Voice of America v. Al Jazeera
VAdmiral Norbert Ryan has kindly had the Military Officers Association of America do an article about me regarding my interest in seeing that portion of the 9/11 Commission Report more fully implemented to bring up in native dialects, 24/7 and use both in TV and radio format the Voice of America.
It is my opinion (at age 68 now, looking back) that any war today has to have a proactive progadanda arm which in the case of SW Asia and the Middle East is Voice of America vs. Al Jazeera, which at the moment is eating our lunch out of the UAE.
In Pakistan, out OF 166 million total population, around 46 million are illiterate. In Afghanistan out of a population of around 37 million, around 26.3 million are illiterate.
Hundreds of millions of Muslims, in the aggregate, in SW Asia and the Middle East being illiterate they depend 100% on radio and TV, often in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan these are battery operated.
We are badly ignoring the radio and TV broadcast mediums propaganda side of this war. Little ole ladies in tennis shoes are testifying in 2008 before House and Senate Appropriations Committees against using Voice of American in the War on Terrorism. Understand, since 1998 when the US Information Agency was abolished, VOA today is an integral part of the US Department of State.
Here is the OFFICER MAGAZINE April, 2008 Internet site to look at the direct article, which you can comment on via the MOAA feedback website if a MOAA Member, or by an e-mail letter to the editor of the OFFICER MAGAZINE if not yet (I want you to join us!) a MOAA Member.
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/moaa/mo0408/
GENERAL PETRAEUS IS ON THE COVER OF THE APRIL 2008 OFFICER MAG.
Once you copy and paste onto your search site on your computer you will find the MOAA OFFICER MAGAZINE website. The magazine cover is a photo of General Petraeus. Then at the top of your screen go to and click on Search and enter Singleton which will get you to page 28 for a national article about me. There is an on-line discussion website you may want to read and post to, as well, provided you are MOAA members to have posting rights. You can read postings in any event.
The Military Officers Association of America is one of the top 5 veterans organizations in the United States, as recognized by and advisory to both the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Defense, and the U.S. State Department. The others of the top 5 veterans organizations nationally are the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Purple Heart Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The focus of this article as far as I am concerned is getting more Congressional funding for VOICE OF AMERICA radio and TV broadcasts in the native dialects into Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, in particular, in their native dialects, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week vs. the lies daily being put out by Al Jazeera radio and TV daily.
Wartime success in all US history is practically accomplished by a very strong propaganda program.
VOICE OF AMERICA since 1998 is a part of the US Department of State. Some of you will recall the success of VOA under the late Edward R. Morrow when it was a part of the United States Information Agency before the 1998 merger into the State Department.
You can comment on the website at end of the magazine article if you want to give your opinion on uses of Voice of America (VOA) to better help fight the war on terrorism.
George Singleton
Hoover, Alabama
VOA vs. Al Jazeera is still badly needed
Thanks for your feedback. I assume your read the interview with me in OFFICER MAGAZINE to know I have been there, both in the military, later as an international banker, and then in 1991 "dust up."
Al Jazeera TV, in particular, is eating our lunch, using ex-BBC broadcasters in fact on air who speak Arabic.
But, I do agree with you that most of the grassroots people over there are chronic liars to our understanding, and yes, they do change the facts to suit their purposes, but those doing such are above average not illiterate bumpkins.
What today, and yesterday, works is direct source information. TV broadcasts by Voice of America will be most effective. The illiterate watcher identifies over time with the face, or talking head, on the screne, if that personality repeats on air over time.
Your views of boots on ground only are historically sound but only in the winning sense when accompanied, based on history, not your or my opinion,s by effective propaganda program.
Thanks for your input,
George Singleton
I'm deeply critical of American foreign policy
and no one pays much attention to me either...:(
You said:
Quote:
Frankly, it is hard for a US-branded media to make many inroads--the brand has been discredited, the policy is unpopular, and propaganda efforts look like, well, propaganda efforts. The dismal performance of (American) al-Hurra TV and Radio al-Sawa is a case in point.
I'd suggest that the pathetic US Media is so very bad that they deserve little attention being paid them -- and that long pre-dates al-Hirra / al-Sawa. It will also unfortunately be true long after no one recalls those two failed efforts
Our numerous errors in the ME over the last 60 years have come home to roost. Lick upon us. The fascinating thing to me is that the Arabists in academia and the government who should have kept us out of most of these messes are in fact those that contributed the most to us being where we are today.
