June 26

"[A]rguably the most successful act of American public diplomacy so far in this new century was the tour of the USNS Comfort in 2007."

--Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, noting that this hospital ship's crew conducted 400,000 patient encounters and 1,700 surgeries in 12 nations; image from

NEW WEBSITE: SIMON ANHOLT

Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor, author and researcher. He specialises in national identity and reputation, public diplomacy and the "brand images" of nations, cities and regions. Anholt developed the concepts of the "nation brand" and 'place brand' in the late 1990s, and today plays a leading role in this rapidly expanding field.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Obama-Europe Honeymoon: The Thrill is Gone? - Judah Grunstein, World Politics Review: "[T]his passage from a Der Spiegel feature on the strain in U.S.-German relations: [']In pursuing its foreign policy, the new administration in Washington no longer relies solely on high-level meetings and state receptions. In fact, the populations of other countries are now being mobilized to support the goals of the United States to an unprecedented extent. Officials at the White House and the State Department have developed a completely new form of the old concept of ‘public diplomacy.’['] Obama remains pretty popular here in terms of public opinion, but I suspect that expectations and enthusiasm have been lowered a bit by his cautious approach to reversing some of the more unpopular Bush policies." See also John Brown, "After the honeymoon: Electing Barack Obama president won't be enough to improve America's standing in the world," Guardian, 26 June 2008. Image: Honeymoon suite.

Why shutting up is the best course of action – Transitionland: "[W]e might even want to be a little more quiet about constituting the aforementioned conditions [in Iran] in the future — not that US involvement in things like the Twitter maintenance delay should be denied by the administration, but rather the utmost importance of tact in this very risky area of public diplomacy. Our indirect assistance to demonstrators should be quiet and humble (and, in this case, very, very geeky)."

Soldier, soldier: has the new world of war passed you by? - Sean McClain, The National: "Ever since George Bush’s ill-fated declaration of an end to major combat operations in Iraq and the poorly conceived drawdown of forces in Afghanistan, the US and its allies have struggled to unravel their own riddle of the trenches: a Gordian knot of sectarian tensions and historic rivalries exacerbated by the presence of foreign troops and non-state actors such as al Qa’eda. To attempt to quell the violence, troops trained to kill more efficiently than their enemies were suddenly asked to perform duties more akin to police work and public diplomacy.The lack of preparedness for the insurgencies in both countries [Iran and Afghanistan], and the touting of such strategies as 'shock and awe', showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the threat environment." Image from

Three Amigos Push New Iran Legislation – Michael Goldfarb, Weekly Standard: "Lieberman, McCain, and Graham held a presser announcing new Iran legislation they intend to introduce. It will increase funding for Radio Farda and Voice of America, both of which have been critical at keeping Iranians informed of what's happening in their own country and reporting those events to the outside world as well. They also talk of funding a new Farsi-language website with live news coverage, and 'funding to foster the spread of technologies that would make it harder for the Iranian regime to crackdown' on the transmission of information over cellphones. … MCCAIN: [']So let me get to the aspects of the legislation that we’re introducing. Radio Farda -- as I mentioned, Radio Farda is part of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty based in Prague. And what it broadcasts isn’t propaganda or even public diplomacy. Rather, its job is surrogate broadcasting, providing the Iranian people with the kind of unbiased, uncensored news and other information they would get in the event that they were living in a free society.[']”

Senate Unanimously Passes Kerry-Lugar Pakistan Aid Package – American Chronicle: "A summary of the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act is below: In introducing this bill, Senators Kerry and Lugar aim to help transform the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan:


instead of a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in crisis-management, Kerry and Lugar aim to build a deeper, broader, long-term strategic engagement with the people (and not just the leaders) of this vitally important nation. … A premise underlying the Kerry-Lugar approach is a simple thought-exercise. Following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the United States devoted nearly $1 billion to relief efforts and reaped a greater reward in popular support than any amount of public diplomacy could generate. The sight of American servicemen and women saving the lives of Pakistani citizens was worth ten times the cost of operating the Chinook helicopters." Image from

Cautious to a Fault: Solidarity with Reformers in Poland and Iran - Reagan’s Response in 1981 Markedly Different from Obama’s in 2009 - Ted Lipien, Free Media Online Blog: "Public diplomacy mistakes by the Bush Administration are too numerous to list, but U.S. international broadcasting initiatives during the last eight years serve as a good example. … President Obama is right in offering a new style of public diplomacy in the Middle East and throughout the world. He did not go to Alhurra to give his first interview targeted for the Middle East but chose an Arab TV network instead. Unfortunately, he still does not have around him enough good advisors who could help shape all of his public statements on human rights and freedom of expression issues, especially in times of crisis, so that he and his Administration do not appear at times as being intimidated by dictators of Mr. Ahmadinejad's kind or appear naive and impulsive like President Bush." Image from

VOA Persian News Network gets media attention - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

U.S. taps envoy for Muslim outreach without fanfare - Reuters, Washington Post: "The U.S. State Department has picked an official to help carry out President Barack Obama's strategy of reaching out to Muslims around the world -- but chose not to formally announce the fact. The choice of Farah Pandith to serve as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 'special representative to Muslim communities' was disclosed in an internal memo to State Department employees dated on Tuesday. … Former President George W. Bush named one of his closest aides, Karen Hughes, to be the State Department's top public diplomacy official with a mission to engage Muslims and to combat negative views of the United States abroad." Pandith image from

7 British Teachers Seek To Learn From Md. Visit - Tom Lansworth, Washington Post: "Seven British teachers visited Montgomery County schools last month as part of the British Council's Teachers International Professional Development program. The program places British teachers in schools around the world, where they work with local educators to exchange information and experiences on best practices related to a particular educational theme or issue."

Russia Profile Weekly Experts Panel: the Quest to Boost Russia’s Image - Introduced by Vladimir Frolov, Russia Profile: [Frolov:] "Moscow apparently has learned that meticulous policy planning and execution is a much more cost-effective way to boost Russia’s image than throwing money at Western PR consultants or TV channels that broadcast into nowhere. The move to concentrate image-boosting functions in the Kremlin is also a right one, since the Foreign Ministry, which ran the old commission, clearly lacked bureaucratic clout to ensure effective policy coordination. ... What does this move by the Kremlin really mean? Is it simply an exercise in boosting the efficiency of Moscow’s public diplomacy operations, or is it a sign of a serious rift within the Russian leadership on the basic approach to foreign policy? ... Ethan S. Burger, Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC: Russia does not need to establish a commission to determine how best to enhance its international image through more effective public diplomacy—it merely needs to change its behavior. ... Edward Lozansky, President, American University in Moscow: ... So, what options does Russia have?

