September 18

“Why by and large, [is] the world’s greatest communication’s nation being out-communicated by people who stand for such repressive activities?”

--Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, referring to the Taliban; Holbrooke image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Missile Diplomacy Disaster - Helle Dale, The Foundry, The Heritage Foundation: "Of all the days President Obama could have chosen to announce that the United States will abandon its plans for a missile defense site in the Czech Republic and Poland, September 17 was possibly the worst he could have chosen.

As any Pole could tell you, this was the date the Soviet army invaded Poland in World War II, after Nazi Germany had launched its assault on the country on September 1. Doesn’t anyone at the State Department, the Pentagon or the National Security Council engage in cultural intelligence at all? In addition to the implications for U.S. and European vulnerability to missile attack, from a public diplomacy standpoint, the decision as well as the timing is a disaster." Image from

Obama’s second Polish joke: the Obama Doctrine – Neo-con: "Obama’s first Polish joke was snubbing the September 1st ceremonies in Gdansk marking the seventieth anniversary of the German invasion of Poland. Let’s review: ‘The lack of understanding of European history and sensitivities was not lost on the Polish chattering classes. They have been in a justifiable uproar over this mother of all snubs, feeling a mixture of humiliation and neglect. For an administration that pledged to prioritize public diplomacy, this treatment of an ally was appalling. Unsurprisingly, popular opinion of the United States took a serious nose dive in Poland’ [Washington Times]. … In his second Polish (and Czech Republic) joke, the scrapping of the missile shield negotiated by President Bush, Obama has offered the excuse of saying his decision was based on intelligence and strategy rather than the desire to court Russia and wink at Iran at Poland and Czech expense. And perhaps it was, but the Poles and Czechs don’t appear to think so, and I can’t really blame them."

Obama drops missile shield, favors ships - McClatchy Newspapers, Pittsburgh Tribune Review: "Riki Ellison, who directs the nonprofit Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance in Washington … is pessimistic that there will be an announcement of Russian concessions that would be paired to the scrapping of the defenses in Europe.

To him, Obama is embarking on a faith-based form of public diplomacy that assumes potential enemies such as Russia will warm to America if we unilaterally desert friends, such as the Poles and the Czechs, a policy he equated ith 'appeasement.'" Image from

Barack Obama at the United Nations - Saying all the right things: A love-fest on the East river, harder going in the real world - The Economist: "Mr Obama excels at public diplomacy. His speech in Cairo in June received rave reviews in much of the Muslim world. But there is more to diplomacy than speeches. … For many of his admirers around the world, the truest test of Mr Obama will not be whether he can make a breakthrough in the incorrigible Middle East, but whether a president who acknowledges the overwhelming danger of global warming can galvanise multilateral action on climate change. There too, however, public diplomacy has its limits. Mr Obama’s eloquence may blow away his audience in New York. But foreign governments know that, with less than three months to go before the world’s climate summit in Copenhagen, the Democrats’ cap-and-trade bill faces an uphill battle in Congress."

Holbrooke: Why Are We Being Out-Communicated by the Taliban? – Spencer Ackerman, Washington Independent: "Speaking at a celebration of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s new Pashto service — to be broadcast into the Afghan-Pakistani border region — Richard Holbrooke, the Obama administration’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, returned to one of his oft-expressed themes. 'Why,' Holbrooke asked, 'by and large, [is] the world’s greatest communication’s nation being out-communicated by people who stand for such repressive activities?' … . Holbrooke … pledged that he wasn’t going to set up his own broadcasting networks, as they’d lack credibility. 'A lot of this can’t be done in American voices,

we understand that,' he said. Instead, the administration should help sponsor local radio — the primary communications medium in Afghanistan and much of Pakistan — and explain the U.S. message in relevant ways. 'The key is Pakistanis themselves, and [the U.S. should] support them any way we can, in the media area and however else.' Holbrooke is here with his strategic communications advisers, Ashley Bommer and Vikram Singh. One absence: the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, Judith McHale, whom Holbrooke singled out for praise and cooperation, particularly for taking her first trip abroad in her new job to Pakistan. For a view as to structural problems afflicting U.S. public diplomacy efforts, don’t miss this latest post from Matt Armstrong at Mountain Runner." Image from

Public Diplomacy: sure bureaucracy is a problem but so is absent leadership - Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.us

WHAM: Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Global Community - Brandon Kaster, Global Security Monitor: "There is recent discussion in Washington as members of the U.S. government deliberate about the methods needed to turn their goals-to win the hearts and minds of the global public-into reality. Specific initiatives, such as President Obama’s speech to Muslims in Cairo and the new 'Regional Marketing Campaign' for the Sahel region in Africa attempt to re-engage the worlds public with hopes to displace terrorist driven influence. …

