December 3

“The quickest way to end a war is to lose it.”

--George Orwell; image: Tom Clancy's EndWar private beta coming in June

"This is the second surge I've been up here defending."

--Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Taliban Out-Surging Us in Information War - Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation: "A glaring omission in President Obama’s speech Tuesday was any attempt to address the propaganda war that is currently being waged with increasing sophistication and success by the Taliban again the U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. Information operations are a critical aspect of warfare and will help determine the outcome in Afghanistan, being focused on the hearts and minds of the Afghan population. ... Regrettably, strategic information and public diplomacy campaigns to reach the Afghan people have taken a hit since the arrival of the Obama administration.

One of the first troubling decisions of the new administration was to close the Office of Support for Public Diplomacy within the Department of Defense, reflecting an attitude of suspicion of psychological operations as undertaken in a military context. ... [I]n August, U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke established a new united within the State Department for countering militant propaganda in Afghanistan and Pakistan – in other words engaging in strategic communication, previously the purview of the Pentagon. According to the New York Times, the Holbrooke effort is funded to the tune of $150 million. ... As of yet, very little has come out regarding the State Department’s efforts or successes — if any. However, if the Taliban is still winning the information war, Mr. Holbrooke might consider handing the responsibility back to the Pentagon." See also John Brown, “No Propaganda Obama,” Common Dreams. Dale image from

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Not Just About Al Qaeda Any More - Adele Stan, AlterNet: "'What we realized,' a senior administration official told AlterNet, 'is that while narrow efforts to address some of the immediate security threats are critical, if we really want to achieve our overall goal, we need ... to help Pakistan overcome a whole series of economic and security challenges that undermine its stability. You know, it's overall Pakistani stability that's in our interest.' Another senior official cited the recent visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan as part of that broadened mission. ... Despite the skepticism Clinton faced, the official said, her visit led to a 'significant uptick' in positive 'perceptions of America.' In addition to such public diplomacy, said the official, 'we're working on a new assistance strategy to address Pakistan's very significant needs in terms of energy, water and economic reform to help the Pakistani people.' The combined approach of 'people-to-people' outreach, development aid should lead to 'decreasing the appeal of extremists if we are able to help the Pakistani government and people with some of their major needs,' the official said. ... The development and public diplomacy aspect of the U.S. approach to Pakistan seems wise. I remain deeply concerned, however, about unforeseen outcomes in the war against Pakistani extremists."

New Media Roundtable on Britain's Approach to Soft Power - Steve Clemons, The Washington Note:

"As part of the New America Foundation/American Strategy Program's new media roundtable series, I am hosting [December 2] a small roundtable discussion today with British Council CEO Martin Davidson and British Council Board Member and communications expert Raoul Shah. ... The British Council is the world's largest cultural relations agency, which is receiving increased attention from US policymakers seeking to revamp America's 'public diplomacy' operations. Davidson is fresh off a trip to Lahore where he just released a major report on Pakistani youth." Image from

President Obama's Afghanistan Policy: Two Online Question-and-Answer Sessions - Outpost in Paradise: The Official Blog of the U.S. Embassy in Colombo Sri Lanka: "On December 1, President Obama will make an important announcement regarding future U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and the region. CO.NX offers two opportunities for you to ask questions about the president's speech on December 2 and 3. Our guest speakers are U.S. Embassy spokesman Phillip Frayne and U.S. Department of State official Gregg Sullivan, respectively. Phillip Frayne is the Embassy Baghdad spokesman. Gregg Sullivan is director of public diplomacy in the State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs."

4 Responses to “PLM: How Much Do We Have and to Whom it Belongs?” - JeanRicard Broek, Daily PLM Think Tank Blog by Oleg Shilovitsky: "On a related topic to comnet IP & maybe closer to home (PLM), in addition to the Fashion Industry Event planned for tomorrow the 3rd (see previous comment and ref link) The US State Department is sponsoring a virtual panel on 'Green Workplaces' December 3 again in Second Life. ... Teleport Location: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Annenberg/181/97/25 Sim provided by the Center on Public Diplomacy at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, Hosted on Annenberg Island in Second Life[.] This is already Big Business and not a game.”

