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Missing the Mission of Public Diplomacy


[Middle East Strategy at Harvard] Robert Satloff - In the post-9/11 era, the purpose of public diplomacy is not some amorphous desire to have America better understood or even the more pointed objective of winning the support of international public opinion for U.S. foreign policy. Today, that mission is how to identify, nurture and support mainstream Muslims in the ideological and political contest against radical Islamism and how to win backing for such efforts from nations and peoples in non-Muslim societies around the world. Alas, there is none of this in the Brookings report - no discussion of radical Islamism; no discussion of the ideological contest that undergirds the "war on terror;" no discussion of the role that mainstream Muslims play on the front lines of this battle; and no discussion of the vital role that innovative public diplomacy can play in helping our allies defeat these enemies of peace and freedom. The writer is executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2008-12-04 08:00:00
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