Brand America Wears Thin

Cairo, the cultural capital of the Arab world, is a loud city. Car horns mix with calls to prayer from the city's minarets. When I visited earlier this year, what I heard from Egyptians sounded like a broken record. Conversations went like this: "Where are you from?" "New York," I always said first. "Oh, you're an American!" "Well, yes," I muttered. "See, I like you. I like Americans. It's the American government that is terrible."

Karen Hughes would probably sympathize. She was the State Department official encumbered with the task of boosting the image of the U.S. in the Islamic world who announced her resignation last week. A former NBC reporter and director of the Texas Republican Party, Hughes served President Bush for five years when he was governor. She was appointed two years ago, and other than her prior service to Bush, one has to wonder about her credentials. She had no experience as an ambassador, and more confounding, she speaks no Arabic.

According to a recent Pew survey of 7,200 people across the Middle East, America has an image problem. The U.S. is "wildly unpopular," and perceptions of the country are "abysmal." Indeed, we've come a long way since the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when the Middle East held candlelight vigils to show their solidarity with our grief. It's almost hard to believe how bad things have gotten, until you remember the arrogant bungling foreign policy that led us to war.

The war has instigated a rebellion at home, too. Hughes' colleagues at the State Department are revolting against forced service in Iraq. Resignations could be imminent. At a raucous, hour-long town hall meeting last week in Washington, veteran diplomat Jack Croddy stood up and said to a State Department official, "It's one thing if someone believes in what's going on over there and volunteers, but it's another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment. I'm sorry, but basically that's a potential death sentence, and you know it."

The Cairenes I met know that reconciliation with the U.S. won't come from more of the same. The world won't be safe for our diplomats--let alone for the folks at home--until our administration fully grasps that.

There's a difference between diplomacy and deceit. The Egyptians know this. It's time for Washington to learn.

(Also published in Metro.)

Comments

[UncleRhemus]

In reference to the title, where is the deceit, and what is wearing thin?

The utter irrevelence of that headline defines the article. The common theme thru the decades is not the image of the United States, but the constant pathology of the Middle East — gender apartheid, polygamy, religious intolerance, tribalism, no freedom, a censored press, an educational system of brainwashing rather than free inquiry — that lends itself to the next cult to explain away failure and blame the West, which always looms as both whore and Madonna to the Arab Street.

Yakety-yak about the world hating America is self serving gruel brought to a boil by those wishing us the worst. To find honest opinion - go to any street corner and wait for an immigrant to pass. Ask that person 2 questions. Why did you come here? Is your impression that of the 7,200 Arabs taken in the desert? But of course, that would ruin the game wouldn’t it? Plus, it would involve real journalism.

In closing, one would have to invest in some pretty significant magical thinking to say there were Middle East candlelight vigils showing their solidarity with us after 9-11. There were thousands of reported demonstrations celebrating the attack on America. In an poor attempt for balance to state maybe one candle light vigil occurred is evidence of the writers disconnect.

[Seth]

From: the State Department.

I just finished reading a news article discussing some of my FSO colleagues' vehement and emotional response to the idea that a few of us might have directed assignments in Iraq . To my vexed and overwrought colleagues, I say take a deep breath and calm down. I have been here for a while now, and you may have been misinformed about life at a PRT.

I personally dislike the whole idea of forced assignments, but we do have to do our jobs. We signed up to be worldwide available. All of us volunteered for this kind of work and we have enjoyed a pretty sweet lifestyle most of our careers.

I will not repeat what the Marines say when I bring up this subject. I tell them that most FSOs are not wimps and weenies. I will not share this article with them and I hope they do not see it. How could I explain this wailing and gnashing of teeth? I just tried to explain it to one of my PRT members, a reserve LtCol called up to serve in Iraq . She asked me if all FSOs would get the R&R, extra pay etc. and if it was our job to do things like this. When I answered in the affirmative, she just rolled her eyes.

Calling Iraq a death sentence is just way over the top. I volunteered to come here aware of the risks but confident that I will come safely home, as do the vast majority of soldiers and Marines, who have a lot riskier jobs than we FSOs do.

I wrote a post a couple days ago where I said that perhaps everyone's talents are not best employed in Iraq . That is still true. But I find the sentiments expressed by some at the town hall meeting deeply offensive. What are they implying about me and my choice? And what do they say to our colleagues in the military, who left friends and family to come here and do their jobs? As diplomats, part of our work is to foster peace and understanding. We cannot always be assured that we will serve only in places where peace and understanding are already safely established.

If these guys at the town hall meeting do not want to come to Iraq , that is okay with. I would not want that sort out here with me anyway. We have enough trouble w/o having to baby sit. BUT they are not worldwide available and they might consider the type of job that does not require worldwide availability.

We all know that few FSOs will REALLY be forced to come to Iraq anyway. Our system really does not work like that. This sound and fury at Foggy Bottom truly signifies nothing. Get over it! I do not think many Americans feel sorry for us and it is embarrassing for people with our privileges to paint ourselves as victims.

[Seth]

NYI likes to put America in a bad light and never updates a story that goes the other way. This is why I am posting the results of the State Departments voluntary assignments to Iraq which were completed today.

"After all the bad publicity indicating that the foreign service would not step forward, it in fact turned out -- as most of us thought -- that they did step forward as volunteers to staff Iraq," Naland said.

Blogs and talk shows in recent weeks have been filled with criticism of the foreign service, comparing its members unfavorably to the hundreds of thousands of military personnel who have served in Iraq. Some of the disparagement has come from within the military, causing deep resentment among diplomats and exacerbating rifts between the State and Defense departments.

"Not a single person, not one, has had to be ordered" to serve in Iraq, said union Vice President Steve Kashkett. "And not a single direct assignment has been needed."