Program Overview

• Hosts: Ray Suarez, Deborah Amos
• Length: 51 min.
• Original Airdate: Dec 2008

"I think that public diplomacy has been done as if the channels of communication are the same as the 1980s. They have completely and radically changed, and I think Americans need to understand that the rules of the game have changed." –Lahcen Haddad

Public Diplomacy, the communication of the nation’s values and policies, was a critical weapon during the Cold War. But today, the US might as well be shooting blanks in the battle for hearts and minds in the Muslim world. Seven years after the Towers fell, American public diplomacy is still short on vision, and cash. The result is that terrorists hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan are running a more focused public relations campaign than the US.

*This is an updated version of our February 2008 show.

Segment 1: Deborah Amos explores the intersection of anti-Americanism, radicalism and public diplomacy in Morocco.

Segment 2: Deborah Amos traces the history of America’s public diplomacy successes and failures in the 20th century.

Segment 3: Ray Suarez looks back at US efforts to diminish public opposition to the deployment of Pershing and cruise missiles in Europe in the early 1980s.

Segment 4: Ray Suarez examines the state of US public diplomacy and State Department education and exchange programs in Egypt.

Guests on this program include:

James Glassman, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs

Mohammed Darif, Professor of Political Science at Hassan II University

Mustafa Khalfi, Publisher of Attajdid, a conservative newspaper in Morocco

Lahcen Haddad, Professor at Mohammed V University

Bruce Hoffman, Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University

Enders Wimbush, former Director of Radio Liberty

Professor Nicholas Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy at USC

Richard Burt, former Director of Politico-Military Affairs at the State Department

David Abshire, former US Ambassador to NATO

Stan Burnett, Counselor of the US Embassy in Rome

Hans Tuch, former American Minister for Public Affairs in Bonn

Angela Stent, Director of the CERES program at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service.

Karen Hughes, former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs

Kamal El Fouly, Professor of English Teaching Methodology at Egypt’s Minya University

Hisham Kassem, publisher and rights activist in Cairo