asked about the highlight of your tenure. How about the lowest point? [A:] I think that when 5 million Israelis were under rocket fire, that was a low point. The flotilla incident in May 2010 was a tough period. [Q:] Why was that difficult in Washington? [A:] It wasn’t difficult in Washington; it was just difficult in terms of public diplomacy. You had people writing full-page op-eds against us."

Prejudice is why Istanbul lost Olympics: Minister: Same prejudices bear on Turkey's accession negotiations with European Union, says Bagis - worldbulletin.net: "Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bagis blames European 'prejudices' for Istanbul's failed bid to host 2020 Olympics. 'The reason why Istanbul, the city that bridges Asia and Europe, couldn't get the Olympics is prejudices,' Bagis said Saturday in the Ukrainian city of Yalta, which he visits for the tenth annual meeting of Yalta European Strategy (YES), a public diplomacy forum for countries of Eastern Europe. 'We see the same prejudices in our EU membership process,' he said.

Bagis said the European Union should admit countries like Turkey and Ukraine as full members, while calling the EU as the 'biggest peace project in the history of mankind.' 'The EU should leave aside all prejudices, and embrace dynamic developing states. The French, Germans, and Belgians once warred with one another. Now they are able to live together in peace. The EU is the biggest peace project in the history of mankind,' he said. YES, which hosts more than 250 leaders from politics, business, society and media representing 20 countries, is held between 19-22 September in Ukraine." Uncaptioned image from entry

Nepal: China’s Grand Diplomacy Framework - Upendra Gautam, telegraphnepal.com: "Hu Jintao, in his report delivered at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on November 8, 2012 ... [e]xplaining both the state and non-state diplomatic ways and instruments and the role these will play to achieve the goal of great renewal of the Chinese nation, Hu said, 'We will take solid steps to promote public diplomacy as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and protect China’s legitimate rights and interests overseas. We will conduct friendly exchanges with political parties and organizations of other countries and encourage people’s congresses, national and local committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, local governments and people’s organizations to increase overseas exchanges so as to consolidate the social foundation for enhancing China’s relations with other countries.' ... Public Diplomacy: A state pursues this type of diplomacy to advance or smoothen issues considered sensitive for state agencies for historical political reasons. Contacts and exchanges between the think tanks and the civil societies in the two countries reflect a form of organized public diplomatic behavior. Growth of this particular type of China’s diplomacy in Nepal is slow and irregular. Some activities have been noted in the electronic and media fields. The public strength and impact of these activities is constrained by traditional individual-focused behavior. Public diplomacy is yet to be recognized at the level where it receives respect and clout and is properly institutionalized with work-efficiency and group values. Unlike China’s public diplomacy with the major countries, in Nepal, it is almost seen as an addendum to the type of state diplomacy. Cultural Diplomacy: This type of diplomacy is carried out between or amongst the counties to highlight the most ancient, profound and all-pervasive cultural link between or amongst the countries. China has used this diplomacy type in Nepal at times very effectively. But this type lacks regularity, expansion and promotion. Evidence of this type of diplomatic exchange was participation of Komojo, considered a most learned person at that time in China, in the coronation of King Birendra in 1975.

Diplomacy institute inducts 450 new members - blueprintng.com: "Institute of Public Diplomacy and management has inducted 450 new members into its rank at the weekend which brings it membership to about 10,000. The training and induction ceremony with the theme: 'Establishing the order of Diplomacy: Key Issues in 21st Century Global management Practices,' which was held in Abuja was, according to the president and chairman, Council of Fellows of the institute, Chief Cliff Ogbede, to draw attention to the 'expedience of creating a process of order and stability within the management influence.' Ogbede said the adoption of diplomacy in managing conflicts with the work environment 'is in line with the demands, challenges and prevailing realities of our day.' According to him, the aim of the institute is to promote public diplomacy and management in the country and to instill the culture of discipline and accountability among its members. Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Patrick Njoku, said most Nigerians stumbled into positions of leadership without proper training in management and diplomacy and that the institute 'offers the opportunities for Nigerians to be trained to manage properly.' He said the institute is open to all Nigerians, adding that proper training of it members is one of the ways of sanitizing the public service of corruption. Director, Center for Asian Studies, University of Abuja, Dr. Y.M. Damagum, during his lecture, said diplomacy is no longer restricted to level of interaction at governmental levels but has become vividly clear that organisations have to take seriously the relevant of diplomatic approach to attaining their objectives."

Free Performance of U.S. Army Band at the Kennedy Center Tonight! - quanticolive.com: "The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” will present the Washington, DC premiere of James Stephenson’s The Devil’s Tale, an adventurous sequel to the iconic Soldier’s Tale by Igor Stravinsky, scored for seven instruments, actor, and narrator. The performance starts at 6pm. The United States Army Band ‘Pershing’s Own’ has been the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army since 1922 when Army Chief of Staff General John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing directed that it be formed to emulate the premier European military bands he had heard during the First World War.