Hiring western PR consultants will make little difference, even if the Kremlin is prepared to outspend America on its public diplomacy job. ... The best Russia can do now is to try to convince the Western public opinion that it is not hostile toward America or Europe ... . At the same time, Russia should do what America and other countries do to deliver their goodwill message and clearly explain the context of their policy. The methods are pretty straightforward: radio and TV broadcasts, Internet sites and the blogosphere, people-to-people exchanges, roundtables, cultural events that build personal relationships, scholarships for international scholars, meetings with Western parliamentarians and government officials, engaging the Russian Diaspora, and last but not least, adding public diplomacy educational programs to the university curriculum." Image: A banner by the United Russia party on Manezh Square, near the Kremlin, says “Moscow is voting for Putin!” (November 2007)

Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach: European Union and EU-Canada Relations - UBC Faculty of Applied Science: "The European Commission is pleased to announce a new Call for Proposals entitled 'Public Diplomacy, Policy Research and Outreach: European Union and EU-Canada Relations'."

Brand India – Madhur, Soft Power: "The Public Diplomacy office will have to come up with really unique initiatives consistently to convince the world that India indeed is a rising power capable of tackling world problems rather than getting bogged down by it’s [sic] own." Image from

FC Expert Blog: Advancing Ethical Business Leadership - Alice Korngold, Fast Company: "The Carnegie Council achieves its mission through Workshops for Ethics in Business, publications, online videos and podcasts, and the Carnegie New Leaders Program to develop the next generation of outstanding individuals committed to ethics and international affairs. Follow Carnegie Council’s blog on 'Fairer Globalization' for thoughtful and unique perspectives in their postings on President Obama’s public diplomacy with Iran, US trade policy with China and Japan, green mapping in Harlem, and advertising in the age of the recessionista."

UN: New Permanent Representative of Australia Presents Credentials – Daily Update, ISRIA: "The new Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, Gary Quinlan, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Quinlan was Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security from December 2007 to March 2008, having served in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as First Assistant Secretary in the Consular, Public Diplomacy and Parliamentary Affairs Division in 2007." Quinlan image from

Picking pictures, Bluegrass and Dead Batteries – Paul Rockower, Levantine: "The State of Franklin seceded from North Carolina and tried to enter the union as its own state. Some fascinating history, I recommend following that previous link. Maybe I can drum up some public diplomacy work as the Ambassador for the State of Franklin, State of Jefferson and Republic of the Rio Grande. Public diplomacy as recognition for fledgling states and republics."

RELATED ITEMS

No Choice but Democracy - Michael Gerson, Washington Post: Democracy promotion is difficult and reversible. It is also not new -- or optional.

Obama, the Neocons and Iran: The president's new foreign policy

will be judged on this crisis – Robert McFarlane, Wall Street Journal: President Barack Obama has made clear his wish to engage Iran's government. But he ignores a fundamental question. What, beyond conversation, does engagement mean? Image from

The prescience of protest: The West should listen to the dissidents in Iran craving freedom -- they can feel the future - Natan Sharansky, Los Angeles Times

The mullahs must go: Obama is making the same mistake as other presidents -- the only answer is regime change - John R. Bolton, Los Angeles Times: It is Obama's policy errors, not his rhetorical ones, that should be opposed. Rhetoric itself is not policy but only the adjunct of policy, albeit often an important one. The Iranian people will continue their opposition no matter how inconvenient it is for Obama's hoped-for negotiations. We should support them, and not just by rhetoric.

Advice to the Prince - David Bromwich, New York Review of Books:

Obama’s speech broke no ground, some people have said, because it did not specify. But simply by being spoken, and by addressing the Arab world without condescension, Obama's words placed the United States on a different footing. Image from

Not this Time - Joseph Ashbyan, American Thinker: The speeches across Europe, in Latin America, and most recently in Cairo, have told us one thing: Obama believes, on some significant level, the propaganda promoted by America's enemies that the United States is the main instigator and perpetrator of international unrest. So shockingly, amazingly, unbelievably, Obama is saying that Iran may very well use America as a propaganda tool, but at least this time they won't be right.

BBC Persian: "careful about not becoming opposition TV" (updated)- Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Twitter is a Propaganda Platform - Jared, MentalPolyphonics: Since professional journalists have been unable to report from Iran, Twitter has been the medium of choice for citizen-journalists. The problem is that Twitter is not good at filtering out noise. So much of the news is apparently distorted, either for entertainment purposes or outright psychological warfare.

How to run a protest without Twitter: Iranians can learn from leaders of protests — from Berlin to Beijing — before modern telecommunications - GlobalPost. Via

Taliban Launch Propaganda Attack Against Poles Marcin Górka, Gazeta Wyborcza: The taliban boast on the Web that they killed nine Polish troops and wounded a further forty in May alone. Last Wednesday as many as fifteen Poles are supposed to have been killed!

Art or Propaganda? - Charles Wiebe, examiner.com: "Turner Classic Movies, TCM, recently compiled a list of the 15 most influential films. I agree with the first two choices, D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation 1915 and Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin 1925; but inexplicably missing from this list is a film that is generally considered the most influential documentary ever made. I speak of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) 1935. ... Triumph has always been criticized for its adulation of Hitler, who was still consolidating his power in 1934. The film opens with Hitler descending god-like from the skies in his Junkers tri-motor. He is framed larger-than-life against the massed crowds, to chilling effect."

Two for Tuesday: Soviet Propaganda Postcard - Chris Overstreet, Wild Postcards: This ...poster from 1947 reminds the proletariat that, hey, you can work at night, too! Of course, we’ll have to put you on the waiting list for tractor headlights; you should have them in about two years.

June 25

"Somali Court Postpones Amputations, Citing Weather"

--Headline, Associated Press, June 23; cited in Wall Street Journal

“Great, now we're outsourcing mistresses."

