April 16-17

ABBREVIATED EDITION

"the interagency"

--An entity referred to, without specification, by Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism in his Congressiontal testimony that, '[t]o counter AQ propaganda, we helped stand up the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communication (CSCC), under the Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs' at the State department." Image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

US decides to begin fresh Public diplomacy in Pakistan - Online: International News Network: "The US administration has decided to overcome strained relations with Pakistan after episode of Raymond Davis and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be visiting Pakistan next month.

The relations between Pakistan and US after Raymond Davis incident in which the US national killed 2 Pakistanis were in cold blood. 'The Pakistani relevant authorities have been informed about visit of Hillary Clinton to Pakistan', a Private TV Channel quoted sources as saying on Friday. The US has also started taking measures to build new relationship with people of Pakistan. US ambassador in Pakistan Cameron Minter has been directed to start consultation and meeting with Political leadership of Pakistan. US aims to start fresh Public diplomacy in Pakistan after episode of Raymond Davis, sources said. US ambassador in Pakistan Cameron Minter held talks with Deputy Parliament leader of MQM Farooq Sattar while Political Consular of US consulate also held talks with JUI-F Chief Moulana Fazalur Rehman last week."  Image from

Under Secretary of State Judith A. McHale Travel to Tunisia‎ - Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC April 15, 2011, U.S. Department of State: "Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith A. McHale will travel to Tunis and Sfax, Tunisia through April 17th, 2011. The Under Secretary arrived in Tunis on April 14th. During her visit to Tunis, Under Secretary McHale attended a dinner with members of Tunisia civil society and met with Tunisia’s Ministry of Higher Education. Under Secretary McHale is also participating in a workshop with a wide range of Tunisians to discuss current United States programs in Tunisia and new opportunities for collaboration. Additionally, she is meeting with Tunisian youth, including English Access Microscholarship Program (ACCESS) students, Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program alumni, and American Corner patrons. In Sfax, Under Secretary McHale will meet with University of Sfax President Dr. Hamed Ben Dhia, as well as with University professors and master’s degree students to explore ways to extend university linkage programs beyond the classroom to create business and job opportunities. This will be an opportunity to hear students’ visions for their futures. The United States currently has two linkages with the University of Sfax's School of Engineering: one in bio-fuels (Virginia Tech) and another in robotics (Rice University). Under Secretary McHale will later meet with members of Tunisia’s Young Business Leaders group to discuss entrepreneurship opportunities in Tunisia and the importance of economic development to the future of the country." See also.

The State Department's Counterterrorism Office: Budget, Reorganization, Policies -Testimony Daniel Benjamin Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator for CounterterrorismTestimony Before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Washington, DC April 14, 2011 - U.S. Department of State: Bejmanin: "Thank you for the opportunity to appear before this Committee today. I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss the State Department’s concept of strategic counterterrorism and the plans outlined in the QDDR for the State Department to work with Congress to transform the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism (S/CT) into a full-fledged bureau. We certainly feel that the change will strengthen our work within the interagency and with partners around the world. S/CT and the State Department have assumed a growing role in counterterrorism over the past several years and have moved beyond coordination into an essential policymaking and programming role for the U.S. Government. ... The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) work of S/CT focuses on three main lines of effort that will reduce terrorist recruitment: delegitimizing the violent extremist narrative in order to diminish its 'pull'; developing positive alternatives for youth vulnerable to radicalization

to diminish the 'push' effect of grievances and unmet expectations; and building partner capacity to carry out these activities. Key intents of CVE programming are to diminish the drivers of radicalization and demonstrably reduce the effectiveness of terrorist propaganda, thus leading to lowered numbers in recruitment. To counter AQ propaganda, we helped stand up the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communication (CSCC), under the Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, to push back against AQ’s online and media activities. The CSCC, working with the interagency, focuses not only on the violent actions and human costs of terrorism, but also on positive narratives that can help dissuade those who may be susceptible to radicalization and recruitment by terrorist organizations. One emphasis of the CSCC’s work has been re-orienting the Digital Outreach Team to place greater emphasis on challenging the purveyors of extremist messages online, in Arabic and Urdu. This has included producing original video content. Successful CVE involves more than messaging, however, and we are working with the interagency to develop programs that address the upstream factors of radicalization in communities particularly susceptible to terrorist recruitment overseas. Efforts include providing alternatives for at-risk youth, encouraging the use of social media to generate local initiatives, and enhancing the resilience of communities to counter extremism. Research has shown that radicalization is often driven by factors at the local level. To be effective, CVE work needs to be driven by local needs, informed by local knowledge, and responsive to the immediate concerns of the community. CVE interventions will be highly focused and short-term and will be developed in cooperation with USAID and others in the interagency as well as with international partners. CVE programs will address the drivers of radicalism through stabilization and remediation projects along with efforts to supplant radicalizing institutions and voices. Micro-strategies customized for specific communities – and even neighborhoods – owned and implemented by local civil society or government partners have a better chance of succeeding and enduring. Another central part of the bureau’s CVE effort is strengthening our partners’ capacity and engagement in CVE work, propagating best practices, and building an international consensus behind the effort to delegitimize extremists and their ideologies. Ultimately, host governments are best positioned to execute truly sustainable CVE efforts. For several years now we have supported host government local law enforcement efforts overseas to engage youth through police-led sports programs and have worked with Morocco and Indonesia to counter the spread of violent extremist ideologies in prisons." Image from

