June 14-15

"[A]t different times, different aspects of the strategy will be performing better than others."

--Benjamin J. Rhodes, head of strategic communications for the National Security Council, regarding the war in Afghanistan; image: found in Google images under "performing better"

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

'Not so circumspect on China's bonhomie with Pak'‎ - Rediff: "The Obama administration's point man for South Asia, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Robert O Blake, Jr, has said that in preparation for President Barack Obama's visit to India in November, all hands are on deck to "have ambitious results in all of the pillars of our cooperation and beyond." ... [Q:] Since the inaugural US-India Strategic Dialogue, you have been on a veritable blitz in speaking about these meetings -- from briefings to Web chats to blog forums.

What's with this campaign? Is it to show the US administration's commitment to this relationship, which some analysts and commentators in both India and the United States had raised doubts about? [Blake:] It's certainly to show commitment to the relationship, but it's part of Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton's priority that she attaches to public diplomacy and to doing as much public outreach as possible about the initiatives that we and the (US) State Department are undertaking. We are very proud of the progress we are making with India and we think it's also important to try to dispel some of the doubts you referred to. So, as with any big dialogue that we have with China or Brazil or any of the other countries, we do this kind of thing. And, we are also expanding now to use a lot of the new social media." Blake image from

China, US angle for Mekong influence - Marwaan Macan-Markar, Asia Times Online: "The Mekong River is steadily emerging as a testing ground for China's public diplomacy. Beijing, it appears, wants to reach out to its southern neighbors who share the river more as a friendly giant than an imposing bully. ... 'China has realized that its past approach of avoiding public engagement and public diplomacy with the lower Mekong countries has not worked,' said Carl Middleton, Mekong program coordinator for International Rivers, a US-based environmental lobby. ... In mid-May, the MRC [Mekong River Commission] and the Mississippi River Commission inked their first deal for river management cooperation, confirming a plan that was unveiled last July by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the first-ever US-Lower Mekong Ministerial Meeting in the southern Thai resort of Phuket. During that visit, Clinton also signed the Treaty of Amity, a regional security deal that Beijing had already signed in 2003. 'China's public diplomacy to reach out to the lower Mekong countries is a direct response to the US signing the Treaty of Amity last year,' said Kavi Chongkittavorn, a columnist on regional affairs for The Nation, an English-language daily in Thailand. 'Beijing lost the advantage it had and cannot afford to have a negative image in the region.'"

Wilkerson on Cuba‎ - Real News Network: "Bio [:] Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. ... JAY: So why did you get involved in this issue? You were in State Department. You've come out of, at least, the traditional of American policy in various areas. You've become very critical since you left the State Department. But the issue of Cuba is particular. Why Cuba, and why do you think the policy has to change? WILKERSON: Well, I'm very realistic when I approach offshore operations, when I approach foreign policy. The Cold War ended long ago, 20 years ago. We have been muddling around ever since.

One of the places where we were muddling around the worst is Latin America. And Cuba is an opening for Latin America. Cuba does not export revolution anymore; it exports doctors. It has probably the most effective public diplomacy campaign in the world today, certainly in the Western Hemisphere: it sends doctors to help poor people in Venezuela, in Brazil, in sub-Saharan Africa, in Haiti. The doctors were in Haiti before the earthquake; they were there during the earthquake. So Cuba's not a threat to the United States anymore." Image from

Afghanistan as Pandora: We're there because of unobtanium!‎ - John Brown, Huffington Post: "I suppose ... some inside-the-beltway pundits think 'public diplomacy' will solve the madness of the US Afghan occupation ... with a military that has no idea where, in 'Afghanistan' it's actually 'fighting' -- or why."

No place like Afghanistan for Journalism - Mahtab Farid, Public Diplomacy in Afghanistan: "The international radio stations become a source for the local news stations in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, some times the insurgent radio stations manage to act as sources. ... During my tour with the State Department in Afghanistan, I try to visit as many newsrooms

in different provinces as possible. My goal is to learn about different aspects of how reporters write, produce and air their news in Afghanistan." Image from

Lugar Report Honsestly [sic] Evaluates U.S. International Broadcasting - Philip Seib, Huffington Post: "Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), the ranking Republican member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations has done something remarkable: issued an honest appraisal of America's public diplomacy broadcasting. That the report has found U.S. efforts flawed is no surprise, but the willingness of Senator Lugar to publicly state this is welcome relief after so many government efforts to paint a ridiculously optimistic picture of U.S. public diplomacy achievements."