--Talk show Craig Ferguson, regarding South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's affair with a lady in Argentina; cited in Political News Bulletin, U.S. News & World Report

Above and below images from Images from WWIII Propaganda Posters by Brian Moore; via

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

'They're Not Getting Any Warmer': Merkel Faces Difficult Talks in Washington – Spiegel: "In pursuing its foreign policy, the new administration in Washington no longer relies solely on high-level meetings and state receptions. In fact, the populations of other countries are now being mobilized to support the goals of the United States to an unprecedented extent. Officials at the White House and the State Department have developed a completely new form of the old concept of 'public diplomacy.' In a recent speech, Judith A. McHale, under secretary for public diplomacy in the U.S. State Department, argued that traditional government-to-government relations are no longer sufficient in the 21st century, as a government's room for maneuver greatly depends on the popular mood within the country: 'Governments inclined to support U.S. policies will back away if their populations do not trust us.' The new strategy has two components, says McHale. According to one component, the 'ground game,' it is important to reach the representatives of the respective civil societies and media. That was why Obama spoke privately with Merkel in Dresden for 35 minutes -- before speaking to journalists for 42 minutes. … The purpose of the other component, the so-called 'air game' -- influencing the masses via television, radio and the Internet -- is to disseminate the message. This explains why Obama is so fond of live public appearances, like the one in Buchenwald. His speeches have recently begun appearing on Facebook, Twitter and various government Web sites. The speech in Cairo, in which Obama issued a message of friendship to the Islamic world, was disseminated around the world in 13 languages. In this strategy, other nations become the setting for Obama's messages."

Obama, State Ramp Up Tech Efforts – Tech Daily Dose, National Journal: "High-tech efforts to publicize President Obama's June 4 speech in Egypt aimed at forging a new relationship with the Muslim world exceeded organizers' expectations so the administration is planning a similar outreach attempt next month, a State Department official said … . Riche told a Homeland Security Department privacy and technology workshop that the State Department has been a leader in embracing the Internet to broadcast the country's diplomatic message and engage in an international dialogue. Following on an array of webcasts, digital video presentations, social networking and forays into the virtual world Second Life, the agency is planning even more tech-savvy projects under the leadership of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale. Some staffers were plucked from Riche's office last week and placed in a new unit where they will focus on social media, he said. 'The department is moving forward in a big way in this area,' he said, noting that technology is 'the perfect complement to public diplomacy.'"

Has the U.S. Played a Role in Fomenting Unrest During Iran’s Election? - Jeremy R. Hammond, Foreign Policy Journal: "In February, 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requested emergency funding from Congress to the amount of $75 million, on top of a previously allocated $10 million, 'to mount the biggest ever propaganda campaign against the Tehran government', in the words of The Guardian. The money 'would be used to broadcast US radio and television programmes into Iran, help pay for Iranians to study in America and support pro-democracy groups inside the country.' The propaganda effort would include 'extending the government-run Voice of America’s Farsi service from a few hours a day to round-the-clock coverage.' In announcing the request, Rice said the U.S. 'will work to support the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy in their country.'”

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflic tJune 15-23, 2009 - Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center: "Responses to the speech given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continued [:] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak responded to the speech in the Wall Street Journal.

He appealed to Israelis, Palestinians, the Arab countries and the international community to exploit the historic opportunity to reach an agreement. … The Egyptian establishment press praised Mubarak's article, representing it as a firm response to Netanyahu, claiming he had returned the ball to Israel 's court. The press also referred to the article as the initiation of a new Egyptian public diplomacy which appealed directly to the decision-makers in the United States which, it claimed, was usually attentive only to the positions presented by Israel ( Al-Gumhuriya , June 21, 2009)."

Prague Conference May Be Last Chance To Settle Holocaust Property Claims - Nathan Guttman, Forward: "The run-up to the Prague conference, which has been in the making for the past year and a half, revealed ongoing friction between Holocaust survivors in the United States and Israel and their respective governments.

Israeli survivor groups … took issue with the decision to appoint Reuven Merhav to head the Israeli delegation, arguing that it could pose a conflict of interest. Merhav, they noted, also chairs the executive committee of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which has been at odds with Israel over the use of German restitution funds. … Israel eventually decided to keep Merhav on as part of the 14-member Israeli delegation but appointed Yuli Edelstein, minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, as its head."

Conflict analysis - Resolution - Public diplomacy - "This site has been constructed as an on line resource for the book: The People's Peace Process in Northern Ireland. It is available to provide up to date information on the latest peace polls and copies of questionnaires and statistical reports as downloads."

RELATED ITEMS

The Sounds of Silence on Iran - Mona Eltahawy, Washington Post: These days, most of the noise in the Arab world is online.

Iran 2.0: The world of wired dissidents will grow - Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal: Mr. Obama should task his smarter people -- for instance at the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment -- to find a path out of the State Department's standard model of our diplomats talking to the fake diplomats of Egypt, Syria and Iran. That model made him look foolish this week. Nuance needs an upgrade. He should seek a new model that incorporates the wired dissidents not only because it is the right thing to do. But because it is unavoidable. Intelligent meddling.

Web 2.0: A successful tool for propaganda - Aleksandra Denisova - Minneapolis Tech Innovations Examiner: In today’s information age, governments are seen more and more often using web 2.0 tools to influence the popular opinion. While the United States hopes to use the resources available to spread democracy around the globe, governments everywhere are busy boasting their current regimes.

Mapping the Arabic Blogosphere report identifies potential allies – Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us

Who the hell are you? - Haider Mehdi, The Nation, Pakistan: One of the most potent, powerful, effective, forceful, destructive and lethal instrument of organised violence in the contemporary technological and media prone political culture has been the use of propaganda warfare by the West against its adversaries. It is precisely this technique that is being applied now by the US and its Western European allies to destabilise Iran in the wake of Ahmadinejad's landslide victory in the presidential election.

Iran Turmoil And Media Propaganda - Partha Banerjee, Countercurrents.org: In the current context of Iran, it’s important to know the similarities of the various media spins and propaganda we’ve seen over the history. It’s important to find similarities between extremely rich, corrupt and abhorred-by-people puppet personalities such Chalabi of Iraq, Karzai of Afghanistan and Rafsanjani of Iran. It’s important to know what they've done before, and what connections they have had with groups both in the U.S. and elsewhere.

A Dissident Deflected: Why doesn't President Obama have time for Cuba's pro-democracy opposition? – Editorial, Washington Post

June 23-24

“Dear Under Secretary Hughes, It is clear from your first trip to Saudi Arabia that you can be a powerful voice promoting freedom in the world.”

--Inscription by Natan Sharansky to a book he provided to Karen Hughes when she was Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs during the Bush administration; Hughes image from

“Sometimes it’s pretty exciting, but most of the time it just feels like a job.”

