Diplomats Look to Cold War Tactics for Help in Arab World

The War on Terror frequently has been described as a battle for hearts and minds, but critics of American diplomatic efforts toward the Arab world say that not enough is being done and warn that losing the struggle would be disastrous to the United States. Aside from military might, the United States has started fighting the seeds of terror through public outreach that includes the establishment of Arabic-language media outlets, among other projects. But all polling data so far indicate the United States is far from victorious when it comes to earning the trust and friendship of Arab countries. Polls show plunging American popularity throughout the world, with numbers registering the lowest in the Middle East. A Pew Global Attitudes survey released in March showed an overwhelmingly unfavorable view of the United States among respondents in all four Muslim countries surveyed — Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan and Morocco. In Morocco, Jordan and Pakistan, Usama bin Laden is far more popular than President Bush. The numbers have only gotten worse since the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. "The public diplomacy we currently have is not working," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., told an audience at the American Enterprise Institute earlier this month. "With what's taking place in the prisons in Iraq, I think it is much more difficult." But directors and managers of American-funded Arabic-language TV and radio stations say they will continue to soldier on and get the U.S. message across.