Secretary Clinton to Address High School Exchange Students on Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program on June 1 - US Department of State: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will address a group of 280 high school exchange students participating in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program on June 16 at the Department of State. ... Secretary Clinton’s address will highlight the importance of high school youth exchange to international and public diplomacy and commend the students for successfully completing the program during the 2009-10 school year. The Secretary will also extend her appreciation to the families and communities who help make these exchanges possible. The Kennedy-Lugar YES Program

is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and was established in 2003 to provide scholarships for high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the United States. Students live with host families, attend high school, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures. The YES Program is one of ECA’s key youth programs, focused on increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." Image from

State Department Hosts International Fulbright Science and Technology Award Fellows – Office of the Spokesman, US Department of State: "The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will welcome 25 outstanding International Fulbright Science and Technology Award (Fulbright S&T) Fellows from 23 countries to Washington, D.C., from June 13-16, 2010. The International Fulbright S&T program, which supports foreign students for Ph.D. study in the United States, is designed to be the most prestigious international scholarship in the sciences, and to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to welcoming top-notch future researchers and leaders to pursue serious scientific study and research at prominent U.S. institutions and labs. ... On Tuesday, June 15, the International Fulbright S&T Fellows will gather in the State Department’s Ben Franklin Room for a reception with Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Maura Pally."

Jean-Francious Bureau: partner country decides on NATO membership bid -PanARMENIAN.Net: "It’s up to the partner country to decide on NATO membership bid, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Jean-Francious [sic] Bureau

said when commenting on the possibility of Armenia’s membership in NATO. 'The NATO is interested in raising public awareness of Armenian citizens about the Alliance’s activity, as Armenia participates in NATO’s peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan,' he said. Mr. Bureau also added that conduction of NATO weeks helps Armenia get closer to the Alliance." See also. Bureau image from

The New Iran Sanctions: “Not Just Useless But Counterproductive” – The Race for Iran: "Comment by JohnH [:] The US and Israel have provided Ahmadinejad with an impressive set of talking points.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=141652&language=en The US media prevents most Americans from hearing them, but others will. It’s tough for US public diplomacy to win the battle of ideas, when they put their hypocrisy on a silver platter, just waiting for people like Admadinejad to call them out."

Flotilla Twist: Israel Welcomes Turkish Boats in Yacht Rally - Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, Arutz Sheva:

"A 'flotilla' including 72 ships from Turkey and 16 other countries converged on Israel on Tuesday, but this time the country is welcoming them with open arms for a yacht rally instead of a challenge to break the sea embargo on Hamas-controlled Gaza. ... The government is backing up the Carmel Yacht Club with logistical help. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Diplomacy (Hasbara) and the Diaspora told Israel National News, 'We are involved as little as possible with politics.'” Image from

Flotilla fiasco is costly all round‎ - Samuel Segev, Winnipeg Free Press: "With the appointment of the Israeli Independent Public Commission, with foreign participation, to investigate the circumstances that led to the failed Israeli Operation Sea Breeze, it's time to draw an initial balance sheet of that event. ... Finally -- public diplomacy. Here too, Israel failed to understand that in today's world of Internet, Facebook and Twitter, accuracy is less important than the quick dissemination of news and pictures. Thus, for more than nine hours Israel was silent, while Turkey dominated the public relations field, which brought many world leaders -- friends of Israel -- to criticize the Jewish state, even before they knew the facts. As a result, the plight of Gaza is no longer a just source of concern for Arab and Muslim countries and some peace activists. It has become internationalized and was catapulted to the forefront of global diplomacy. This easing of Hamas' isolation in Gaza is definitely a Turkish diplomatic success. However, on the strategic level, Turkey lost. The blockade of the Gaza Strip, which was Turkey's main objective, is not lifted."