So Much for Soft Power‎ - Joshua Kurlantzick, Council on Foreign Relations: "[P]ublic diplomacy programs, like educational exchanges and even the Peace Corps, are some of the best long-lasting investments in U.S. soft power abroad. Over the years, a wide range of foreign leaders have come to America as students, from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines to Mikheil Saakashevili of Georgia. Though at the time, they were just students, later in life, as they ascended the political ranks, their formative experiences in the United States often made them more pro-America, and capable of understanding U.S. policymaking theories and priorities. Saakashevili, for one, has repeatedly credited his time in America for molding his worldview and shaping his policymaking regarding both the United States and Russia. Similarly, the types of cultural exchanges and student work programs like the Peace Corps help create the person-to-person ties between Americans and people in other countries that help the U.S. to ride out ups and downs in foreign policy with other nations. During the Cold War, many of these programs were vital in promoting American culture, ideas, and even policies in Eastern Europe; but, in the 1990s, the Clinton administration, seeing no major global threat, cut many of them. That was a mistake, and after 9/11 the Bush administration ramped up public diplomacy once again. This resurgence had mixed results – the Bush administration’s policies were not exactly helpful – but the new spending on public diplomacy at least laid the foundation for a new generation of foreign students and intellectuals interacting more closely with the United States. To cut that now would be mortgaging the future in many ways."

And Now Its Our Turn - ESLPD, Public Diplomacy in the Real World: "[T]here is no denying that these things are necessary. Furthermore, it is hard to convince a middle class blue collar family that has never had a family member attend a college that spending money on student exchanges will, in the long run, potentially help raise our standings with foreign countries. Convincing these families that it even matters that foreign countries like us is another story. Should the State Department's budget be slashed? No. But what Americans, and Congressmen, are looking for is results. Unfortunately for PD, a fast turn around is not part of the description."

Save VOA Broadcasting to China - Helle Dale, Heritage.org: "The decision to cut Voice of America (VOA) Broadcasting to China has attracted a good deal of congressional attention, as well it should. While China has launched a worldwide public diplomacy and media offensive, the United States is looking at a greatly reduced international media presence if the projected cuts go through. ... That core mandate of broadcasting to the parts of the world that do not have free or uncensored media is what seems to have been lost sight of at VOA’s leadership as tough budgetary times loom and as new technologies seem to offer a cost effective alternative. However, now that the U.S. Congress in its continuing resolution has given the Broadcasting Board of Governors $10 million of State Department funding for Internet freedom activities, perhaps the $8 million savings that the cut to the Chinese service would produce can be dispensed with and VOA’s mission be respected." Image from

The VOA Is Losing Its Voice - china-defense-mashup.com: "China's state news agency, Xinhua, is building a broadcasting headquarters in New York's Times Square as part of Beijing's $7 billion investment in global propaganda, including a 24-hour news channel in English. Meanwhile, Congress recently held hearings on a plan for Voice of America to cut its Chinese- language news broadcasts in order to save $8 million a year. If public diplomacy helps determine which countries are on the way up and which are on the way down, U.S. actions speak louder than the broadcasts themselves."

