Public Diplomacy: Restore Radio, Use the Internet

By Michael Kraft

By coincidence, two completely separate valid criticisms of the US Government�s Public Diplomacy efforts emerged today, one focusing on a traditional media and the other on the newest way of communicating.

In her column printed in the Washington Times, syndicated columnist Georgie Anne Geyer sharply criticized the Bush Administration�s decision to suspend most of the Voice of America�s English language broadcasts.

Meanwhile during a book launching this morning, Bruce Hoffman, the Rand Corporation veteran counterterrorism expert, and Professor Gabriel Weimann of Haifa University outlined the sophisticated ways that international terrorists use the internet. They called on the U.S. government to more effectively use the internet to counter this development.

Ms. Geyer wrote that by shifting money from the English language broadcasts to radio and TV operations aimed at the Middle East, such as the Al Hurra TV network, �the United States is unnaturally tying itself to only one part of the world �and ignoring the rest.�

She noted that the English speaking elites of the Middle East and other countries �are, not surprisingly, ignoring both Al Hurra and the pop radio station Sawa as not worthy of their attention.�

I would add that while it is important that the United State reach out to audiences in the Middle East, it is also important to reach the Middle East and English-speaking South Asia diaspora as well as the public and local influence-shapers in other parts of the world. Radio, not TV, is one of the most effective traditional media for this, especially in the developing countries.

�Traditional� was underlined because Hoffman made the point that many of the young people overseas do not pay attention to the conventional media, rather they gain their impressions and alternate sources of news from the internet. He was speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace�s (USIP) launching of Professor Weimann�s New Book �Terror on the Internet,� subtitled �The New Arena, the New Challenges.� The book is published by the USIP Press.

Prof. Weimann, a professor of communications at Haifa University and a former senior fellow at the USIP, is a pioneer in the academic study and analysis of the growing use of the internet by terrorists. He said that nearly every terrorist group has a web site, often multiple sites in various languages. He estimated that there about 4800 such sites now, used for everything from propaganda and recruiting to relaying instructions and information on building weapons. He showed slides from some groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah that are aimed at attracting children to become the next generation of terrorists. In recent years, the quality of the websites has become more sophisticated, often interactive.

(In London, a draft British Government Home Office report said that the July 7, 2005 bombings of the London subway system were conducted by four men who obtained from the internet all the information they needed to make the relatively low power explosives, according to the London Observer. The newspaper said the report, to be released later, said the four men, who grew up in Britian, did not have direct connections with Al Qaeda. The attack killed 56 persons, including the bombers.)

Prof. Weimann's book said that the U.S. as well as other governments, and some private organizations, do their best to monitor the web sites. The book, by the way, includes a couple of favorable mentions of the work by Evan Kohlmann, a contributor to this blog, for his work in monitoring terrorist web sites, especially Lashkar e-Tayba, a Pakistan-based group

The book also describes various efforts by private groups or individuals to take down the web sites of terrorists �and the back and forth efforts between Israelis and Palestinians or their supporters to take down each other�s websites. He also discusses the efforts, largely futile, by governments to deprive terrorist groups of service providers because they jump to other providers or conceal their origin.

Hoffman emphasized another side of the coin�the need to take the offense as well as play defense. He said the United States and friendly governments should do more to make use of the internet get across reliable news and counter what he called the �parallel world� in which terrorists and their supporters receive distorted perspectives and rumors on their web sites.

This may take more nimbleness and sophistication than US Government public diplomacy efforts have shown in recent years. But it is time to act and think outside the conventional box and should be given high priority.

In the public diplomacy effort, a variety of approaches are needed to help get across the perspective of the west and moderate Muslims � traditional media, press articles, background briefings, distribution of books, speakers and visitors� programs, books -- and the internet.

The U.S. Government needs to utilize them all. Geyser and Hoffman/Weimann are approaching the problem from different angles. Both of them made important, complimentary points.

As Ms. Geyser said in her column urging a restoration of funds for the VOA English language services: �It�s not a done deal yet, and Congress could change it � if anybody�s paying attention there.�

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