I am a Foot Soldier - ‎Ari Bussel, Canada Free Press:

"During a recent visit to Israel, I was invited to a discharge ceremony from the IDF. Having last served as an officer during the First Persian Gulf War, I am deemed nonessential, although I still see myself as a soldier fighting on the very front line today. Like me there are numerous other foot soldiers on Israel’s Public Diplomacy front, able and willing to serve, and doing what we can against all odds. We stand against a very capable, sophisticated and motivated enemy. We constantly ask ourselves why are we fighting when many Israelis and even more Jews are aiding and abating the enemy in the war to destroy Israel. The answer is simple: We are the last line of defense. We are the last defenders of the Jewish State." Image from

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 – RSA Alums: "From: Gila Ansell Brauner gilaa@wzo.org.il Sent: Sunday, June 06, 2010 1:19 PM Subject: Help Israel's Hasbara: Letter to the Editor Received from Israel Ministry for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs: Help Israel's Hasbara: Write a Letter to the Editor Dear friends around the world, Following the interception of the provocative Flotilla, Israel again finds itself in an unavoidable media war. We are sure that you, like us, are frustrated with the biased anti-Israel media coverage being projected by the media around the world. We all have the ability to take part in Hasbara (public diplomacy), each according to his/her ability, language and the tools at his/her disposal. This is the time to act! Help Israeli Hasbara and write a letter of support for Israel to the editor."

Aussie students learn to be 'diplomats'‎ - Noah Rayman, Jerusalem Post: "Before watching Australia’s first World Cup game against Germany, 240 Australian students gathered Sunday for a three-day conference to prepare them for conversations about Israel back home. StandWithUs International, a nonprofit Israeli organization,

has joined with a series of Australian Jewish groups to give students facts that will better equip them to defend Israel on their campuses. 'These guys can say that ‘I’ve been there and I know the issues,’ and therefore they will have more credibility,' said Michael Dickson, director of StandWithUs Israel. ... At the end of the day, Dickson said he reminded the evening speaker, Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein, to conclude his remarks on schedule so that the students could catch the beginning of the Australia - Germany World Cup match." Image from

Israel Losing Its PR Battle - Emre Uslu, turkishpress.com: "When it comes to the mechanics of the Israeli PR campaign, it seems that they will win a positive outcome. With this strategy the Israeli government could win some support from leaders as well. Yet when it comes to the language of the PR campaign, Israel isn`t on the side of the winners . ... If the Israeli government thinks that Israel could afford to lose Turkey, they should continue to use the tone they`ve been using over the last two weeks. But if they think that at any time in the future Israel may need Turkey, they should reconsider their rhetoric and try to tone it down."

Pacific-wide music competition seeks entries from CNMI‎ - Clarissa David, Saipan Tribune: "Pacific Break is a music competition organized by Radio Australia, the international radio and online service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Since May, Pacific Break has been accepting entries for this year's contest. The winning band/solo artist will be flown to Port Vila, Vanuatu to perform live in front of a huge crowd at Fest’napuan-a four-day Pan-Pacific music festival. ... In an e-mail to Saipan Tribune, public diplomacy/research officer Patrick Blank of the Australian Embassy in Pohnpei said that Pacific Break has never received an entry from the north Pacific area, which includes the CNMI and Guam. Blank is encouraging exceptional musicians from the CNMI to submit entries for Pacific Break 2010 and have their music be heard."

India, Pakistan and the Musical Gurus of Peace - Pakistanis for Peace:

Varun Soni, posted at pakistanisforpeace.wordpress.com: "In July, India and Pakistan will begin a new round of talks in hopes of reviving their diplomatic efforts and renewing their peace process. While there are many pressing political issues to discuss, these talks could also be a remarkable opportunity for an innovative public diplomacy initiative between the nuclear neighbors. Although public diplomacy is often thought of as a form of state-to-state engagement, it also has the power to engage populations on a person-to-person level as well, especially in the age of social media and networking. Given the fact that many Indians and Pakistanis sing the same songs and listen to the same music, there is a unique opportunity now to promote popular music as a form of public diplomacy." Image from

Charting a new course in media studies - Ahmed Al Majaida, Khaleej Times: "The media sector in the country is set to get an Emiratisation boost with a new initiative by the National Media Council and the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Information at the American University of Dubai. ... Ali Jaber, Dean of the Mohammed bin Rashid Media College, AUD, said the college is keen to enhance coordination with the National Media Council. 'Appropriate training programmes for local journalists will go a long way in the development of the sector,’’ he said. “The college brings in experts from all over the world to train students on trends, strategic public diplomacy and government.'”