As I pointed out to Tom, the policy folks
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rex Brynen
I agree with Tom, and would go a step further: until recently, it was not unusual for the policy and academic community to do their things in almost complete isolation from each other. Folks in the IC box rarely got out of that box to talk to academic experts. People in State and DoD were too busy on daily issues to have the time or inclination to engage scholars working on the region.
were educated by those in the academic community. There were and are people in both communities that truly understand the ME and will look under the table to determine what's going on -- my observation has been that too many in both do not do so.
Quote:
The problem was equally severe on the academic side. In the US ME Studies community, distaste for US policy was so great that many scholars were pleased not to be engaged with policy makers.
Also true and frankly, I'm not sure who that is an indictment of. Perhaps no one. Regardless, it is a significant problem but I also suggest that some nominal academic experts that make public statements fail to convince me that they really understand the subtleties of ME political machinations. Or the depth of that distaste I mentioned...
Will also ackowledge the politeness that pervades the ME and the zahir / batin phenomenon can be confusing... :wry:
I agree with most of the rest of your comment.
Quote:
...Also open for question is, as Tom notes, the actual influence of all this on policy.
True but I submit the evidence in the public domain is that the actual influence of those to whom I apply the tag in the Intel and Foreign Policy communities while not totally pervasive is indicative of enough influence -- and enough misreading no matter how well intentioned -- to have caused more than one of our many miscues in the region.
That said, it an exceedingly difficult cultural divide to transcend and I fully understand that. That applies to both the Western - ME divide and the Academy - Policy divide... :D
Ken, don't give us educators
so much credit - or blame.:o I don't know how many times my former students have disappointed me by doing things that I thought I had showed them had backfired in the past. On the other hand, I've talked with other former students - who did things things that followed logically from my courses - only to find that they had other reasons of their own for doing them!
Cheers
JohnT
No real intent to do either.
People are seeing an attack where none was intended -- or made.
Your point is acknowledged -- more than and I can sure empathize; seen the same thing... :(
It is just my perception that in the realm of ME studies and expertise in the west in general and in the US in particular, there happen to be a surprising number of practitioners who miss many of the undercurrents -- and I also have said that in that area of the world, that is very easy to understand. I am certainly no expert and don't claim to be. However, I have learned that in that part of the world little is as it seems and there are almost always hidden motives and to us westerners, hidden agendas. One 'interprets' the words and actions from there with considerable caution -- and ideally, very, very slowly. Unless one is overfilled with certitude or has an agenda, that is...
I think it's a given that one can lead a student to water but cannot make him drink. There are others that will find the water on their own; still more that can be lead and will drink. Experts in any realm can and do err.
If that realm entails the true understanding and accurate interpretation of a vastly different culture then the number of truly knowledgeable experts in the field from a given sized pool will be far smaller than will that of truly knowledgeable experts in the field from a similar sized pool of say, civil engineers. Engineering is essentially a science with firm rules.
Interpreting the intent of humans, particularly humans who do not think like you do, is like warfare, it isn't a science -- it's an art. All the education in the world will not help those who aren't artists.
I of course strongly disagree with your view, we need VOA now, better
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rex Brynen
Absolutely.
I would also add that al-Jazeera and the other satellite TV stations in the Middle East are not the "enemy." Certainly, they play to their audience, and their audience is deeply suspicious and bitterly critical of US foreign policy. In this sense, they in the Arab context Arabs what Fox New's ultra patriotism is on the US media scene. But al-Jazeera and others are also a free media, and provide voice for reformers and democrats who were long stifled by authoritarian regimes.
Frankly, it is hard for a US-branded media to make many inroads--the brand has been discredited, the policy is unpopular, and propaganda efforts look like, well, propaganda efforts. The dismal performance of (American) al-Hurra TV and Radio al-Sawa is a case in point.
In my own view the US can do far better by engaging the Middle East media as it exists, and articulating different views on and through it, than trying to compete with it.
While I respect your different opinion, we need our own Voice of America TV and radio broadcasts into Afghanistan and Paksitan, now, not some muddle of untrusthworthy Middle East Arab broadcasts.
Al Jazeera is owned and funded by a UAE Shiek, hardly a "democratic" fellow.