‘Pershing’s Own’ provides musical support for the leadership of the United States, to include all branches of government, and to a wide spectrum of national and international events in support of Soldiers and their Families, public diplomacy, community and international relations, recruiting initiatives, and music education programs. No tickets are required. This is a free event." See also John Brown, "A Modest Proposal: Make the Pentagon Our Very Own Ministry of Culture!" Huffington Post (October 27, 2009). Image from entry

Turkish Study Trip Review - Joshua Noonan, saisobserver.org: "Over the summer I went with Paul Sturm, SAIS ‘14, on a two-week study trip to Turkey, which focused on the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state. ... One real value of the trip was the lectures by various experts and public diplomacy specialists on issues important to Turkey. In many ways, these lectures appeared to be an attempt at soft-power influencing by the Turkish government. ... For many SAIS graduates who will be involved in public diplomacy, one of my main take-aways from this trip was knowing one’s audience is the best way to tailor a message. Let people and sights do the storytelling without unnecessary and heavy-handed prodding from government minders or organizers."

President Heather Wilson Inauguration Set for Oct. 4 at South Dakota School of Mines and  Technology - virtual-strategy.com: "Heather Wilson, D.Phil., will be inaugurated as the 18th president of the South Dakota School of Minesm and Technology during a 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, ceremony on the university quad. Former U.S. Ambassador to Finland Barbara Barrett will deliver the inaugural address. Dignitaries representing state and local offices will also participate, along with SDSM and T students, faculty and alumni. ... Until November 2012, Barrett was interim president of Thunderbird School of Global Management. ... She was president of the International Women’s Forum and chairman of both the Secretary of Commerce’s Export Conference and the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy."

Alexey Dolinskiy - - training.dw.de/ausbildung: "Mr Alexey Dolinskiy, PhD, is a Partner at Capstone Connections consultancy and Director of Ward Howell Talent Equity Institute. He combines private and public sector communications, consulting and academic experience. He spent several years working in Russian public diplomacy and taught a class on public diplomacy at Moscow State University. His research experience includes contributing to Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society and United Nations Peacekeeping Situation Centre.

Alexey has successfully completed large scale corporate diplomacy projects in the Asia Pacific region and in Europe. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School and later defended his PhD thesis in political science. He also holds a BA and a MA magna cum laude degree from the St. Petersburg State University and Moscow State University of International Relations." Dolinskiy image from entry

Commentary: The New Historical Link between Vietnam and Iraq - ohio-forum.com: "Matt Jacobs, a Ph.D. student in History at Ohio University who studies 20th century U.S. foreign policy, wrote a commentary for History News Network on the debate over the U.S. role in Syria. His area of study is 20th century foreign relations and his research interest is U.S. Public Diplomacy in Latin America during the 1960s."

Current Historiographical Research at the History and Civilisation Department, European University Institute, Florence, Italy - sergenoiret.blogspot.com: "The essays published in Zeitenblicke 12 (2013), Nr. 1 and completing this series of interviews are the following: Frank Gerits, 'An International Approach to the Cultural Cold War. French Public Diplomacy Towards Africa (1945-1965).'"

U.S Consulate General Karachi Job, Political Assistant required 22 Sep 2013 - friendsmania.net: "U. S. Consulate General Karachi is seeking applications from qualified individuals for the PoliticalAssistant position. Attractive salary package and other benefits will be offered to the selected candidate. Qualifications Required: University degree (14 years of education) in political science, history, journalism, public diplomacy, sociology, anthropology or law is required."

RELATED ITEMS

President Rouhani Comes to Town - Editorial, New York Times: The next few weeks will be critical for capitalizing on a new sense of promise created by a recent flurry of remarkable gestures: Iran’s leadership

has sent Rosh Hashana greetings to Jews worldwide via Twitter, released political prisoners, exchanged letters through the Swiss with President Obama, praised “flexibility” in negotiations and transferred responsibility for nuclear negotiations from conservatives in the military to the Foreign Ministry. Mr. Obama eased restraints on humanitarian and good-will activities, including athletic exchanges between the two countries. Image from

Both opportunity and peril over Iran - David Ignatius, washingtonpost.com: The opportunity for a breakthrough with Iran after 34 years of isolation is tantalizing for Obama and his foreign-policy team. For a battered White House, it’s a time to think big — but mind the vexing little details.

