September 1-2

"How many people work here?"

"About half of them."

--Answer, to a journalist, of an American ambassador regarding the staff at her embassy; anecdote meant to be humorous; image from

"Misconduct Claimed at U.S. Embassy in Kabul "

--Headline in New York Times (September 2)

NEW BLOG

Information as Power: "This blog is the next logical step in understanding information as power by moving it from a static repository of knowledge to an interactive dialog between professionals. Our intent is to rotate guest blog authors monthly among the faculty of the U.S. Army War College with expertise in this important and dynamic field of national security studies. In any given month you may see a focus on strategic communication, information operations, cyberspace operations, robotics, knowledge management, or public diplomacy…among others."

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Obama not smooth on Gdansk: German attack that started World War II marked without him - Helle Dale, Washington Times: "The Polish 70th anniversary commemorations of the beginning of World War II take place in Gdansk today. … The head of the United States government — unbelievably — will be absent. … The lack of understanding of European history and sensitivities was not lost on the Polish chattering classes. They have been in a justifiable uproar over this mother of all snubs, feeling a mixture of humiliation and neglect. For an administration that pledged to prioritize public diplomacy, this treatment of an ally was appalling. Unsurprisingly, popular opinion of the United States took a serious nose dive in Poland." Image from

Is Putin Out Charming Obama? - Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation: "When Russia threatens to outdo the United States on public diplomacy in a place like Poland, something is seriously amiss in the way the State Department and the White House is conducting the relationship with one of the United States’ most loyal allies. Unfortunately, this is exactly what may happen at the commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War II, which will be taking place tomorrow (Sept. 1) in the Polish port city of Gdansk."

Poland Rejects Putin's Apology for the Nazi-Soviet Pact - Eastern Europe Watch: "Since both the Soviet Union and Poland were victims of the second world war … exchanges are of little use. Both sides are referring to historic facts, but they are interpreting them in their own way and with an eye on their own constituencies. Whilst further exchanges are indeed of 'little use' with regards historical truth or reconciliation they are useful in advancing agendas. Much diplomacy is these days 'public diplomacy'. As regards Russia, it is clear Putin is also using 'public diplomacy' to rally Russians behind what he considers to be the reassertion of Russian power after the disastrous years of Yeltsin in the 1990s." See also. Image from

America's special Muslim representative - Elham Asaad Buaras, The New Nation (Bangladesh): "The US Department of State's appointment of veteran advisor Farah Pandith as Special Representative to Muslim Communities has been welcomed by some quarters in Capitol Hill but left others wishing Secretary Hillary Clinton selected someone less seasoned by years serving the Bush Administration. … She also refuted allegations her selection was a PR stunt designed to, as one writer put it, 'convince Muslims that America is really their friend.' 'I don't work in public diplomacy in the sense of the traditional route; this is not an exercise in selling America. We have an interest in building sustained partnerships with communities around the world,' insisted Pandith."

It's Not About Us: The United States need not be Miss Congeniality

to win the war of ideas. We just need to make moderates hate extremists more than they dislike us - James K. Glassman, Foreign Policy: "We should not abandon attempts to make Pakistanis admire and respect us, but we must recognize that those efforts are long-term and expensive. Currently, about $600 million, or about two-thirds of the State Department's overall public diplomacy budget, goes to efforts such as educational and cultural exchanges. But at a time of violent extremist threats, public diplomacy, as during the Cold War, must be more immediate, countering pernicious ideologies and helping divert young people from following a path that leads to terrorism. That job is best accomplished not by direct U.S. action but by support for indigenous people and organizations. With what I call Public Diplomacy 2.0, which started toward the end of the George W. Bush administration, we positioned the U.S. government as a facilitator and convener of a broad, informed, and free conversation, often using new social-networking technologies." Image from

Reza Aslan: What Clash Of Civilizations? Evan Hill, The Majlis: "In 'Cosmic War' (at least according to the reviews) Aslan devotes significant time to differentiating between Islamist political groups - Hamas, Hizballah, the Muslim Brotherhood - and the Al-Qaedas of the world, and then making policy prescriptions to isolate the latter. President Obama's recent overtures to the Muslim world and the Middle East have rendered some of Aslan's desires rather obsolete, but he was still sounding the call for more dialogue and diplomacy, and I counted at least three favorable invocations of the phrase 'public diplomacy,' a U.S. government word for public relations."