[COLOR="red"]Since 1995, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has ruled Qatar, seizing control of the country from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while the latter vacationed in Switzerland. Qatar ranks as the ninth richest country in the world per capita.
Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. This is noted to be objective in disagreeing with you.
In 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking a country that had not previously experienced few acts of terrorism.
Afghanistan and the NWFP area of Paksitan, where I served for two years both speak Pashto. The rest of Pakistan depending on the Province involved speak: Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki, and Balochi.
The key reason we disagree here is that VOA must be our propaganda arm for the next 100 years in the context of the long term ideological war with radical Islam. VOA is an within the US State Department, our official propaganda organ, VOA, which is why we cannot use local Arab media in lieu of VOA. In this war on terrorism we are mainly fighting an ideological war, extremist, terrorist, to my understanding heretical Islamic jiihadists, but many other Muslims without the balance of VOA in their native dialects are being brought into the terrorist thinking Muslim camp thanks in part to the pro-radical Islam Al Jazeera interviews, coverage, and release of terrorists messages to the world using Al Jazeera as their communications medium.
Too, please note that Paks, Afghans, and Iranians, in the main, are not Arabs and few speak Arabic. Al Jazeera is just now expanding their pro-terrorist broadcasts, TV and radio, into Pakistani dialects and the in common Afghan-NWFP Pashto dialect. We must compete to deal in the long term, 100 years horizon, if not longer, in this religiously based ideological debate.
Here are some illiteracy data on non-Arabic speaking poorest of the poor Muslims of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Quote: Of 166 million Pakistanis, 46 million are illiterate and depend solely on TV or radio for news, which Al Jazeera, the terrorist network out of the UAE currently provides to them.
Out of a total Afghan population of 37 million, 26.3 million are illiterate. They, too depend on Al Jazeera for news.
Voice of America needs to get correct dialect speaking on 24/7 TV and radio programming into Pakistan and Afghanistan, yesterday.
Here is a bit of the 9/11 Commission Report which due to it's July, 2004 issue date and focus misses the point of non-Arabic speaking hot spots which are belatedly, now, to be fair, identified as Pakistan and Afghanistan, all over again.
PARTIAL QUOTE FROM JULY 2004 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recognizing that Arab and Muslim audiences rely on satellite television and radio, the government has begun some promising initiatives in television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach large audiences. The Broadcasting Board of Governors has asked for much larger resources. It should get them. (Page 377) The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) was established under the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201). The BBG provides oversight and guidance to U.S. non-military international broadcast services, including Voice of America, Radio and TV Marti, WORLDNET Television and Film Service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Sawa, and the Middle East Television Network (METN). Radio Sawa is a region-wide Arabic language radio station that combines western and Arabic popular music with news broadcasts and specialized programming. METN is an Arabic language television station designed to bolster U.S. public diplomacy efforts in the Middle East. See GAO, State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors Expand Post-9/11 Efforts but Challenges Remain , GAO-04-1061T, Aug. 23, 2004. The pending Commerce, Justice, and State Department Appropriations bill, H.R. 4754, FY 2005, provides 65 million for broadcasting in Arabic ($20 million increase over President's request). Contacts: Mark Speight, Assistant General Counsel, IAT; Ernie Jackson, Senior Attorney
And here are some facts about Al Jazeera which on balance do not agree with your postive view that Al Jazeera "isn't all bad." It is against us, against the War on Terrorism, and is the "Voice" of al Qaida and the Taliban to the rest of the world, which I for one don't find either friendly or democratic.
Al Jazeera is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar, UAE. The UAE and Pakistan prior to 9/11 were the only two nations in the world to recognize the Taliban governed, al Qaida infested old Afghanistan, lets be clear on these facts.
Initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel with the same name, Al Jazeera has since expanded into a network with several outlets, including the Internet and specialty TV channels in multiple languages, and in several regions of the world.
The original Al Jazeera channel's willingness to broadcast dissenting views, including on call-in shows, created controversies in Persian Gulf States. The station gained worldwide attention following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when it broadcast video statements by Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders.[/COLOR]
History
The original Al Jazeera channel was started in 1996 with a US$150 million grant from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa.