--A political officer, presumably from the State Department, in answer to the question, “what is it actually like to be a foreign service officer doing either the political or public diplomacy tracks? how competitive is the job? what are my chances of getting accepted?”

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Iran: New Technology, New Protest, New System? - Scott Lucas, Enduring America: "The audacious and extraordinary use by the Iranian population of social networking tools and new media is a call to explore ingenious ways that America, in concert with Europe and other countries, can use public diplomacy to demonstrate solidarity with the people in Iran. Intervention in the classical sense is not an option. The Iranian people must decide their own fate without the interference of foreign powers. … In the aftermath of President Obama’s Cairo speech, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the opportunity to forge a global coalition, which can weigh those consequences and respond as events in Iran evolve." Image from

Arena Digest: What about Iran? – Politico: James Carafano, The Heritage Foundation: … “Concern about accusations of meddling in Iran’s affairs are just dumb. The supreme leader and Iran’s ‘elected’ president denounced the White House anyway. What really galls me is those quick to trumpet Obama’s public diplomacy with the protests in Iraq. What an unjudicious claim from those who laud America’s new, more ‘humble’ foreign policy. Trying to steal the credit of the ‘grasp for freedom’ by those risking their lives in the street is pretty pathetic. Does anybody really believe people are marching in the streets of Iran because Obama made a speech in Egypt? Give me a break.” Image from

When caution becomes abdication, Karen Hughes - Politico.com: “[A]s the hours turned into days, as police beat and killed protesters, as journalists were confined or ordered out of the country, as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei unilaterally declared the election fair and ordered protesters out of the streets, Obama’s restrained words sent all the wrong signals. … I’ll never forget visiting a classroom in China, where a young American Fulbright scholar was teaching Chinese high school students English based on the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The curriculum included King’s famous 'Letter From a Birmingham Jail,' with its profound warning that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I realized that the students were learning so much more than another language. They were learning about our values and why we proudly herald them not only in our own country but also around the world. … On my first trip to Saudi Arabia, I visited a women’s college. I was asked by a young woman why American women think that Saudi women are repressed. I answered in a way that I believed was both true to our values and culturally sensitive. I explained to the young woman that as an American woman, my ability to drive was an important part of my freedom,

allowing me to work and care for my family. I went on to say that I understood that her culture and traditions were different. I was criticized by some for being insensitive … “ Karen P. Hughes is global vice chairman of Burson-Marsteller. She served as under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs from 2005 to 2007. Image from

GOP: Shameful Opposition - Amitai Etzioni, posted at Rightardia: "The Hungarian uprising against Soviet domination took place against the backdrop of Dwight Eisenhower's administration's campaign of public diplomacy promoting freedom for the people of Eastern Europe. … During the uprising, Radio Free Europe aired several broadcasts giving combat advice to Hungarian fighters and encouraging their campaign, and many Hungarians thought that the US would offer more active support . Despite its rhetoric, the US did not extend any actual assistance, and the movement was crushed by Soviet troops with over 2,000 Hungarians killed and hundreds of thousands later fleeing the country. … Now the Republicans cry 'The president of the United States is supposed to lead the free world, not follow it...He's been timid and passive more than I would like, (Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C.)."

The Obama DOMA drama - Chris J. Miller, SmartRemarks:

“On June 12, … the election in Iran was happening … a subject on which much digital ink has been spilled, to which I have nothing to add except that it’s nice to see a population care enough about democracy to take to the streets over it; that Obama has been responding to the situation with admirable discretion; and that the conservatives criticizing him are idiots who understand nothing about public diplomacy and would probably still attack him if he released a statement celebrating motherhood and apple pie …“ Image from

May Bad-Mouthing Continue: Iran And The Voice Of America – Alvin Snyder, CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Each time the Iranian Islamic dictatorship condemns the Voice of America by name for broadcasting news of anti-government demonstrations into that country, it can
only mean more dollars for the VOA's Persian News Network — and VOA in general — at budget time on Capitol Hill." Image from

Community: Rep. Maloney Works to Save Voice of America's Greek Desk Service – Greek News: "Washington, DC – Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) last week called on House appropriators to restore funding to the Voice of Americaʼs Greek Desk Service, calling it 'essential' to an 'accurate and balanced message' to audiences abroad. In a letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Chair Rep. Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Rep. Kay Granger, Hellenic Caucus co-chairs Maloney and Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis and eight other caucus members said: 'The Greek Desk Service is an essential communications capability upon which we rely to disseminate an accurate and balanced message to crucial audiences abroad. Losing the service is much more than the loss of an important information link between Greece and America. It is a blow to our broader national security and public diplomacy efforts. Indeed, the elimination of the Greek Desk would be detrimental to the interests of the United States in the eastern Mediterranean. It would remove a dependable and valuable information source, one that projects the best of American journalistic qualities to a vital region and helps to promote American interests and values.'”

VOA: "gang of apologists." Farda: "real Americans who believe in Freedom" - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy. See also.

al Hurra: Propaganda tool or voice of the people? - John Parnell, DigitalProductionME.com: "US funded news network al Hurra has been on air in the Middle East since 2004 and recently launched its most ambitious programme to date, al Yaum, which connects five live studio locations every week night. DPme.com spoke with al Yaum’s executive producer Fran Mires and Governor Joaquin Blaya of the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)."

Senator Kaufman, recently of the BBG, on US broadcasts into Iran - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Zambian Videographer Represents Africa in Democracy Video Contest - Sara Veldhuizen Stealy, thelusakapaper.com: "The Democracy Video Challenge, launched in September 2008, is a worldwide online competition that asked videographers to complete the phrase 'Democracy is…' in a three-minute video posted on the competition’s YouTube site. The challenge was created by the Department of State and 10 partners … . The competition attracted more than 900 entries from 95 countries. An independent jury chaired by Hernando de Soto (president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy) and Michael Apted (president of the Directors Guild of America) selected 18 finalists, and the online voting public chose six winners, one from each region of the world. … Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale congratulated the six winners." Image from

RP film wins Democracy Video Challenge - GNP Team, Good News Pilipinas: "The Philippines’ video film entry 'Long Live the Fearless Man' was one of six global winners in the recently concluded US State Department-sponsored Democracy Video Challenge. Melissa 'Aissa' Peñafiel and Miguel Ocampo both from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, were among the six winners of the worldwide online competition that engages people around the world in a global dialogue on democracy."