Can Mosquito Nets Stop Terrorists? A previously unreported program sheds light on the battle for Africa's hearts and minds -- and the battle between the State Department and the Department of Defense - Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Policy: "[T]he quarter-million-dollar 'Regional Marketing Campaign,' as laid out in a draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) -- a document outlining the government's requirements and expectations for a given project -- will enlist a private contractor under the auspices of the U.S. Africa Command (Africom), the public-diplomacy shop in the State Department's Africa Bureau, and individual embassies in four West African countries. Among its strategies will be using certain 'advertising vehicles,' such as mosquito nets and water bottles, without explicitly disclosing that they are coming from the U.S. government. The aim of the program is to encourage a local national identity of peace, thereby portraying extremism as a trait 'inconsistent' with 'the character of the population,' according to the document. The broad debate about such programs puts three hot issues on the table: how the message should be carried (whether covert or overt), who can and should do the work (civilians or the military), and how to fund those activities (explicitly from Congress, or discretionally through broader programs). Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined the debate last week as he delivered an unusually blunt critique of the U.S. government's 'strategic communication' efforts in Joint Force Quarterly, a government publication. Image from

Scotland's Ramadan lesson for Obama - Dean Nelson, Daily Telegraph: "The Scottish Government’s decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, on compassionate grounds has sent out an important message at a time of introspection for the Muslim world. As they begin Ramadan today, the ‘magnanimous month’ in which Muslims fast and focus on compassion and mercy, Scotland has released a dying man to spend his last days with his family. …

Its importance struck me this morning as I read an article in a Pakistani newspaper by a writer explaining why he had told a senior U.S official that 'we (Pakistanis) hate you (American administrators and policy makers).' According to President Obama’s under-secretary of state for public diplomacy, Judith A. McHale, the writer had actually said: 'You should know that we hate all Americans. From the bottom of our souls, we hate you.' … Ms McHale had been visiting Pakistan with Richard Holbrooke, President Obama’s ’super-envoy’ for ‘Af-Pak,’ who is regarded as so influential in Islamabad that he is now spoken of as the ‘Viceroy of Pakistan.’ … By showing compassion for a man who did not deserve it, Scotland has deployed a weapon America does not appear to have in its arsenal, and fired it into the heart of the Muslim world in its holiest month." Image of Scottish flag from

Mullen's Strategic Communication – Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: "Admiral Michael Mullen's 'From the Chairman' essay in the new issue of Joint Force Quarterly has received some attention in public diplomacy and military cir[…]cles. Mullen throws a bucket of ice water on the strategic communications 'cottage industry', stating bluntly that 'I don't care for the term.' There's a lot to like in his essay, but also several blind spots which are worth thinking about a bit. … [W]here I fear he may go wrong -- or perhaps be misinterpreted -- is in his assertion that the essence of good communication is 'having the right intent up front and letting our actions speak for ourselves.' Because nothing speaks for itself -- certainly not in the kinds of hotly contested political zones where the Pentagon should be involved. … Finally, even as Mullen attacks the 'certain arrogance to our 'strat comm' efforts,' he reproduces a typically American 'certain arrogance' of assuming that American policy is in fact based on 'the right intent.'"