In April 1996, the BBC World Service's Saudi-co-owned Arabic language TV station, faced with censorship demands by the Saudi Arabian government, shut down after two years of operation. Many former BBC World Service staff members joined Al Jazeera, which at the time was not yet on air. The channel began broadcasting in late 1996.
Al Jazeera's availability (via satellite) throughout the Middle East changed the television landscape of the region. Prior to the arrival of Al Jazeera, many Middle Eastern citizens were unable to watch TV channels other than state-censored national TV stations. Al Jazeera introduced a level of freedom of speech on TV that was previously unheard of in many of these countries. Al Jazeera presented controversial views regarding the governments of many Persian Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar; it also presented controversial views about Syria's relationship with Lebanon, and the Egyptian judiciary. Critics accused Al Jazeera of sensationalism in order to increase its audience share.
It wasn't until late 2001 that Al Jazeera achieved worldwide recognition, when it broadcast video statements by al-Qaeda leaders. The original Al Jazeera and today's Al Jazeera are quite different. Today Al Jazeera is clearly pro-terrorist in terms of public relations and communcations as the enabler of recordings, video tapings, and such of key al Qaida terrorists used to broadcast to and threaten the rest of the non-radical Muslim and all other faith systems world.
Funding
Further to the initial US$ 150 million grant from the Emir of Qatar, Al Jazeera had aimed to become self-sufficient through advertising by 2001, but when this failed to occur, the Emir agreed to continue subsidizing it on a year-by-year basis (US$30 million in 2004,according to Arnaud de Borchgrave). Other major sources of income include advertising, cable subscription fees, broadcasting deals with other companies, and sale of footage. In 2000, advertising accounted for 40% of the station's revenue.
Remember the Emir is a potentate for life, hardly a democratic form of government for Qatar.
Thanks for you views and for allowing me mine. Voice of America helped win the Cold War and we need a greatly expanded, better funded VOA in all the right linguistic dialects not in just the short run but for the next 100 years if not longer in our long term ideological war against terroristm and radical Islam.
4/7/08 CBS-TV News clip on VOA -Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-AL
A former Marine who is now a TV news journalist for one of our major TV stations in the Greater Birmingham, Alabama market did two interviews yesterday in support of increased in proper native dialects and better funded Voice of America vs. Al Jazeera TV and radio broadcasting as per the 9/11 Commission report, which reads in part from July, 2004:
Recognizing that Arab and Muslim audiences rely on satellite television and radio, the government has begun some promising initiatives in television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach large audiences. The Broadcasting Board of Governors has asked for much larger resources. It should get them. (Page 377) The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) was established under the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201). The BBG provides oversight and guidance to U.S. non-military international broadcast services, including Voice of America, Radio and TV Marti, WORLDNET Television and Film Service, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Sawa, and the Middle East Television Network (METN). Radio Sawa is a region-wide Arabic language radio station that combines western and Arabic popular music with news broadcasts and specialized programming. METN is an Arabic language television station designed to bolster U.S. public diplomacy efforts in the Middle East. See GAO, State Department and Broadcasting Board of Governors Expand Post-9/11 Efforts but Challenges Remain , GAO-04-1061T, Aug. 23, 2004. The pending Commerce, Justice, and State Department Appropriations bill, H.R. 4754, FY 2005, provides 65 million for broadcasting in Arabic ($20 million increase over President's request). Contacts: Mark Speight, Assistant General Counsel, IAT; Ernie Jackson, Senior Attorney
Hope this background info is helpful.
Here is my feeble attempt to attach the 4/7/08 CBS-42 news clip, interview with Congressman Spencer Bachus, R-AL and me as the focus of the MOAA OFFICER MAGAZINE article in April, 2008 issue regarding Voice of America revival and increased funding/proper linguists:
http://www.cbs42.com/news/local/17377219.html
Then on this CBS42 local TV news sight go to box on right hand side of web page and click on "A war of words" to see the interviews regarding Voice of America's critical propaganda role as recommended by the 9/11 Commission Report with interviews with Colonel George Singleton (me) and US Congressman Spencer Bachus, R-AL who has made improved use and funding of VOA a plank in his re-election to Congress platform as of 4/7/08.
Palestinian TV viewership
Which satellite TV station do you watch most?
