Different Shade of Lipstick, Same Pigheaded Policies

A new report from the Council on Foreign Relations suggests that better U.S. communications with Muslim countries require "listening more, a humbler tone, and focusing on bilateral aid and partnership, while tolerating disagreement on controversial policy issues." The report, which was based on focus groups held in Morocco, Egypt and Indonesia, says U.S. tsunami relief, the Iraqi election and new Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts provide "a window of opportunity to change Muslim attitudes." Specific recommendations include engaging "local and regional media via press releases, interviews, Op-Eds, press conferences, and site visits," and launching "an advertising campaign on U.S. aid and support for reform in local and regional media, and acknowledge the U.S. government as the source." Focus group members "do not take seriously U.S. government media, such as Radio Sawa, al-Hurra TV, and Hi magazine, as information sources."