Pacific Views

Bush's Grand Strategy to Reduce Terrorism

You will be happy to know that Bush has finally gotten a plan to reduce terrorism. That's right, Karen Hughes has produced her grand strategy that aims to aggressively counter extremist ideology and to provide more "exchange" programs that help showcase America's humanitarian efforts.

The report says the United States should "underscore our commitment to freedom, human rights and the dignity and equality of every human being." It makes no mention of U.S. abuses of detainees and detention policies, which have been decried by human rights groups.

It also says the United States should highlight its support for "those who struggle for freedom and democracy." Bush, however, continues to rely on such autocratic regimes as those in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and elsewhere to cooperate in fighting terrorism.

Yet, some, like Price Floyd say that this grand strategy won't be too successful. But what would he know about this problem? After all, until recently he was only the media affairs director for the State Department for the past 17 years. Back to McClatchy:

"From a public diplomacy standpoint, I don't know how you come out and talk about all the stuff you do, for human rights, to support democracy. . . . When people hear that, they stop and say, `What about Abu Ghraib? What about Guantanamo?" said Price Floyd, who was the State Department's director of media affairs until earlier this year.

"I almost feel sorry" for the Bush administration, said Floyd, who said he was aware of the strategy document, but hadn't seen it. "It's almost too late. ... The opinion of the world is set."

Not too many people have seen the strategy document, although it has been distributed to some members of Congress. But it is the result of two years of study and proposes to form a new office within State Department devoted to this effort.

U.S. officials said the Counterterrorism Communications Center, now being formed at the State Department and staffed heavily with military and intelligence officers, will provide a rapid response to propaganda by U.S. adversaries

Maybe they could ask Tim Griffin to head the effort, because after all, he's headed a fast paced opposition research operation before.

Nevertheless, we once more see the Bush administration has found another way to expand government sinecures for their friends and cronies in a pipedream. And it seems that the Bush administration continues to believe that they can create their own reality. Sadly, their delusions affect our reality too.

Posted by Mary at June 14, 2007 08:16 AM | War on Terrorism | Technorati links |