Pakistanis Evidently Think We're Bloodthirsty - Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic: "We read in the New York Times that: [']Last week, during a visit to Pakistan by Richard C. Holbrooke, Mr. Obama's special envoy, Pakistanis told his entourage that America was widely despised in their country because, they said, it was obsessed with finding and killing Osama bin Laden to avenge the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.['] Yes, we Americans are a bit obsessed finding Osama bin Laden. (Though the Bush Administration wasn't overly obsessed, obviously). Americans believe that there is no statute of limitations on murder, and that murderers should be caught and punished. Apparently, it's different in Pakistan, which is a place well-known for turning the other cheek. This story points to the limitations of public diplomacy, and to Adm. Mullen's efforts to reform our public relations efforts in the Muslim world. At the end of the day, Bin Laden is most likely hiding somewhere in Pakistan and it is America's duty to catch him or kill him. … There is not a lot we can do to make Pakistanis like us, I'm afraid."

Tough words - Barre Montpelier Times Argus: "Curiously, it didn't draw much attention last week when Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sharply assailed our nation's efforts to persuade the Muslim world of our good intentions. … Last month, the Senate Armed Services Committee issued a report that observed that while strategic communications and public diplomacy programs (those are what Mullen would characterize as public relations tools) are important activities, it was unclear whether they are integrated within the Pentagon or across other departments and agencies. … The admiral's commentary comes as troubling questions are being raised about our chances of success in Afghanistan. His views are not those of a partisan politician or a professional curmudgeon and they therefore are deserving of greater attention than they've been given so far." Imge from

Over the decades, VOA has succeeded only insofar as it has resisted its association with US public diplomacy - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Connecting Public Diplomacy and Policy - Philip Seib, Layalina Productions: "[I]t all comes back to the substance of U.S. foreign policy. No matter how imaginative or technologically adept public diplomats may be, and no matter the star power of Barack Obama, those responsible for policy and public diplomacy must develop and sustain a more balanced partnership."

Public Diplomacy: What It Is, Why It's Needed and How It Could Work Well for America Again Part One - Patricia H. Kushlis and Patricia Lee Sharpe – Whirled View: “This is the first of a four part series that will, on successive Wednesdays, (1) define some of the special characteristics and powers of public diplomacy as such, (2) examine some of the missteps that have brought American public diplomacy into disrepute and made it ineffectual, (3) look at some demonstrably successful best practices that may form the basis of a rehabilitated public diplomacy capacity and (4) suggest some organizational reforms that would integrate public diplomacy insights into the foreign policy process in ways that would enormously enhance U.S. interactions with the world. …

There is no coherent well-integrated public diplomacy function with an attractive career ladder for specialists who may rise to share in major foreign policy decision-making. … Who of his national stature would be willing to assume the powerless position of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy these days? None that we have seen." Image from

Torture - Right-Side-Of-Lowell: "I think that torture is wrong at a moral level and a legal level. I believe that without the tools that would allow successful interrogations without torture, torture is generally not effective. Further, I believe that eschewing torture helps our overall public diplomacy effort, our psychological operations, and our interrogation efforts. While these 'non-kinetic' considerations may appear unimportant, they are in fact very important when one is involved in a long war that involves 'hearts and minds.'

Track II Diplomacy Alive and Well - James Ketterer, Global Engagement: "Last week I was thrilled to host a dinner for a delegation from Uganda in the US on a State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) visit. …

These visits are worth gold to US public diplomacy. Not only do they allow for visitors to meet their peers in the US (and hopefully remain touch with many of them) and gather important programmatic information they can take home, the IVLP is also an important way for Americans to meet people from parts of the world they are unlikely to visit themselves. … Yes, high-level diplomacy has its place and it requires trained professionals to carry it out. But it must be underscored by the engagement of non-professionals who can meet and exchange views in informal settings that defuse the intense politics that often dominate official meetings. US foreign policy cannot live on Track II diplomacy alone, but it also can’t live without it." Image from

About the InterAgent - Open Source: "The term soft power, which emphasized the importance of these non-military instruments of statecraft, has been abandoned in favor of smart power, which recognizes that certain circumstances will require the use of hard power. … Social media also has incredible potential in other areas, as well. As the current administration has already recognized, it can enhance transparency, promote responsibility, and increase efficiency. Social media can also help in reaching out to foreign audiences, a widely-neglected topic in the policymaking world known as public diplomacy."

