Diplomacy Inadequate, Probe Finds

[sabra]

Source: Hartford Courant

WASHINGTON -- The State Department's efforts to sway public opinion in predominantly Muslim countries are woefully inadequate, congressional investigators have told a Senate panel, and there is evidence that State officials agree.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee today will hear testimony that will include the findings of the Government Accountability Office.

The office has found that diplomatic efforts continue to be hurt because many U.S. officials can't speak the local language, are bogged down in administrative duties and are scrambling to compensate for staff shortages.

Public diplomacy has been a cornerstone of Bush administration strategy to improve relations abroad. The effort is headed by presidential confidant Karen Hughes.

A draft State Department report, received Wednesday by The Courant, shows department officials concede that the U.S. government "does not have a means to collect, analyze and share with all agencies hard information (including both internal and external polling, focus groups ... etc.) on the reasons underlying existing foreign public attitudes."


Read more: http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-diplomacy0510.artmay10,0,529159.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics

[maddezmom]

1. How much are we paying her?

I think we should demand a refund.

[rodeodance]

2. I saw the Dept budget once--lots--now she says not adequate.

[MGKrebs]

3. Yikes. If they don't know the cause of "existing attitudes" I don't think

another poll or focus group is going to tell them.

Sounds more like they don't want to ask the question because they are afraid they won't get the answer they are looking for.

[rodeodance]

5. I wonder WHO they are asking and What type questions are being asked.

[rodeodance]

4. Senate committee Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman said Wednesday,

A draft State Department report, received Wednesday by The Courant, shows department officials concede that the U.S. government "does not have a means to collect, analyze and share with all agencies hard information (including both internal and external polling, focus groups ... etc.) on the reasons underlying existing foreign public attitudes."
The department's press office said Wednesday that Hughes is striving to improve matters, explaining that one solution would be a "central repository for analysis of public opinion from around the world will help the U.S. government better understand how citizens of other countries view us and what might improve their views."

A critical Senate committee Chairman Joseph I. Lieberman said Wednesday, "The federal government has not produced a strategy for reaching out to the discontented men and women susceptible to the terrorists' radical propaganda."

The GAO, which four years ago warned that the U.S. government lacked a coordinated strategy for public diplomacy, says in its new report that efforts have been hampered by several factors, including:

A failure to properly use the private sector.

Of 887 public diplomacy positions in the U.S. and in other countries, some 22 percent, or 199, remained vacant as of March 31. And making staff shortages worse, the GAO found, was the number of public diplomacy officers on temporary duty in Iraq.

[rodeodance]

6. "Public diplomacy has been a cornerstone of Bush administration "-----geesh! talking

about propaganda??!!!!!!!!!!

[Miss Chybil]

7. LOL! That jumped out at me, too. What a bunch of crap! nt

[BrotherBuzz]

10. Karen Hughes wouldn't know diplomacy if it bit her in her ass.

Karen Hughes' sole task was to shore up the Shrub's shrinking base to slow the plummeting poll numbers; she failed miserably. EVERYTHING that came out of that witch's mouth was specifically tailored for domestic consumption.

[anotherdrew]

8. nice biased headline. it's "public diplomacy" not just "diplomacy" the words mean different things

maybe someone should tell the editor

[sutz12]

9. Public relations makes for poor public diplomacy. nt