Pentagon Rpt: "Muslims do not 'hate our freedom'" -Sept '04

[Rose Siding]

from the linked blog, which excerpts the rpt extensively (the entire pdf is available there, too)

p.40-41:
American direct intervention in the Muslim World has paradoxically elevated the stature of and support for radical Islamists, while diminishing support for the United States to single-digits in some Arab societies.
• Muslims do not “hate our freedom,” but rather, they hate our policies...

http://justworldnews.org/archives/001005.html#more

Pentagon board trashes "public diplomacy" efforts

Today, the NYT published a story by Thom Shanker in which he wrote that,

A harshly critical report by a Pentagon advisory panel says the United States is failing in its efforts to explain the nation's diplomatic and military actions to the Muslim world, but it warns that no public relations plan or information operation can defend America from flawed policies.

The advisory panel in question was a "Strategic Communications Task Force" appointed by the Defense Science Board. (I think the DSB is the descendant of the historic DARPA agency, which gave the world the internet.)

So I rushed on over to the DSB's website and found the whole text of the 102-page report right there. It was presented to the folks in OSD--to, I think, Paul Wolfowitz-- back at the end of September. But I suppose nobody, including no-one I know of in the blogosphere, was paying much attention to that arcane corner of the OSD (Office of the Sec. of Defense) back then. People were mainly focused on the US elections. So it's taken till now for this fascinating report to get the attention it needs............

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. No shit...

Awhile ago I got into an argument with a guy I work with who turned out to be surprisingly freepish; he regurgitated that tired old line: "They hate our freedom," and I said "They don't give a crap about our freedom; they hate our foreign policy." And he got really pissed off. Evildoers Hate Freedom. Period.

[democracy eh]

2. whoa

truth hurts

[Ima]

6. I'll second that!

[fugue]

3. What's paradoxical about it?

I'd say direct intervention in Muslim societies logically and consistantly leads to greater support for radical Islamists while diminishing support for the United States. Where do they get this notion that it's paradoxical?

The direct intervention of the French in American society would lead to greater support for Bush and less for France, would it not?

[Rose Siding]

4. Well of course, but this is a Pentagon report

written by Pentagon appointees, and it makes a number of hard strikes against admin policies and accepted truths, regardless of its less illuminated points.

[lovuian]

5. The propoganda machine isn't working wonder why???

Could it be the people are ticked off!!!

[Dez]

7. I think they hate us

because we are stationed in Saudia Arabia, and our foreign policy. Amercian Corporations push their way around, everywhere they are. When will the first McDonalds be opened in Iraq??

[Rose Siding]

9. Burger King went in with the troops last year

[Dez]

10. wow, Burger King beat out McD's

as first in Iraq? incredible! Do they have Starbucks there yet?

[nephalim]

8. An excellent discovery.

One I keep mentioning - I grimace every time I hear the "they hate us for our freedom" line. But still, you (politicians) can't claim they hate us for our policies (i.e. what we've done.) That would imply one of two things:

A - We did, and are doing, something wrong. Americans do not like to hear this, and they even more so will not swallow it.
B - If in fact we aren't doing something wrong, then they just hate us.

If we weren't doing something wrong, and they don't hate us for our freedom, you are left explanationless.

And if you rightfully acknowledge that now the vast majority of Arab Muslims downright LOATHE the US, then you have to admit that they are all freedom-hating bastards, or whatever explanation you give.

It's a slippery slope.

[DawgHouse]

11. Enemies of Freedom

Here's a link to disinfopedia.com. I'm sure I found this link in another thread on DU and I liked it so much I put it in my favorites. Anyway, it examines the whole "enemy of freedom" propaganda.
http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Enemies_of_freedom

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. They had to get a Pentagon study to tell them that?

They could have just asked me in 2001.