Diplomacy and Public Diplomacy - Paul Rockower, Levantine: "On Public Diplomacy, of which my current university constructs and redefines daily.

Thanks USC. 'Public Diplomacy is the…projection in the international arena of the values and ideas of the public… The aim of the practice of public diplomacy is not to convince but to communicate, not to declare but to listen. Public diplomacy seeks to build a sphere in which diverse voices can be heard in spite of their various origins, distinct values, and often contradictory interests.' -Prof. Manuel Castells, Wallis Annenberg Chair Professor of Communication Technology and Society at USC." Image from

The Intended 'Psychological By-Products' of Development - Matt Armstrong, Mountainrunner.us: "Development and public diplomacy and strategic communication are intimately and historically linked. One requires the other."

Guest Post: The Rosetta Stone for Strategic Communication? More like Speak 'N Spell - Matt Morgan, Mountainrunner.us: "Here's the long and short of it: DoD needs to be in the SC business--etymology of the term be damned."

UAE, NATO explore joint cooperation - WAM - Emirates News Agency: "Prospects of UAE-NATO cooperation in advancing peace process in the Middle East and fighting terrorism were the focus of discussion today at meeting between H.E. Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Nicola de Santis, Head of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Countries Section in the NATO Public Diplomacy Division. Gargash and his NATO guest exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments including efforts to attain peace in the Middle East."

Gov't team to blitz US, explain conflict - Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post: Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post:

"The government will unleash a public diplomacy blitz in the US on Sunday aimed at nothing less than reframing the Israeli-Arab conflict. … Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who has said that public diplomacy needed to be made one of his ministry's top priorities, held a meeting Monday inside the ministry to discuss the new campaign." Image from

Who does not want to conclude the Doha Round? - Pradeep S Mehta, Economic Times: "India has taken a bold step to organise the meeting which is intended to put traction in the troubled Doha Round talks. In any event, India by organising this meeting has called the bluff of countries which accused it of having torpedoed the July meeting in Geneva, by not agreeing to lower its demand on safeguarding its subsistence farmers. It was not India alone which was steadfast on this issue but China and nine other countries also. True, India’s public diplomacy has been poor, that there were other factors that resulted in failure of the Geneva talks."

REALTED ITEMS

A Middle Way On Afghanistan? - David Ignatius, Washington Post: Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander in Kabul, has just delivered his recommendation for the broader strategy -- which would almost certainly mean more troops next year. … To get the flavor of McChrystal's strategy (the actual document remains classified), I reviewed the counterinsurgency guidance he has prepared for his troops. The headline reads: "Protecting the people is the mission. The conflict will be won by persuading the population, not by destroying the enemy."


Taliban Surprising U.S. Forces With Improved Tactics; Obama Facing Major Strategy Decisions - Karen DeYoung, Washington Post: The inability of rising numbers of American troops to protect Afghan citizens has increased resentment of the Western presence and the corrupt Afghan government that cooperates with it, officials said. Image from

4% of Israeli Jews: Obama pro-Israel - Gil Hoffman , Jerusalem Post: The number of Israelis who see US President Barack Obama's policies as pro-Israel has fallen to four percent, according to a Smith Research poll taken this week on behalf of The Jerusalem Post.

China to unveil new missiles – Ferylbob, Wandering China: This blog has talked much about China's soft power and its growing deft touch at public diplomacy. In this instance, it's hard power all the way, with a parade to showcase (read assert) its military power. "The parades, held every 10 years, typically showcase new-generation weapons systems and are closely scrutinised by both domestic and foreign military watchers for clues about Chinese development trends."

AMERICANA


The Sweet Juniper blog has a gallery of abandoned Detroit houses that are being overcome by the foliage around them, trees and shrubs and plants growing around, on and in them. From "Detroit houses being eaten by nature," Boing Boing