December 1

“I hate war.”

-- Dwight Eisenhower; image from

"Ain't going to be no money for nothing if we pour it all into Afghanistan."

--Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.)

ANOTHER OBSERVATION BY YOUR PDPBR COMPILER

News on public diplomacy continues to be noticeably scant. In today’s media on the Internet, as of 9:00 am EST, I have seen no direct references to US public diplomacy.

See John Brown, “Smart Power In, Public Diplomacy Out?” Notes and Essays; image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Forum for non-governmental exchanges, Japan and South Korea ended scholars emphasized that “public trust” - badboy, Study Abroad: "The two-day second session of the forum for non-governmental exchanges in Japan and South Korea in Shanghai ended on the 29th. Japan and South Korea scholar at the forum called for emphasis on the role of public diplomacy to promote mutual understanding, enhance mutual trust and resolve of countries and civil society due to misunderstanding, prejudice, or national feelings caused by the friction and contradictions."

South Caucasus discussed at Wilton Park Conference in London - News.Az: "Az interviews Fariz Ismailzade, Director of Advanced Foreign Service Program at Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Mr. Ismailzade, you have just returned from London, where you participated in Wilton Park conference on South Caucasus.

Can you tell us what was discussed there? ... . [']Participants have stressed the importance of public diplomacy for the resolution of both Nagorno-Karabakh and Georgian-Russian conflicts.[']" Azerbaijan flag image from

Hitchens going off the deep end? – Gulliver, Ink Spots: Comment by Madhu: "When one party doesn't want you overly involved, and the other party does, then, any public diplomacy begins by taking one side of the other. Hard to be a credible negotiator in that instance."

RELATED ITEMS

A Tragic Mistake - Bob Herbert, New York Times: President Obama will go on TV Tuesday night to announce that he plans to send tens of thousands of additional American troops to Afghanistan to fight in a war that has lasted most of the decade and has long since failed.

After going through an extended period of highly ritualized consultations and deliberations, the president has arrived at a decision that never was much in doubt, and that will prove to be a tragic mistake. Image from

The perils of being commander in chief - Dana Milbank, Washington Post: Obama is antagonizing many in his party with an expected announcement that he is sending more troops to Afghanistan, and, to rub it in, he's making the announcement at one of Bush's favorite military locations: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point -- the very birthplace, seven years ago, of the Bush Doctrine.

Paying for war: How to escalate in Afghanistan without adding to the national debt – Editorial, Washington Post:

Congress could adopt the measure it took in 1940 to help pay for World War II, and again in 1951, when money was needed for the Korean War: an increase in the gasoline tax. Image from

Clear, Hold and Duct Tape - David Brooks, New York Times: Obama has not been enthusiastic about expanding the U.S. role in Afghanistan, but he has not evaded his responsibility as commander in chief, and he’s taking brave political risks.

What the U.S. can achieve in Afghanistan, despite Karzai:The Afghan president is in for five more years. But Washington can compensate for his failings by persuading him to choose strong, principled Cabinet ministers and delegate authority to them - Mark Moyar, latimes.com: With the right Afghan ministers

and smart American assistance, U.S. troops will buy Afghanistan time to develop capable commanders and police chiefs. A new generation of leaders, already visible in the army and just beginning to form in the police, can ultimately allow our Afghan allies to thrive without American troops. Image from

What we need to hear- Frank J. Gaffney Jr., Washington Times: We are at war today not with Islam or certainly with all Muslims. But Muslims who adhere to the brutally repressive and supremacist theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls Shariah are, in accordance with that program, at war with us. Shariah dictates the triumph of an Islamic theocracy and, to that end, the use where possible of violent jihad. Mr. Obama can draw on his credentials in the Muslim world, just as Nixon did with his anti-communist bona fides in opening relations with the People's Republic of China to redefine and redirect our national efforts to achieve the required victory over Shariah. Let us all pray he will do so.

John Kerry's Tora Bora Campaign: The Senator is now in favor of more troops after he was against them - Review & Outlook, Wall Street Journal: Mr. Kerry is now saying that the "Afghans must do the heavy lifting" and that he supports additional troops only for "limited purposes" and wants the U.S. out within "four to five years."

Adapting his legendary 2004 campaign locution, Mr. Kerry is now in favor of more troops after he was against them, but in any case not for very long. Image from

A test for the blocks needed to rebuild a nation - Keith B. Richburg, Washington Post: From Somalia, Cambodia, East Timor and the Balkans in the 1990s to Iraq today, world powers have at best a mixed record when it comes to establishing functional, stable governments in countries devastated by war. The efforts have been long and costly, tangible results often hard to measure, and support for a prolonged involvement difficult to maintain.

Strong enough for a 'reset' with Russia?- Ivan Krastev, Washington Post: It is not Obama's deference but his strength that can persuade the Kremlin to cooperate with Washington.

Simply put, to persuade Russians to join him, Obama must first demonstrate that he does not need them. Image from

U.S. has bungled Honduran crisis: After condemning the June 28 coup, the U.S. has essentially allowed the de facto government to get away with it, causing a rift with strategic South American partners – Editorial, latimes.com

What U.S. ambassador jobs go to political allies [graphic] – USA Today.

Image from

Is President Obama Abandoning Taiwan? His joint statement with Chinese President Hu Jintao raises questions about his commitment - Parris H. Chang, Wall Street Journal

Ahmadinejad, the Blogger: Iran's president has taken a note from the playbook of Yasser Arafat - David Keyes, Wall Street Journal: On Nov. 18, two Iranian Internet activists, Ali Behzadian Nejad and Omid Lavassani, were sentenced to six years in prison. Their crimes? Mr. Lavassani had the audacity to design a Web site for the leading opposition figure Mir Hossein Mousavi. Mr. Nejad is being jailed for "published comments" written by others on his blog, and "propaganda against the system."

IMAGE

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