White House announced Douglas B. Wilson, Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Department of Defense: "Douglas B. Wilson currently serves as Executive Vice President of the Howard Gilman Foundation, overseeing the development and implementation of the Foundation’s domestic and international policy programs, including the U.S.-Muslim Engagement Initiative. Mr. Wilson also serves ... as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Diplomacy Collaborative at Harvard University. From 1997-1999, Mr. Wilson served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. He spent a year as National Political Director of the Democratic Leadership Council before returning to the Pentagon in the summer of 2000 to become Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

During his tenure at the Pentagon, Mr. Wilson coordinated communications and long-range public affairs strategy on issues including defense reform, base closures, NATO expansion and military quality of life. ... Mr. Wilson has also served as Director of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs for the U.S. Information Agency and as foreign policy advisor to U.S. Senator Gary Hart. Mr. Wilson began his career as a Foreign Service Information Officer at U.S. diplomatic posts in Naples, Rome, and London." Wilson image from

Leadership - André Marty, New Public Diplomacy: Made in Switzerland [Google translation from the German] - "How do I explain something that is really really do not explain convincingly. While the government is what enables the diplomats in the world, clearly and unequivocally against the bill have been reported after the vote, and problems with the law. But the diplomats should now explain the extremely delighted Rulers, religious representatives, lawyers and media in the Muslim world, the principles of direct democracy. Hmm, how can can one explain that not always is right is what is right? How do we hold with double standards, so every now and then criticize the alien in a foreign land, but can not convincingly at home to explain the unknown?”

The Government's Newspeak: Recent changes to the language of Canadian foreign policy represent a fundamental shift in how the country presents itself to the world- Adrian Bradbury and Taylor Owen: The Mark: "It is a curious feeling to wake up one morning and have the focus of your career banished from your government’s vernacular.

But this is what recently happened to both of us. An internal DFAIT email was leaked this summer which outlined a series of shifts in the language of Canadian foreign policy. These changes were politically directed, coming from Foreign Affairs Minister Cannon’s office. The terms 'gender equality,' 'child soldiers,' 'international humanitarian law,' 'good governance,' 'human security,' 'public diplomacy' and 'The Responsibility to Protect' have been blacklisted from government parlance." Image from

Turkey To Launch "Public Diplomacy" On Internet - World Bulletin: "Turkish Foreign Ministry is set to launch 'public diplomacy', using strategic communication tools including social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Several countries such as the United States, Britain and Israel have already been carrying out the 'public diplomacy' aimed at interaction between decision-makers and the public.

Advance in communication technologies has helped sound national and international developments faster and larger, said Namik Tan, deputy undersecretary of the foreign ministry. ... 'Public diplomacy is a new vision and a new working area for our foreign policy. This area will go beyond traditional diplomacy that we were used to, and it will help us come together with new implementations,' Tan said." Image from article

Full-Text of Turkish President Abdullah Gul's Lecture on 'Turkish Foreign Policy in the New Era' at USAK - Journal of Turkish Weekly: President Gul: "Now, the ongoing process of transformation and change, no doubt, requires a serious adaptation. Everyone should adapt him/herself to these transformations and changes. Because today, information is not only under the monopoly of official authorities. In contrast, civil channels are gaining importance day by day. We can use Google in order to see inside buildings, see the gardens of places that we could never get closer to. In this context, of course, public diplomacy is attracting more and more attention in terms of foreign policy. Furthermore, only doing the right thing is not enough; the reasons for following policies should be properly explained. This is not only about foreign policies, but is also valid for the governance of the country."

