More Effective Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World
Abstract
The U.S. Government should resurrect within the foreign affairs agencies a construct similar to the old U.S. Information Agency. This new agency called the Public Diplomacy Agency should be tightly coupled to the State Department in both policy and management as the model provided by the current State-USAID relationship. The Public Diplomacy Agency in a tripartite relationship with the State Department and USAID could be a more effective instrument for achieving U.S. objectives for wielding the information instrument of national power. With Presidential appointment of the Director and Congressional appropriation of funding this independent agency will have the agility to execute its mission and yet be accountable to national security policy and the public. Favorable perceptions of the U.S. in the Arab and Muslim regions of the world have been on the decline since prior to the attacks of 11 September 2001. Combat Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have not helped change these perceptions particularly with religious extremists. Consequently the U.S. Congress directed the State Department to reassess its public diplomacy efforts in these regions. This paper reviews recent State Department public diplomacy efforts and recommends a new agency that can more effectively employ the information element of national power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA432387
Entities
People
- Michael J. Zwiebel
Organizations
- United States Army War College