Book Review: Losing Arab Hearts and Minds: The Coalition, Al-Jazeera and Muslim Public Opinion. Steve Tatham. London: Hurst & Company, 2006 - Laura Smith, arabmediasociety.com: "Having served as the Royal Navy’s public spokesman in Iraq, Steve Tatham

straddles the journalist/military divide and offers an insider’s perspective on some of the challenges posed by relations between the media and the military. He thus adds to the burgeoning literature on the Iraq war and its fallout, particularly media coverage of the war and the Coalition’s public diplomacy efforts that accompanied and followed it. ... Others have made the point that the U.S. could improve its public diplomacy by addressing Arabs via existing Arab media, rather than seeking to compete with regional media by creating the likes of Al Hurra. The issues of American public diplomacy and the need to understand Arabs on their own terms have been stressed by others writing in this field, notably Marc Lynch in Voices of the New Arab Public: Iraq, al-Jazeera, and Middle East Politics Today, and former ambassador William Rugh. Yet it is difficult to imagine how any media strategy alone could have prevented the loss of favorable Arab public opinion during the war." Tatham image from

Four Questions on Resource Allocation - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence - Rushing off to meetings but four quick questions 1. How much resource should a country devote to PD? 2. How do countries decide how to allocate resources to PD? 3. How should this resource be divided up between different countries/issues/activities? 4. How do countries allocate PD resources to different activities? It seems to be me that Public Diplomacy studies should have a way to answer these questions."

Googlandia – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "I had an interesting conversation yesterday evening at the tavern where I was watching the World Cup. I sat next to a fellow who was a Google exec for Asia. ... I brought up the need for Google to carry out better public diplomacy. Microsoft has director of public diplomacy, Google would be wise to create something similar.

The reality is that Google does have its own foreign policy, something we saw on display as it sparred with China over censorship- the two 'socialist' juggernauts battling it out. Just as it has its own fp, Google needs the mechanisms of pd.'" Image from

RELATED ITEMS

The military and the media - aljazeera.net: Propaganda is at its most effective when the audience does not know it is being manipulated and one of the best, glitziest examples of that is when propaganda is delivered on the big screen in the guise of a Hollywood blockbuster. The US army, navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, and even the department of defence itself have established a beach-head in Hollywood. For as long as there have been movies, the US government has collaborated with filmmakers to ensure that their view of the world was shared with audiences around the world.

New US Intel Push Risks Taliban 'Propaganda Bonanza' - Noah Shachtman, Wired News: Even before they got to Kabul, the current crop of American military commanders worried that their biggest obstacle could turn out to be Afghanistan’s endemic corruption, not its insurgents. So, in some ways, it’s not all that surprising to read in the New York Times that “the military’s intelligence network in Afghanistan” is “increasingly focused on uncovering corruption” inside Afghanistan’s government, security forces and contractors. There’s a deep logic to the effort.


Counterinsurgency is all about getting people to support the local government. That’s hard to do, if the perception is that those officials are on the take. But the approach comes with risks, too. One U.S. special operations officer, for instance, worries that “from an enemy propaganda perspective, this report would seem to be a bonanza.” Image from

Kim's comments about the Lugar report - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "Paul Foldi and his colleagues on Senator Richard Lugar's staff have prepared the report "U.S. International Broadcasting -- Is Anybody Listening? -- Keeping the U.S. Connected." This is an uncommonly th[o]rough and thoughtful report about the challenges to U.S. international broadcasting."

Defense cuts: start overseas: U.S. defense spending is too large, especially abroad; we're spending too much to defend allies capable of defending themselves - Benjamin Friedman and Christopher Preble, latimes.com

Afghan Staying Power: The President needs to speak up for his war strategy – Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal (subscription): Some six months into the 2007 Iraqi surge,

skeptics from both parties and the media pack lambasted the Bush Administration for a spike in American casualties and the absence of quick results. Six months into the Afghan surge, the Obama Administration is taking similar flak. President Obama, who opposed the Iraqi surge before it paid dividends, might now—at least privately—sympathize with George W. Bush. Image from

Who's the Enemy in the War on Terror? The U.S. is at war with violent Islamist extremism, and the Obama administration does moderate Muslims no favor by refusing to recognize this - Joseph I. Lieberman, Wall Street Journal

Israeli Military Videos Complete Propaganda – Not Even Filmed on Mavi Marmara - American Pendulum

Ex-Afghan intelligence chief behind anti-Pakistan propaganda

Azerbaijan is only propaganda - allvoices: Azerbaijan for its bellicose statements and maximalist demands unrealistic and completely sweep its foreign and domestic policies unhelpful propaganda, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharian.


According to him, in the negotiation process on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains a priority status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the security of Karabakh people, in which there is no definition. "It seems that Azerbaijan is negotiating with himself, wishful thinking results," said Shavarsh Kocharian. Kocharian image from