Govt may unveil carbon reduction targets today - Nitin Sethi, Times of India:

"Seeking to match China in public diplomacy over climate change negotiations, the Indian government is likely to announce on Thursday its plan to reduce the carbon/energy intensity of the Indian economy." Image from


Bahari speaks out about his imprisonment in Evin Prison – The Diplomatic Panther:

Maziar Bahari’s release was the result of the efforts of the international public. ... Bahari explained how the Iranian government might have also been embarking on a public diplomacy campaign of their own, wanting to impress the public by freeing him before his baby was born." On Bahari, see; Image from article

Keep up the pressure on human rights in China – European Parliament: "MEPs [Members of European Parliament] recommended a balanced combination of 'quiet and public diplomacy' (Eduard Kukan, EPP, SK), and 'the creation of a special unit within the EU delegation in China which should monitor the human rights situation on the ground' (Janusz Władysław Zemke, S&D, PL)."

Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won - Yale Richmond, Whirled View: "Yale Richmond, a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer and author of 11 books on intercultural communication, worked on U.S.-Soviet cultural and other exchanges for more than 20 years.

He delivered the following speech at the Aleksanteri Institute’s 9th Annual Conference “Cold War Interactions Reconsidered” 29-31 October 2009, University of Helsinki, Finland. This is the first of a two part series. The second part will appear on Thursday, December 10." Richmond image from

Event: The Abolition of USIA and Its Effects on U.S. Public Diplomacy – Matt Armstrong, MountainRunner.u.s: "At The Heritage Foundation December 9, 2009, 10a – 11:30a: The Abolition of USIA and Its Effects on U.S. Public Diplomacy. Speakers include Joe Duffey, Bill Kiehl, Stephen Johnson, Robert Schadler and hosted by Helle Dale."

VOA encounters its history, sometimes like a hit on the head with an iron bar - Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy

Summary of Job Description – Georgetown University: "Job Number: 2009-1045D Job Title: Project Coordinator Department: School of Nursing & Health Studies - Administration Grade/Level: 08 - - Date Posted: November 25, 2009 [:] The Project Coordinator will be responsible for the day to day coordination of the Department of State-funded grant, Bioethics and Public Diplomacy: Engagement through Scientific Exchange.

The purpose of the one-year project, initiated on September 30 2009, is: to provide a forum for dialogue between and among Iranian and US bioethicists, health researchers and care providers regarding bioethics and the application of principles of bioethics to practical health research and services delivery." Image from

RELATED ITEMS

It's time to build a better diplomat: The profession has to adapt to the imperatives of modern world-order management - Daryl Copeland, Globe and Mail: Today's diplomatic encounters tend to take place publicly and cross-culturally – in a barrio or a souk, in an Internet chat room or a blog, on main street or in a Quonset hut set astride the wire in a conflict zone. Unlike all too many serving envoys, the guerrilla diplomat

will know how to swim with comfort and ease in the sea of the people rather than flop around like a fish out of water, and prefer to mix with the population rather than mingle with colleagues inside embassy walls. The time is overdue to get on with adapting to the transition from the Cold War to the globalization age. This can be achieved by transforming traditional state-to-state relations, with all of their conventions and rigidities, to postmodern politics, which include new actors drawn from civil society, supranational bodies and the private sector. Copeland image from

The War Within the War in Afghanistan - John Prandato, Partnership for a Secure America: Every day, the Taliban floods Afghanistan with anti-American propaganda, making messaging with the Afghan people an unmanageable task because we are constantly competing with misinformation.

Afghanistan and Pakistan Rattled by Plan for Drawdown- Sabrina Tavernise and Carlotta Gall, New York Times: President Obama’s timetable for American forces in Afghanistan

rattled nerves in that country and in Pakistan on Wednesday, as American diplomats worked to convince the two countries at the center of the president’s war strategy that the United States would not cut and run. Image from

Pakistanis voice concerns about Obama's new Afghanistan plan - Pamela Constable and Joshua Partlow - Washington Post: President Obama's new strategy for combating Islamist insurgents in Afghanistan fell on skeptical ears Wednesday in next-door Pakistan, a much larger, nuclear-armed state that Obama said was "at the core" of the plan and had even more at stake than Afghanistan.