If David Ensor does become the new VOA director, this is the sort of press coverage he will have to overcome - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

Old Media, New Media - Gary Rawnsley,  Diplomacy and International Communications: Thoughts and comments about public diplomacy, soft power and international communications: "[I]sn't there room and need for both old and new media? The new media represents a new-style of activism, mobilisation and method of P2P communication; but old broadcasting media are also required. The BBC Mandarin Service has built over decades a reputation among its audience for accuracy and credibility, and there is a clear relationship based on trust between broadcaster and audience (public diplomacy is all about relationships, after all). To abandon such relationships in the mistaken belief that they are antiquated and no longer required in order to save money is a mistake. Both the Foreign Office and USIA throughout their histories have believed they could turn language services on and off like a tap, only to find that when they are needed again, it is not that easy to rebuild audiences and reputations."

The Stop Wasting Taxpayer Money on Cuba Broadcasting Act (2011) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "The people of Cuba who wish to be well informed about events in Cuba and the rest of the world deserve a better news service than they are getting from their state-controlled domestic media.

US international broadcasting to Cuba should continue, but it (along with all US international broadcasting) can be done more efficiently than it is now. Furthermore, more state control of US international broadcasting will certainly not provide the antidote to state-controlled Cuban broadcasting." Image from

Library of Congress National Recording Registry now includes interviews with jazz musicians by VOA's Willis Conover - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting

CIA National Committee for Free Europe and Tor - "https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2007-featured-story-archive/a-look-back.html
A Look Back … The National Committee for Free Europe, 1949 On June 1, 1949, a group of prominent American businessmen, lawyers, and philanthropists – called the National Committee for Free Europe (NCFE) – filed incorporation papers in New York City. The event drew little notice at the time.

Only a handful of people knew that NCFE was actually the public face of an innovative 'psychological warfare' project undertaken by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). That operation – which soon gave rise to Radio Free Europe – would become one of the longest running and successful covert action campaigns ever mounted by the United States. The late George Kennan of the Department of State could be considered the godfather of NCFE. He – more than any other official – pressed the National Security Council to reorganize covert action planning and management. This resulted in the creation of the Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) at the CIA in September 1948 and the appointment of the visionary OSS veteran Frank G. Wisner as its chief. Kennan proposed that OPC work through an 'American freedom committee' in dealing with anti-Communist émigré groups in the United States to develop operations abroad. The idea was to fund selected émigrés in their activities to demonstrate that the newly imposed Soviet-style dictatorships in Eastern Europe oppressed the aspirations of their people. NCFE was the American umbrella for these exiled European figures in the United States, ostensibly raising private funds and organizing their activities to reach back to their occupied homelands. From the start, Wisner and OPC regarded NCFE as one of their signature operations. As the Cold War reached perhaps its most dangerous phase, NCFE and other projects (such as the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1950) rallied anti-Communist intellectuals, politicians, and activists to fight the Soviets on the 'plane of ideas' and what was later called 'public diplomacy.'" Image from

Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis Hosts Business Executives from Russian City: Not-for-profit Agency Executives from Siberia Share Much in Common With American Counterparts - Press Release, PRLog: "St. Louis, Missouri, USA… Lighthouse for the Blind-Saint Louis, a not-for-profit corporation that assists legally blind people maintain dignity and independence by offering Employment, Education and Support Services, recently hosted a delegation of nine executives from non-for-profit service organizations visiting from Novosibirsk, Russia, a city of 1.4 million people in southwest Siberia. ... All the Russian delegates represented Siberian not-for-profit agencies that serve diverse interests, ranging from youth organizations aimed at protecting children from neglect, to organizations serving the blind and visually impaired. The delegates were participating in the Community Connections Program managed by the Bureau of Europe and Eurasia of the U.S. Agency for Information Development, which promotes public diplomacy through exchanges of ideas to encourage positive business approaches and understanding between professionals in Russia and the U.S."

Senator Kyl Calls for Harsher Sanctions to "Assist" Iranians - ‎Sarah Ravani, National Iranian American Council:  "Speaking at the Capitol Hill Club as a part of a National Defense University Foundation and the National Defense Industrial Association seminar series, Kyl [Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)] called for President Obama to communicate with Iran’s opposition that sanctions are not being implemented in an effort to make a deal with Iran’s government

regarding the nuclear issue. 'You’ve got a populace who are yearning for support from the West and the U.S. specifically,' he said. 'It seems to me that the administration has forgone a wonderful opportunity here to engage in a kind of public diplomacy and various ways of communicating to the Iranian people that one of the purposes here is to assist them as well.'” Image from article