Commentary: Web 2.0: The next transition - Don R. Brown, FederalTimes.com: "The State Department recently partnered with Facebook, Google and MTV to launch its Youth Movement How-To Hub. The venture seeks to expand outreach through social networking, engaging citizens across the world to help fight violence and oppression. They call it Public Diplomacy 2.0."

Experts Advise U.S. To Focus On Relationship With Pakistan’s People - Annie Berman, Talk Radio News Service: "A panel of experts

at the Cato Institute said that a key step in strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and the U.S. is to convince the Pakistani people to favor the United States. … Mukhtar Kahn, an analyst at the Jamestown Foundation, described the Pakistani population as a strong, civil society. … In order to improve relations between the U.S. and Pakistan, Kahn suggested increasing public diplomacy, cultural exchange programs, and strategic communication among the Pakistani people regarding the threat of the Taliban." Image from

The United States' Leadership In Creating World Order - Freya Ariga's life: "US has to increase and also maintain its hard and soft power which include military, diplomacy, economics, and culture. Military forces include not only those actually engaged in combat but the threat of their use in offensive, defensive, and retaliatory operations. Diplomacy includes political forces, a nation’s system of governance, alliances, and international relationships. The economy includes a nation’s economic power, economics assistance, trade, foreign investment, financial position, and trading arrangement. Cultural resources include the media, information, public diplomacy, communications, and traditional propaganda."

Blanchard named board chairman of diplomatic organization - Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press: "Former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard – who also served as the U.S. ambassador to Canada for a time during President Bill Clinton’s administration – has been named chairman of the board of trustees for the Meridian International Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit diplomatic organization. … 'I am honored to serve, particularly at this time,' Blanchard said. 'The United States has begun a new era of public diplomacy, where we are listening to the world more and placing a greater emphasis on global engagement.'” Banchard image from

Washington's Top Benefits 2009 – BizBash Washington: 10. Meridian Ball: "In 2008, this 40th annual benefit for public diplomacy nonprofit the Meridian International Center started with small dinners at ambassador’s homes throughout the District, followed by dancing for 800 at the Meridian House. The event returns October 2."

The lost films of the Marshall Plan - The Budapest Times:

"Hungarian audiences will have a chance to see the lost films of the Marshall Plan for the first time in history at a 3-day series of screenings in Budapest, from 25-27 June 2009, organized by the Central European University (CEU), Open Society Archives (OSA), the Institute for Political Science of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (IPS HAS), and Perspective Institute. The Budapest showings are made possible with support from the Embassy of the United States. The Budapest exhibitions offer a fascinating cross-section of the more than 280 shorts and feature films produced by the Marshall Plan’s Motion Picture Section throughout Europe from 1948-1953. They could not be seen in the United States for over 40 years, have been lost from view in Europe in the 60 years since they were first produced, and were forbidden in Hungary under its Communist regime. … [B]ecause the films were deemed to fall under the jurisdiction of America’s 1948 Smith-Mundt Act, which prevented U.S. government-sponsored propaganda from being shown to American audiences, it was illegal to show them in the U.S. The ban was amended in 1990, but they are only now touring North American cities." Image from

Afghanistan: The Contest - Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent: "Via Abu Muqawama, NATO is holding a contest for the best viral video answering the question of Why Afghanistan Matters. I’m not sure what to think of this. On the one hand, it kind of makes you wonder whether this means NATO governments aren’t able to compellingly answer the question themselves, which is a dangerous thing for a war effort. But on the other, from a public diplomacy perspective, perhaps the most credible spokespeople for the war effort aren’t senior government officials."

Conference examines NATO’s capabilities – Daily Update, Isria: "In light of the decision at the Strasbourg-Kehl Summit to develop a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning and the National Defence College of Romania hosted an international conference entitled 'NATO’s Capabilities: Budgeting for a Credible Defense in Europe' in Bucharest on 18 - 19 June. Co-sponsored by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division, the event examined current and future requirements for civilian and military capabilities to ensure territorial defence and meet increasing demands in international crisis management operations." Image from

Public Diplomacy Is Easier When the Facts Are on Your Side - Jennifer Rubin, Contentions, Commentary: "Bibi Netanyahu has refined his diplomatic skills since his last time in office. His speech offering a two-state solution was widely praised in Israel, triggered the predictable rejectionist language from the Palestinians, and forced the White House to cough up some praise. Sunday, he went on Meet The Press and quite effectively continued his public diplomacy campaign. First, he resisted the urge to criticize the president’s relative muteness on Iran … . Quite politic and respectful – the way one would expect an ally to treat us in public. Too bad the courtesy has not been returned."

A country in need of a smart brand - Andrew Cohen, Ottawa Citizen: "As diplomat and scholar Evan Potter reminds us in his illuminating new book, Branding Canada, we must present a more compelling, coherent image of Canada to the world. We need to harness the tools of public diplomacy -- culture, international education, business promotion -- to present an image of a certain kind of country, with a certain kind of values, which reflects the people we are." Potter image from

China slowly preparing to dominate the globe - Zachary Hubbard, The Tribune-Democrat: "CCTV International is the English-language, 24-hour news channel of China Central Television. … CCTV is part of China’s public diplomacy campaign, which attempts to convey positive images and messages about China to the populations in other countries where the Chinese have economic interests and ambitions."

Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo Meets with Andri Hadi, Director-General for Information and Public Diplomacy of the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs - Press Release, MFA China: "On June 18, 2009, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hongbo met with a delegation headed by Andri Hadi, visiting Director-General for Information and Public Diplomacy of the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs. … Wu also briefed on the efforts of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in carrying out public diplomacy, expressing willingness to exchange with the Indonesian side the experience and practice in conducting public diplomacy."

UN and marketing industry launch ”Hopenhagen” - Michael von Bülow, COP 15 Copenhagen: "The United Nations, together with the International Advertising Association and a coalition of the world’s leading advertising, marketing and media agencies, Tuesday launched Hopenhagen – a movement that empowers global citizens to engage in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen. …

'Denmark and Copenhagen are proud to be hosting this historic climate change meeting, and we are happy to welcome the Hopenhagen campaign as part of our wide ranging communications efforts for the conference,' said Under-Secretary for Public-Diplomacy in the Danish Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Klavs A. Holm." Image from

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 – Capital of Italy: Romania: "The MFA promotes Romania in Italy through the public diplomacy campaign 'Piazza di Romania' The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with MSMECTLP, will organize between 28th September 9th October, a public diplomacy campaign in Italy, in order to prove that there are more things linking the Italians to the Romanians and less those that seem to separate them."