Obama's Afghanistan strategy has a familiar look: As a senator, Obama opposed the Iraq buildup, but his Afghan plan keeps key elements. Experts warn that the two wars differ - Julian E. Barnes, Ned Parker and Laura King - latimes.com: In crafting his new Afghanistan policy, President Obama borrowed liberally from an unlikely source: the playbook of George W. Bush. The Afghan strategy Obama announced Tuesday shares many similarities with the Iraq "surge": a similar number of troops, a fast push into the country, a limited duration, an emphasis on training local forces and a hope of flipping the allegiance of insurgents. But experts say there are key differences between the two countries.

Johnson, Gorbachev, Obama - Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times:

If Mr. Obama wants success in Afghanistan, he would be far better off with 30,000 more schools than 30,000 more troops. Instead, he’s embarking on a buildup that may become an albatross on his presidency. Image from

Obama's folly: Rather than trying to salvage Bush's policy in Afghanistan, the president should show real courage and just pull the plug - Andrew J. Bacevich, latimes.com: Rather than renouncing Bush's legacy, Obama apparently aims to salvage something of value. In Afghanistan, he will expend yet more blood and more treasure hoping to attenuate or at least paper over the wreckage left over from the Bush era.

This will not end well- George F. Will, Washington Post: The president's party will not support his new policy, his budget will not accommodate it, our overstretched and worn-down military will be hard-pressed to execute it, and Americans' patience will not be commensurate with Afghanistan's limitless demands for it. This will not end well.

America on Deadline - David Eagleman, New York Times: For his timetable to have emotional power, President Obama would do well to define and adhere to intermediate goals. A year and a half offers little in the way of reassurance, but everyone can value action month-by-month.

Obama's quickie – Editorial, Washington Times:

Counterinsurgency is a marathon, but President Obama wants to sprint. The most troubling aspect of Mr. Obama's strategy for Afghanistan is the cramped timeline for his surge. Image from

A Goldilocks strategy - E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post: Obama's efforts to persuade enough skeptics -- especially in his own party -- by placing a limit on how long we will stay and by trying to separate Afghanistan from Iraq earned him only reproofs from the other party. Heads, Obama loses with the doves; tails, he loses with the hawks. There is not a large market for owls claiming the wisdom of the middle way.

Obama's lonely decision – Robert Kagan, Washington Post: I am not as worried as some of my colleagues about the July 2011 date Obama set for the beginning of American withdrawal. If we and our Afghan and allied partners are succeeding at that point, the timing may make sense. If we aren’t, it won’t. It will not be any easier for Obama to embrace defeat in 18 months than it is today.

Despite some questions, Obama's Afghan policy is sound: Given time, his strategy should work. But will there be time, and what about 'winning'? - Max Boot, latimes.com: If Afghanistan is indeed a "vital national interest," as Obama said, why announce an exit strategy?

Obama Can Win in Afghanistan: If the president keeps his nerve, he'll get the country's support - Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal:

Victory can still be won. It won't be quick and it won't be easy, and it will take active leadership from Mr. Obama. But it is now within his grasp. Rove image from

Cracking Cuba: U.S. sanctions have failed to bring down the Castro brothers. It's time for carrots instead of a stick – Editorial, latimes.com: It would be best if the U.S. and the EU forged a common policy pushing for the release of political prisoners and other human rights improvements, while making clear they do not seek regime change.

ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"Last night, President Obama gave a speech at West Point. ... Right in the middle, they cut to a cadet who was sleeping. ....

That cadet was immediately assigned to work security at the next White House state dinner."

--Talk show host Conan O'Brien, cited Bulletin News, LLC (December 3); image from

OBITER DICTA

Unscientific Thoughts Shared with Dinner Friends about Wind Turbines - John Brown, Notes and Essays: "I have my doubts about wind turbines, based not on technological know-how but on my very limited examination of history."