Cultural diplomacy: CCM music professor honored in Venezuela‎, Janelle Galfand, Cincinnati.com: "Conductor and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music professor Rodney Winther has been honored by the state of Táchira in Venezuela for his contributions to music there. Winther was bestowed with the Manuel Felipe Rugeles medal, the state’s highest cultural award, for directing the state orchestral band during San Cristóbal’s 450th Anniversary Celebrations. Winther has traveled to Venezuela to lead the state band several times over the past 15 years. The band’s performances were carried live on satellite TV affiliates throughout Venezuela, on state TV and were featured in newspaper articles. Winther also conducted workshops for 25 Venezuelan conductors, and for another group of Colombian conductors who heard of his visit and travelled to San Cristóbal to participate. It sounds like quite an event: Táchira Governor César Pérez Vivas presented the award. American diplomats, including U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Sally Hodgson

and Cultural Affairs Specialist Elena Broszkowski, were awarded buttons of merit by Mayor Mónica de Méndez and Governor César Pérez Vivas for helping to bring Winther to the city. 'The visit of Maestro Winther to Táchira state was one of the highlights of its capital’s anniversary and will be remembered for years to come,' said Elena Broszkowski from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. It even marks a return to public diplomacy in the region: Táchira state is an important opposition-led, very pro-American state at the border with Colombia. Until recently, all travel by United States Government officials was barred because of leftist and rightist guerrilla activity in the area. Because of this, there have been no public diplomacy programs in San Cristóbal, the state’s capital, for several years." Image from article, with caption: Rodney Winther directing the Táchira state orchestral band

Smart power vs subtle power‎ - David Gosset, China.org.cn:  "The United States administration has rebranded the country's foreign policy around the grand concept of 'smart power', an expression which envelops great confidence if not self-satisfaction, and which, to a certain extent, presupposes a strategic dominance. But if it wants to maintain a real capacity to influence world affairs, the West should not assume a position of intellectual superiority.

Instead, it should try to comprehend what makes the success of the new global forces. While the US public diplomacy apparatus works to persuade the world of its benevolent 'smart power', China is quietly reshaping the global village with the effectiveness of its 'subtle power'." Image from

The Libyan Rebels Have a Washington Lobbyist - Uri Friedman, Atlantic Wire: "As the cash-strapped Libyan rebels press the U.S. to send some of Muammar Qaddafi's frozen assets their way, they'll have an ally championing their cause in Washington: a small but influential public relations firm called the Harbour Group. ... The Harbour Group also knows a thing or two about crisis management. A few years ago,

in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Dubai company's attempted purchase of several U.S. ports, the United Arab Emirates, which is currently participating in the military intervention in Libya, poured $15 million into a three-year 'public diplomacy' campaign in Washington managed by Harbour Group managing director Richard Mintz. In 2008, the United Jewish Endowment Fund hired the Harbour Group to help the organization respond to critics angry about UJEF's investments with Bernie Madoff." Image from article

Jewish groups debate ways to thwart UN recognition of 'Palestine' - Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency: "David Harris, the executive director of the American Jewish Committee, which focuses on U.S. Jewish outreach internationally, said European opposition to Palestinian statehood was not a sure thing. ... 'How Israel engages in its public diplomacy with regard to the resumption of the peace talks and how it engages in its private diplomacy will have real impact in shaping how other countries react,' Harris said. 'Israel must convince the world it is absolutely dead serious about moving the peace process forward.'"

Cameron's visit opens new vistas of trade, security cooperation‎ - Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Daily Times: "Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent visit to Pakistan has reinforced the stable and mutually beneficial relationship enjoyed by the two countries. His pronouncement that 'Pakistan-UK relationships are unbreakable' echoed the sentiments shared

by both countries and was well received. With over a million diaspora and approximately 1.4 million visits annually between our people, the relationship is indeed multifaceted and well rooted. ... A significant part of the visit was dedicated to public diplomacy whilst interacting with children and students – the future of Pakistan."  Cameron image from

Economic upturn and cricketing lessons - Rohantha N.A. Athukorala, Ceylon Daily News: [Somewhat unclear reference to public diplomacy] "While India and Pakistan has been waging war for ages, internally the fight on poverty and home soil terrorism was at its peak in both countries. The two leaders used the opportunity for public diplomacy even though the public was strongly against the ‘Cricketing Diplomacy’ that was planned. The leadership pursued the bold strategy and the result was that brand India and Pakistan was a top of the mind brand mentioned across all news bulletins of the world. Even though Pakistan was not ready India used the WC 2011 to build the flagging global imagery that has been highlighted for corruption in the recent past. I guess Sri Lanka needs to take a que from such brand building decisions."