Obama's Strategy Of Talking To Countries Instead Of Going To War Might Just Be Crazy Enough To Work - Joshua Hersh, Christina Wilkie, Huffington Post: While it's true that Obama hasn't always held true to the ideals of his early campaign days -- first-term talk of engagement "grounded in mutual respect" eventually gave way to tough rhetoric about "painful sanctions" and nuclear red lines -- he consistently resisted the hardline pull, from hawkish members of Congress and Israeli allies, toward a preventative military strike.

Rouhani could help U.S. national security interests - Katrina vanden Heuvel, washingtonpost.com: President Obama, who wrote directly to the Iranian president (contents of letter still unknown), now has a historic opportunity — one firmly in the United States’ national security interests — to craft an accord with the country’s new leaders. Yet it remains an open question as to whether, given his foreign policy team and the fractious politics of Washington, he will be able to do so.

The heroes inside Syria - No matter one’s stance on military intervention, there are other ways to help — washingtonpost.com: Even if only for the health, shelter and education of the people injured and displaced in Syria. Many humanitarian groups can aid with things as simple as clean water, gauze and blankets. There are ways Americans can make life in Syria better, if only for a few people. One day, in remembrance of kindness and generosity, those few survivors might be able to change their region for the better.

U.S. has not addressed real threat of strategic terrorism - Nathan Myhrvold, washingtonpost.com: It’s quite possible that a strategic terror attack in the next decade or so will kill 100,000 to 1 million Americans. Surely, we then will get serious about strategic terrorism.

America’s hip-hop double-standard - Gilbert Newman Perkins, washingtonpost.com: Similar to writing a Constitution that ignored the institution of slavery, or going abroad to spread the gospel of democracy while stifling the right of women and black people to vote, ignoring the literary genius in hip-hop’s 40-year-old body of work is so negligent that it is as flagrant as a bald-face lie.

Taliban using internet in propaganda war - xinhuanet.com: Taliban militants fighting Afghan government and NATO-led forces to regain power in the militancy- plagued Afghanistan, contrary to the past, have been enormously using the internet in the propaganda war, a change of mind unthinkable 12 years ago.

The armed outfit which was dethroned by the U.S.-led military coalition invasion in late 2001, had outlawed internet, television, video player, cinema, photography and all kind of entertainment during its six-year rule which collapsed in late 2001, nowadays is largely relying on internet to send out its activities and messages to the world. Today, the Taliban outfit has several websites to publish their military and political activities and put on wire for its readers across the globe. Image from entry

Turning Chinese Propaganda Against Itself - wantchinatimes.com: Through striking red banners hung by the Chinese governement, future evictees of Shanghai’s poor neighborhoods are asked to welcome the wrecking ball of progress as a social improvement, not a potential life catastrophe.

The government doesn’t hang banners in upscale shopping districts or blocks of high rent towers, just the grim neighborhoods of the urban poor who stand in the way of more malls and condos. This juxtaposition is the subject of French photographer Eric Leleu‘s project, Subtitles. But not only does Leleu document these contrasts, he takes them one step further by satirizing the practice with his own banners. Image from article, with caption: Wang Qishan speaks at a meeting in Tianjin.

Central Asia: Propaganda Show Spotlights Soviet Push in Muslim Lands - eurasianet.org: A new exhibit in Moscow offers a colorful way to trace early Soviet history in Central Asia and the Caucasus. “Posters of the Soviet East: 1918-1940,” which opened this month,

features 241 original propaganda placards that targeted the Muslim lands of the former Soviet Union with exhortations on public health, industrialization and class consciousness. The 1920s saw an unfettered flowering of creativity in these regions, especially among Russian-trained artists based in Tashkent and Baku. While central publishing houses in Moscow and Leningrad were shifting to Socialist Realism, artists in the periphery continued the avant-garde movement, combining it with local traditions, according to the exhibit’s curator, Maria Filatova. She sees the colorful posters from the 1920s and early 1930s, with their longer texts and multiple figurines, as direct decedents of local calligraphy and miniature traditions. “Posters of the Soviet East” was organized by the Mardjani Foundation, which sponsors research and cultural programs focusing on the Muslim populations of the former Soviet Union, and the State Central Museum for the Contemporary History of Russia. The exhibit, accompanied by a full-color catalogue, runs at the museum through October 6. For more information, click here.

AMERICANA

Grandparents and retirees get tattoos, fulfilling lifelong dreams and raising eyebrows - Tara Bahrampour, washingtonpost.com: Once the domain of sailors and Maoris and now a staple for younger Americans of all ethnicities and professions, tattoos are trickling up to the older set.

While most who get them still tend to be young — a 2010 Pew study found that 38 percent of millennials and 32 percent of Gen Xers have them — their elders are increasingly joining the party. Fifteen percent of baby boomers have tattoos, and 6 percent of the Silent Generation do. Image from article