Less than 5% of Middle East marketing budget goes to research: Governments and private sectors in the Gulf should look more seriously at research to understand better their stakeholders, according to a regional media intelligence expert - AME Info: "Speaking at the 3rd Gulf Forum for Practitioners of Public Relations in Manama, Mohamed Elzubeir, head of Mediastow, a leading media advisory and intelligence agency in the MENA region, revealed that currently only 5% of the marketing budget goes to research in the Middle East, a very low figure compared to international markets. … Elzubeir added: 'Corporate or public diplomacy needs trust and to build trust we need understanding. Research is crucial; we need to know our stakeholders better by identifying and gauging their hidden perceptions, preferences and who influences them and how to address their concerns by a language they understand and a vocabulary they are familiar with.'" Image from

Anatomy of a Nontroversy - Matt Osborne, Website of Media Deconstruction: "First, the video; in which Huffington Post's Nico Pitney asks Obama a rather tough question at the press conference today: Politico's Ben Smith posted the following paragraph on his blog after the presser: [']The high-profile the administration is giving the left-leaning outlet is a nice case of symbiosis, not entirely unlike the Bush Administration's close ties to Fox, though the president's signal that he'd been briefed on the question in advance was particularly unusual. ['](Emphasis mine). … Okay, so what we have here is an attempt at public diplomacy involving an innovative blogger for an innovative news aggregator site who gets invited to attend a press conference and bring...the question of his choice. A half-trained monkey could predict the subject of the question, but the question itself? Obama clearly didn't know what the question would be, and was in fact taken aback by it."

Anything can happen if you just only try hard - Abraham Swee, Albert Lea Tribune: "At approximately nine minutes past noon, I found myself walking into the chambers of the United Nations Security Council. I was not on a public tour. In fact, several U.N. security guards questioned my presence. Luckily an ID badge hanging from my neck told them off. I didn’t really believe it either — I was supposedly an adviser for the United States delegation. It has taken me some time to truly believe, but, yes, one of my dreams has come true. The term adviser may be stretching my position a little, but I am an intern — a press and public diplomacy intern to be exact."

RELATED ITEMS

Obama's hitting the exact right note on Iran

- Stuart A. Reid, Los Angeles Times: Calling for regime change would probably backfire, but condemning the crackdown encourages dissidents while not interfering with internal politics. Image from

A Shift on Iran: President Obama's embrace of its protest movement is an act of realism – Editorial, Washington Post

Neda's Legacy: A woman's death moves Iranian protesters – Editorial, Washington Post: The footage is wrenching: a young woman dying on the pavement, covered in blood. Her name was Neda Agha Soltan, and she was 26 years old. President Obama called the video heartbreaking.


Bet on Neda's Side - David Ignatius, Washington Post: We are watching the first innings of what will be a long game in Iran. President Obama has recognized that with his gradually escalating rhetoric. Image from

Iran's Struggle, and Ours: How a Movement Could Transform the Region - Robert D. Kaplan, Washington Post: Iran, ironically, has a better chance to dominate the region under dynamic democratic rule than it has ever had under its benighted clerisy. And that could be very good for the United States.

Iran cyber update for 23 June 2009 – Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Tyranny's new nightmare: Twitter -- As new media spreads its Web worldwide, authoritarians like those in Iran will have a difficult time maintaining absolute control in the face of the technology's chaotic democracy – Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times

Seeing Through All the Propaganda About Iran - Eric Margolis, LewRockwell.com: We have been watching an intensifying western propaganda campaign against Iran, mounted by the US and British governments. What we hear is commentary and analysis that comes from bitterly anti-regime Iranian exiles, "experts" with an ax to grind, and US pro-Israel neocons yearning for war with Iran.

Passing Propaganda - Cindy Sheehan, OpEdNews.com: "When I see the riots on the streets of Tehran (in the mainstream 'news' why is it said that those people are 'bravely standing up for their rights', but when people 'bravely stand up for their rights' in Oakland, they’re called 'thugs') I am reminded of the staged media event of the pulling down of Saddam’s statue early on in the sanitized and mass-marketed invasion of Iraq.

June 21-22

"It is instructive to be reminded that new ideas triumph less by persuading their opponents than outliving them."

--Felipe Fernández-Armesto, review of Patricia Fara, Science: A four thousand year history; Times Literary Supplement, June 12, 2009, p. 12; image from

NEW SITE

Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars at Syracuse University

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Iran and Obama: Hands That Bind Us - Political Analysis…with style: "The Obama Administration, while a novice on most international disputes, has shown caution and restraint in its public diplomacy. While Republicans on the hill and on the Sunday shows clamor for 'stronger' or more spirited sound bytes, the Obama team is building a case for support amongst the vast number of international 'actors' who can carry our message and hopes without making the United States a target for Mid-East fund raising drives." Image from

Obama In Cairo: Will change follow? - Hoyt Purvsi, The Santiego Times: "In addressing the Muslim world, Obama did not minimize the scope of the challenge and he began by countering some of the extremist propaganda that has permeated much of the Muslim world, sometimes abetted by insensitive and condescending comments and actions by U.S. officials and a tendency to view the Muslim world in generalized, stereotyped terms. In a region where U.S. public diplomacy has often been lacking, the mere fact of Obama's presence and purpose in Cairo was of no small significance. That significance was enhanced by the positive and respectful tone of his remarks. … President Obama has frankly and clearly outlined the problems that must be overcome and his speech was generally well received within the Middle East and the Muslim world. The rhetoric offers promise, but real change will require sustained commitment. ... Ed. Note: The following op. ed. was written by Hoyt Purvis – a journalism and international relations professor at the University of Arkansas who has served as press secretary to Sen. J. William Fulbright, foreign/defense policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, and as chairman of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board."

There is no VOA "Radio Farsi," and, besides, it's still on the air - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "Ms. Dale [Helle C. Dale, director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies and deputy director of the Davis Institute for Foreign and Defense Studies of the Heritage Foundation] is another conservative think tank fellow who thinks the United States should spend more liberally on international broadcasting. If there were any fiscal conservatives in Washington (just hypothetically speaking, of course), they might note that Britain spends less than the United States on international broadcasting, but has more audience." Dale image from

The only question remaining is will this VOA film be available via Netflix? - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "'Members [of the House of Representatives] refused, 178-254, to block U.S. distribution of a Voice of America film depicting how Afghan drug commerce aids the Taliban. A yes vote opposed release under a 1948 law intended to keep federal officials from airing Cold War propaganda domestically. (HR 2410)' Sarasota Herald Tribune, 14 June 2009. [Elliott comment:] Actually HR 2410 contains language that supported domestic release of the documentary. It was H. Amdt. 190 to HR 2410 that opposed release. It was sponsored by Rep Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)..."