Indian diplomat's paintings on show‎ - iNewsOne: "The director of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Rajeev Lochan, Friday inaugurated an exhibition of paintings by Indian diplomat Abhay Kumar. The exhibition, under the theme ‘We Have Come Far’, will run till April 29 at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in the capital. The ceremony was also attended by

Navdeep Suri, joint secretary (Public Diplomacy) in the ministry of external affairs." Image from

A new diplomacy - Daniel Florian Blog: [Google translation]: "To connect public and private interests in an effective public diplomacy, the federal government should establish a Public Diplomacy Foundation in the form of a public-private partnership. Die Stiftung müsste eine fördernde Stiftung sein, bei der sich jeder – Behörden, NGOs, Schulen oder Einzelpersonen – mit seinen Vorschlägen für Public-Diplomacy-Projekte bewerben könnte. The foundation would be a beneficial foundations in which everyone - Government, NGOs, schools or individuals - could compete with its proposals for public-diplomacy projects. Solch ein Projekt könnte etwa ein gemeinsames Schulbuch mit einem anderen Land sein, ein Film über Migranten und Diaspora-Gemeinden oder eine wissenschaftliche Konferenz. Such a project could be about a joint school book with a different country, a film about migrants and diaspora communities, or a scientific conference. ... Solch eine Public-Diplomacy-Stiftung wäre mehr als nur eine gute Idee: sie würde die Art und Weise, wie Diplomatie in Deutschland betrieben wird grundlegend transformieren. Such a Public Diplomacy Foundation would be more than just a good idea: it would be the way in which diplomacy is operated in Germany transformed fundamentally. Sie würde das Auswärtige Amt öffnen, die Verantwortung der deutschen Wirtschaft in der Außenpolitik stärken und der Zivilgesellschaft eine Stimme in der Welt geben. It would open the Foreign Ministry, strengthen the responsibility of the German economy in foreign policy and give civil society a voice in the world. Wir alle sind verantwortlich für die Lösung globaler Probleme wie Klimawandel, Naturkatastrophen und Hungersnöten. We are all responsible for solving global problems like climate change, natural disasters and famine. Eine Public-Diplomacy-Stiftung würde uns ein Instrument zur Lösung dieser Probleme geben. A Public Diplomacy Foundation would give us a tool to solve these problems."

The next Silicon Valley: USC’s Annenberg? Commentary: Journalism + Innovation = Entrepreneurship - Jon Friedman, MarketWatch: “'I admire and envy Nick Lemann,” Wilson said with a smile about his counterpart at the Columbia School of Journalism. 'He has a straightforward task and one school — and its ‘journalism.’' Of course, Columbia has long been widely recognized as the preeminent training ground for journalists in the U.S. Wilson, for his part, can take pride in knowing he is making progress with his journalism, communications and public relations agenda.

He supervises one of the nation’s most complex and ambitious media-education programs. Annenberg works in conjunction with such USC divisions as business, engineering and public diplomacy. Labeling USC Annenberg’s School for Communication and Journalism as a simply 'journalism' school, in the traditional sense, diminishes what Wilson and his colleagues are trying to accomplish." Wilson image from article

RELATED ITEM

Doug Kmiec, the Leona Helmsley of Ambassadors, Resigns - Peterr, firedoglake.com: "Last week, the US Department of State released an Inspector General’s report on the US Embassy in Malta [pdf], headed up by Ambassador Douglas Kmiec. Kmiec is an outspoken Republican (head of the Office of Legal Counsel under Reagan) and a conservative Roman Catholic, who bucked both the GOP and many in his church to support Obama

in his presidential race against John McCain. At CNN, religion editor Dan Gilgoff led his story about the IG report like this: [']The U.S. ambassador to Malta has upset the State Department by devoting so much time to writing and speaking about faith-related issues, according to a report from the department’s inspector general released last week.['] Today, Michael Sean Winters of the National Catholic Reporter broke the news that Kmiec has submitted his resignation, to be effective on August 15th — the Roman Catholic Feast of the Assumption and also a date that will allow Kmiec to remain in Malta until the construction of a new embassy is complete and the move to new quarters is finished. NCR has both Kmiec’s letter to Obama last Wednesday [pdf], responding to the IG report and also offering his resignation, and his letter to Secretary of State Clinton [pdf] dated today, offering a fuller defense of himself. Image from