The [Sahel] program, lead by the newly created combatant Africa command (AFRICOM), will incorporate private contractors, the public diplomacy arm of the State Department, and individual embassies in western Africa. … [A]n interagency approach to the practice of public diplomacy should be implemented- characterized by a horizontal combination of DOS and USAID expertise as well as DOD funding and action oriented resolve." Image of Sahel region from

Alhurra Targeted for Review by State Dept. Inspector General - Dafna Linzer, ProPublica: "The State Department Inspector General has begun a comprehensive inspection of Alhurra, its sister station Radio Sawa and its parent company, the Middle East Broadcasting Network. Alhurra, set up under former President George W. Bush to broadcast an American perspective of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, was the subject of a joint investigation last year by ProPublica and CBS' 60 Minutes."

CCTV, CNBC, France 24 added to Russian cable system - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy: "VOA Russian was forced into mostly-internet delivery because it was taken off Russian television stations."

Rebooting American Foreign Policy: The Institute for World Politics is becoming an influential force - Mark Hemingway, National Review Online: John Lenczowski, IWP’s president and founder: “I was interested in the related question of public diplomacy, which is relations with foreign societies and not just governments.

I worked on these things during the Reagan administration, and I found that the foreign-policy establishment had a tin ear towards them … . I would argue — as we’ve seen how history has played out — that public diplomacy played the decisive role in putting the most important straws on the Soviet camel’s back, when it came to the collapse of the Soviet empire, which the materialistic foreign-policy culture cannot and does not to date understand.” Lenczowski image from

Herzog calls for legal authority to defend Israel internationally - Aluf Benn, Haaretz: "Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog is leading an effort to form a new international authority that would handle Israel's position in legal battles concerning the Middle East conflict. … Specifically, a battle is currently being waged to counter the report released earlier this week by the United Nations Goldstone Commission, which charged Israel with committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip during its offensive there last winter. Advocacy and public diplomacy, according to Herzog, is not enough. A legal offensive, he says, must be undertaken in an effort to impress upon the international community the need to alter laws on warfare so as to make them more suitable to the realities of the 21st century - when countries such as Israel must deal with terrorism waged from inside civilian areas."

Mission accomplished - Lily Galili, Haaretz: "There is no lack of difficulties in foreign relations and hasbara, a term for Israeli public diplomacy that entails official efforts to promote the country and explain its policies.

Just last week, the Swedish foreign minister canceled a scheduled visit here, academics around the world continued to call for boycotts against Israel, and important artists backed out of the Toronto Film Festival, merely because films being screened there depict Tel Aviv as a normal place." Image from

Quds Day in Iran: Velvet Revolution Trumps Nuclear Negotiations - Mehdi Khalaji and Patrick Clawson, metransparent.com: "Ahmadinezhad … has long wanted to use international negotiations to raise his profile, as evidenced by his letters to various world leaders and his offers to debate President Barack Obama. The Iranian president’s main objective, it would seem, is to use his platform to promote his ideological, apocalyptic, and anti-Western agenda, which fits his argument that public diplomacy is the main field of battle for Islamic radicals."

Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun Meets with Editor-in-Chief Reuters News - press release, MFA China: "On September 16, 2009, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun met with David Schlesinger, Editor-in-Chief Reuters News. … On the same day, Director-General Ma Zhaoxu of the Information Department and David Schlesinger exchanged views on topics such as China's foreign policies, the role and guidance of the media, and public diplomacy."

Spokesman to the Nation - Alibaba News Channel: "Zhao Qizheng, former Minister of the State Council Information Office recently wrote a new book: Dialogue Between Nations—Speeches by Zhao Qizheng, which was published by Foreign Languages Press.

'My new book aims to show English readers China's enthusiasm for carrying out public diplomacy,' Zhao said at the launch ceremony for the book at the Beijing International Book Fair on September 3." Image from article

Cairo Diaries: The Strike of Swine '09 & Other News - A. Byrd, Catch Me If You Can: "On a whim I decided to apply again for the Department of State internship for this upcoming spring. Myself and about 10 other University of Delaware students had also applied last fall for summer ’09 but none of us were selected, as it is incredibly selective. So knowing this, I didn’t have high expectations, but just yesterday I received an email from DoS stating that I was selected as an alternate for the program. I am now required to complete a security clearance, which is an incredibly extensive process. Since many people don’t accept the internship, or don’t pass security clearance, there is still a good chance that I will be selected for the internship, pending clearance. I initially applied to the US Mission to the UN in NYC and the Bureau of Public Diplomacy in DC. Although I had the most amazing experience at the United Nations last winter, I really hope I will receive the Public Diplomacy spot. My ultimate goal would be to enter the US Foreign Service in the Public Diplomacy track, so it would be very helpful to see if I actually enjoy the work that these diplomats do on a daily basis."