Western powers are seeking to undermine Iran by spreading "anarchy and vandalism", the foreign ministry says - BBC News: "'They [the BBC and the VOA] are the mouthpiece

of their government's public diplomacy,' Mr Qashqavi [Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi] said. 'They have two guidelines regarding Iran. One is to intensify ethnical and racial rifts within Iran and secondly to disintegrate the Iranian territories.'" Image from

Filipino film wins Democracy Video Challenge - Pia Lee-Brago, Philippine Star: "The US Embassy in Manila announced Tuesday that the Philippines’ entry won the US State Department-sponsored Democracy Video Challenge. The State Department and its partners said Melissa 'Aissa' Peñafiel and Miguel Ocampo, both from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, were among the six winners of the worldwide online competition that engages people around the world in a global dialogue on democracy."

Smart Power’: A change in U.S. diplomacy strategy - Jessica Dargiel, e-IR: "While Secretary Clinton has not addressed the issue of public diplomacy directly, it is clear from many of the programs she has been supporting since taking office that she is strongly devoted to pursuing public diplomacy goals. For instance in April 2009, a Pakistani girls soccer team was invited to Washington to learn more about nutrition, fitness and team-building, as well as learn about gender equality laws such as Title IX."

State of Play: when governments come out to play - hakawitech: "Here are my notes on this session. Quite interesting… Liz Losh, Jean Miller, Bill May Tory Horton: Public diplomacy: what is it? Information and info overload that redefines public diplomacy that focuses on communication and dialogue, collaboration and group work. With this shift came a change: listening, policy alignment… Opportunities include: VW can fulfill an ideal which is collaboration across cultures and have a place for coordinated action. They can have a new relationship. Geography collapses. Credibility is important in relationships and in public diplomacy are important. Building relationships requires credibility and basing your opinion not on what one looks." Image from

The Al-Jazeera News Network: Opportunity or Challenge for U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East? Summary - The CIA Memory Hole: "This paper provides an overview of Al-Jazeera and explores the debate surrounding its objectivity. This report also analyzes Al-Jazeera's coverage of events in the Middle East, specifically, its coverage of events in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel and the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The final section of this report discusses policy options regarding U.S. public diplomacy efforts in the Middle East region."

The Day In Israel: Mon June 22nd, 2009 - Aussie Dave, Israellycool: "5:58AM: David Saranga, Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York On June 17th, addressing the 140 Character Conference about the use of Twitter in Public Diplomacy." [Includes video]. See also.

New tanks, new missiles, new guns - but hunger rules: The ‘military first’ policy of the elite who run North Korea means extreme hardship for those outside the martial class – Times, London:

"Last week a train was seen carrying dozens of brand-new Chinese military lorries from the Jiefang (Liberation) truck factory to Pyongyang – days after Chinese diplomats at the United Nations had pledged support for new sanctions imposed after North Korea’s second nuclear test. … The Chinese have tempered their public diplomacy with quiet warnings to North Korea that may have averted a military provocation last week while the South Korean president was in Washington." Image from

Brand India can learn from Swiss watchmakers - Paul Temporal, Times of India: "A nation's brand equity is to do with the strength of perceptions about its economic prowess, political stability, leadership, democracy, governance, justice, poverty, culture, the environment, and so on. It is heavily influenced by government policies and public diplomacy; not by advertising and promotion. When a brand possesses strong equity, the result is usually higher brand value, which is the monetary value attributed to a brand."

DPP must bolster dialogue with U.S. - Taiwan News: "[I]t is absolutely essential now for the DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] to actively engage in party diplomacy, including dialogue with governments, parties, INGOs and global civil society and especially with the United States, for its own future and even for the survival of a democratic Taiwan. Party and public diplomacy remains absolutely essential for Taiwan's future." Image from

fsp lastly - Vahd Mulachela, dearvahd:and so here it is, ladies and gentlemen, a territory where you can find some footnotes of vahd's life. it contains his ideas, interests, stories, pictures and, sometimes, the most important nonsense of his life... haa!: "in less than twelve hours i will be sitting in an examination room in keble college. ... I also have prepared myself with some reading materials related to the topics i plan to answer tomorrow. it is my hope that the questions will correspond to what i have learned and memorised, such as international organisations, us' foreign policy, public diplomacy, and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. these are among the topics i try to elaborate tomorrow."

CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Melrose students to sing for the king - Daniel DeMaina, Melrose Free Press: "King Abdullah II of Jordan

has invited the Boston Children’s Chorus, … to visit Jordan from June 30 through July 11, giving performances and participating in cultural and musical workshops across the country. … The Boston Children’s Chorus has regularly toured over the summer, both in the U.S. and abroad, as a form of cultural diplomacy." Image from
Muslim Voices, Western Ears - Melik Kaylan - Wall Street Journal: "There's no doubt that the 10-day Muslim Voices festival staged around New York City … featured some highly superior expressions of Muslim culture past and present. … Nevertheless, the seemingly unexceptionable nature of the festival's premise -- to enhance mutual understanding between cultures -- had its own problems. For one thing, such painstakingly well-meaning projects often produce achingly dull results, more earnest than entertaining. … Unquestionably, Islam produced great culture -- and if Americans don't know that, they should. But how many Muslims are exposed to this art form today, and therefore why should it change anyone's 'monolithic' view of contemporary Islamic culture? … As a form of cultural diplomacy, 'Journey to Mecca' [the extraordinary new IMAX film 'Journey to Mecca' at the American Museum of Natural History] can hardly be bettered -- it comes closest to plugging some of the holes in the festival's premise: Here is the heart of Muslim culture; this is a glimpse of what all Muslims share, highbrow or low, African, Arab, Asian or European. Yet nothing in the festival could ultimately fulfill the organizers' agenda, because they presented as examples of Muslim-culture artforms that mostly Western or Westernized Muslims consume. "

