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December 3, 2004
A hard-hitting report by the Defense Science Board Task Force, an advisory committee designed to give the Pentagon independent advice and analysis, concludes America's strategic communication with the Muslim world is "in a state of crisis." The report concludes America has no clear message for the Muslim world and no adequate means for communicating that message. The institutions charged with battling the "war of ideas" are neglected, confused, or broken. Consequently, the United States has lost its "power to persuade."
- The Bush administration's backwards public diplomacy aids our terrorist adversaries. The administration's inept communication strategy has failed in the fundamental non-military objective of the fight against terrorism: "separating the vast majority of nonviolent Muslims from the radical-militant Islamist-Jihadists," concludes the Board. American efforts have "not only failed in this respect. They may also have achieved the opposite of what they intended," elevating the stature of radical Islamists, while diminishing support for the United States to single-digits in many Arab societies.
- "Hatred of freedom" is not why fundamentalists oppose America. The Bush administration's claim that opposition to the U.S. in the Muslim world is rooted in hatred of freedom is a mistake. The report concludes, "Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies." Rather than trying another failed PR gimmick, the Bush administration needs to resume serious engagement on the Middle-East with our European partners and regional states if we have any hope to make progress in Iraq or on the Israeli-Palestinian front.
- Ignoring the problem of America's perception in the Muslim world makes America less secure and less safe from terrorism. Rather than take the lessons of the Defense Board to heart, the Bush administration has yet to acknowledge the serious problems outlined in the report. Furthermore, the report encourages the Bush administration to engage in a "respectful dialogue of ideas that begins with listening." This has not been a Bush administration strong suit. The president did not appear to be in listening mood while in Canada. Perhaps he will do better in his next opportunity in Europe after the inauguration.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