Say Yes initiative - Julia Terruso, The Daily Orange: "Syracuse University was the backdrop for Vice President Joe Biden’s meeting on education Wednesday, literally. Behind Biden sat 35 SU and community activists and above them hung an orange and blue banner that read, 'A Strong Middle Class: Syracuse University, Scholarship in Action.' …

Attia Nasar, a graduate student in the public diplomacy program, attended the meeting, updating her Twitter account with Biden’s jokes and points throughout." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

Poles, Czechs: US missile defense shift a betrayal - Vanessa Gera, Associated Press, Washington Post

Obama’s Decision to Be ‘the Anti-Bush’ Won’t Help Russia in the Long Run, Moscow Analyst Suggests - Paul Goble, Window on Eurasia: Russian officials and mainstream media outlets are celebrating the decision of US President Barak Obama not to place missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic for now as a victory for Russia, but some Moscow commentators are expressing concerns about the limited nature of the decision and about what Russia may have traded away.

Obama's refusal to deploy missile defense system is of propaganda character: Iranian expert - T. Jafarov, Trend News. Below image from

Obama's anniversary gift to Russia The White House abandons Warsaw and Prague – Editorial, Washington Times: The president's national-security team may say they didn't notice that the announcement came on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, but everyone in Eastern Europe did. For an administration whose claims of heightened cultural sensitivity border on sanctimony, the timing was an unforgivable faux pas. The anniversary gift compounds the message that Washington is bent on courting Moscow regardless of the broader implications for global security.

Placating Russia Won't Work - David J. Kramer, Washington Post: The administration's capitulation to Russian pressure is a serious betrayal of loyal allies in Warsaw and Prague whose governments pursued politically unpopular positions at the request of the Bush administration to help confront a rising threat from Iran. (Announcing this policy change on Thursday, the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, added unnecessary insult to injury.)

Missile Strike: A new defense plan for Iranian missiles bruises some European friends -- and brings smiles to Moscow – Editorial, Washington Post: In adopting its new course, the Obama administration has clearly bruised some of the staunchest U.S. allies in Europe while encouraging the Kremlin's hard-liners. It needs to do more to repair that collateral damage. Below image of SM-3 interceptor from


Obama's Missile Offense: It's better these days to be a U.S. adversary than its friend – Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal: President Obama promised he would win America friends where, under George W. Bush, it had antagonists. The reality is that the U.S. is working hard to create antagonists where it previously had friends. That's one conclusion to draw from President Obama's decision yesterday to scrap a missile-defense agreement the Bush Administration negotiated with Poland and the Czech Republic. Both governments took huge political risks --including the ire of their former Russian overlords -- in order to accommodate the U.S., which wanted the system to defend against a possible Iranian missile attack. Don't expect either government to follow America's lead anytime soon. Officials in Warsaw surely noticed that President Obama cancelled the missile system 70 years to the day that the Soviet Union invaded Poland as part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany.

Missile defense shield won't be missed: It appears only the GOP supported deployment of the expensive, unproven technology in Poland and the Czech Republic - Editorial latimes.com: The shield was the biggest irritant in relations between the United States and Russia, whose support is badly needed on sanctions that could halt Iran's development of nuclear weapons, among other issues.

Missile Sense – Editorial, New York Times: President Obama made a sound strategic decision, scrapping former President George W. Bush’s technologically dubious plan to build a long-range missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Neither Poland nor the Czech Republic was ever worried about Iran or particularly committed to the need for missile defense. What they fear is Russia. And what they wanted was the security of a closer relationship with Washington -- and the American military personnel -- that came along with the interceptors and radar. Below SM-3 image from


Goldstone report: Israel's failings: A U.N. report finds war crimes in last winter's fighting; now Israel must be held accountable - George Bisharat, latimes.com: Israeli abuses are deeply resented around the globe. For too long, we in the United States have abetted Israel, bestowing on it roughly $3 billion annually in aid since 1973 and vetoing scores of resolutions in the Security Council that attempted to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. See also.

Propaganda or Masterpiece? – Andy Whitman, Razing The Bar: Commissions -- and frequently state-sponsored commissions -- of works of art have characterized every age, from the Greek and Roman eras to the present day. And governments have employed artists for their own ends since time immemorial. Jacques-Louis David's paintings of the emperor Napoleon

glorified and mythologized a tyrant, and they were paintings that were frequently commissioned by Napoleon himself. A significant number of the architectural wonders of Europe were commissioned by governments. In the modern era, we remember with horror the propaganda generated by Goebbels and the Nazis, and the stylized Russian worker posters of Stalin's totalitarian regime. But we overlook the film reels of our gallant boys in World War II, and we tend to think of the massive temples and obelisks scattered around Washington D.C. as national monuments, not propaganda. Image from article