17-Yr Old Zuhal Sultan Forms National Youth Orchestra of Iraq - All About Jazz: "17-year-old Iraqi piano prodigy Zuhal Sultan has confirmed plans for the first-ever NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF IRAQ. Her ambitious program will debut in August 2009 in the northern Kurdish region, and will feature performances by a 35-piece orchestra comprised of Iraq’s most promising young classical musicians … As their August launch draws near, NYOI is actively seeking financial support via the grassroots fundraising site http://www.justgiving.com/nyoiraq. Any donation, large or small, will make a difference as these young people embark on their brave road of cultural diplomacy." Sultan image from

Encouraging True Democracy in Palestine Brings Security to Israel - Louise Blouin, Huffington Post: "Today, Europe matters in international affairs: a wealthy power with tremendous economic potential. It must choose to engage rather than hang back and rely on the U.S. … Most importantly, Europe would bring a new, more acceptable, voice to the table [regarding the Israel/Palestinian conflict]. The EU's normative approach to foreign policy, its tools of cultural diplomacy, its expertise in post-conflict reconstruction, and even its apparent sympathy to the Palestinians makes it a distinctive and uniquely powerful player within the Middle East. The EU's oft-cited weakness as a "civilian power" is exactly the type of strength required here."

Suburban Action: City Movement brings the ICD's 'Scandinavia Meets Germany' to Berlin's Marzahn-Hellersdorf – Cultural Diplomacy News: "The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy places great academic importance on analyzing the definition of ‘Cultural Diplomacy’,

and aims to give the term meaning by way of example. The Institute’s upcoming ‘Scandinavia Meets Germany Forum’, focusing on linking the civil societies between those two regions, will treat the forum’s participants to perhaps one of Cultural Diplomacy’s most interesting experiments." Image from

Letters: Is cultural diplomacy effective? - Ctenar Z. Prahy, The Jakarta Post: Prague: "The notion of 'cultural diplomacy' is an interesting one. However, I don't think all efforts by an embassy should be focused on culture. Indonesian dances are certainly interesting... but should be accompanied by more varied efforts (economic dimensions of mutual relations are conspicuously missing)."

Foreign affairs need improving substantially - VoV News: "Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem has asked ministries, provinces and cities to fulfil their all-round diplomatic tasks in terms of planning, networking and staff training. Mr Khiem, who is also Foreign Minister, gave the task to provincial and municipal departments and ministerial-level agencies in charge of foreign affairs at their 15th national conference in central Quang Nam province on June 16. He affirmed that these organisations are part and parcel of the country’s diplomatic sector, which play an important role in carrying out the sector’s tasks including political-economic-cultural diplomacy and work relating to overseas Vietnamese, in their localities." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

Right-Thinking Realism - Paul J. Saunders, Washington Post: Those who truly want to see political reform in Iran would do well to stay out of the way.

Gauging Obama in Iran - Helene Cooper, New York Times: Could there be something to all the talk of an Obama effect, after all? A stealth effect, perhaps?

Obama's Iran Dilemma - E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post: Obama's initial caution served the interests of freedom by making clear that the revolt against Iran's flawed election is homegrown. As the struggle continues, we cannot pretend that we are indifferent to its outcome. Image from




A strong stand for election bromides: Iranians seeking freedom are on their own - Donald Lambro, Washington Times: President Obama, known for his soaring oratory, has been having a hard time finding the right words to respond to the Iranians' struggle for political change and freedom in a repressive society.

In Tehran, a Moment For Obama to Seize - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post: Morality as a factor in foreign policy has taken a beating recently, due in part to George W. Bush's sanctimonious exploitation of it. But ignoring its place altogether is also a mistake. Yes, it is not the American president's prerogative to meddle in Iran's protests. But neither should he prejudge or minimize the sacrifices that Iranian protesters choose to make in hopes of a better life.

Realism on Iran? It's Called Freedom - Michael Gerson, Washington Post: It is in the direct, hardheaded interest of the United States to encourage enough social space in Iran to test how far these protests eventually might go, since they have already gone further than most thought possible.

Obama's Persian Tutorial: The president has to choose between the regime and the people in the streets - Fouad Ajami, Wall Street Journal: The theocracy was said to be waiting on an American opening, and this new president would put an end to three decades of estrangement between the United States and Iran. But in truth Iran had never wanted an opening to the U.S.

Obama's non-meddling: A stark contrast to Reagan's stirring challenge - Oliver North, Washington Times: After last Sunday's fatally flawed elections in Iran, President Obama responded by saying, "I can't state definitively one way or another what happened with respect to the election." That was hardly a resounding statement of support for freedom.

Obama and the Rogues: North Korea and Iran intrude on his diplomatic hopes - Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal:

President Obama took office loudly promising to be the anti-George W. Bush of foreign policy, vowing to "extend a hand" to adversaries "willing to unclench" their fists. What he has received instead is an education in the reality of global rogues, and how he responds has become a major test of his Presidency. Image from

Reading Twitter in Tehran? Why the real revolution is on the streets -- and offline. John Palfrey, Bruce Etling and Robert Faris – Washington Post

Twitter on the Barricades: Six Lessons Learned - Noam Cohen, New York Times: Does the label Twitter Revolution, which has been slapped on the two most recent events, oversell the technology? Skeptics note that only a small number of people used Twitter to organize protests in Iran and that other means -- individual text messaging, old-fashioned word of mouth and Farsi-language Web sites -- were more influential. But Twitter did prove to be a crucial tool in the cat-and-mouse game between the opposition and the government over enlisting world opinion.

I tweet therefore I am (a social activist) - esevin, Reaching the Public: Yes, online media is important, we can get our news online. Even Ahmadinejad is aware of this fact. He is okay with denying the Holocaust, he threatens Israel on daily basis but when he was accused of trying to ban Facebook, he immediately denied it!

Again, I am not an expert on the country, but why do we doubt the official results and then believe in the Twitter results? What socio-economic groups in Iran use Twitter in Iran? Is the majority of the population online and computer savvy? ... Although internet technologies, especially Web 2.0 understanding, are beneficial for civil society and grassroots advocacy attempts on one side; on the other side, they tend to make everything seem ’so easy’. I am sorry but being an activist requires more than posting articles on your Facebook profile or on your blog! Image from

Iran Falling to US PSYOPS? - Paul Craig Roberts, posted at Voice of Reason

Is President Barack Obama The Best Propaganda Tool for Muslim Extremism? – News Blaze

A History of CIA Atrocities – Britannia Radio

Nazi Propaganda Links - Tangaroa College History