54.2% al-Jazeera
18.3% al-Aqsa (Hamas)
11.2% Palestine TV (Fateh/PA)
6.1% al-Arabiyya
3.6% al-Manar (Hizbullah)
0.3% al-Hurra (US)
.. which reinforces my earlier point about the market dominance of al-Jazeera, and the complete failure of US-branded IO (al-Hurra) in the Arab world--which I don't think VoA can do much better.
The data doesn't reflect the extent to which Israeli TV is also watched, since it asks about DBS TV only.
Oh, and note that over half the population has a news and current affairs channel as its most-watched TV. If only that were true in the west...
Data from the ever-excellent Palestine Center for Policy and Survey Research (March 2008 survey).
It could be true if there were even one...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rex Brynen
...
Oh, and note that over half the population has a news and current affairs channel as its most-watched TV. If only that were true in the west...
As long as most channels spend so very much more time on the 'celebrity' culture and other trivia (not to mention trying to leverage local inanities and aberrations to national prominence) than on actual news, I see little chance for improvement. Sad.
Al Jazeerea now broadcasts in Pashto, Urdu, you name it
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JJackson
I have been following this thread and have found it a little confusing which may be due to my inability to speak, or read, Arabic. How different is Al Jazeera’s English output from their Arabic output? I have a TV package that gives me Fox news, BBC news and Al Jazeera but not VoA. I tend to get my news online, so do not watch any regularly, but have found the BBC and Al Jazeera similar and reasonably balanced (I tend to watch more Al Jazeera as they have more – and more in-depth - Africa & ME coverage). I occasionally watch Fox to see how a story is being packaged for a US audience but – having been brought up on BBC journalism – find it hard to stomach. I am used to seeing the moderator, in a discussion with politicians from opposing parties, trying to crack the weaknesses in both spokesman’s arguments not feeding soft questions to one and helping the other attack his opponent. Having no experience with VoA I have been reading, and watching, some of their output from their site over the last few days and find it much closer to BBC/Al Jazeera than Fox. In one discussion, on recent events in Basra, I thought they had a well balanced discussion including showing President Bush’s comments, which were criticised by all for showing a lack of understanding of what was going on.
If the complaint about VoA is that it is not overtly biased enough then those making that case must realise that a BBC like position will already viewed as ‘Western biased’ and trying to broadcast raw propaganda will just leave the VoA preaching to the converted. Might it not be more productive to look at the other sides arguments – which are being used to radicalise Muslims – and if they are false counter them. Better still adjust US foreign policy to make it harder for your opposition by giving them fewer easy targets and shooting yourself in the foot less often.
MountainRunner:
I read the Terrorist vs Freedom Fighter stuff and thought the explanation by the editors was unsurprising and the norm. I am not sure what other position they could possibly take unless their mandate changed to just re-broadcast White House press releases without any pretence at being a general news source. You are never going to win an Arabic audience by just saying Hamas & Hezbollah are beyond the pail because the US has put them on a terrorist list but the IDF (or even Abbas) are the good guys because we give them guns and money.
P.S. I loved the video very funny – and probably a fair reflection of how the rest of the world see the US’s attempts at democratising them – but I see that the VoA may not be happy if some of their staff were involved in its making.
I guess you are not aware of the so-called "new" Al Jazeera, the mouthpiece of the Taliban and al Qaida. Al Jazeera now has local, native dialect broadcasts in Pashto, Urdu, and numerous other unique to all areas of Pakistan dialect broadcasts. Pashto is also the major language of much of but not totally all of Afghanistan. Al Jazeera now has all dialects of both Afghanistan and Paksitan on both TV and radio, fyi.
VOA has a mandate to do better
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rex Brynen
Which satellite TV station do you watch most?
54.2% al-Jazeera
18.3% al-Aqsa (Hamas)
11.2% Palestine TV (Fateh/PA)
6.1% al-Arabiyya
3.6% al-Manar (Hizbullah)
0.3% al-Hurra (US)
.. which reinforces my earlier point about the market dominance of al-Jazeera, and the complete failure of US-branded IO (al-Hurra) in the Arab world--which I don't think VoA can do much better.
The data doesn't reflect the extent to which Israeli TV is also watched, since it asks about DBS TV only.
Oh, and note that over half the population has a news and current affairs channel as its most-watched TV. If only that were true in the west...
Data from the ever-excellent
Palestine Center for Policy and Survey Research (March 2008 survey).
Thanks for your stats. Per the 9/11 Commission Report as includes and involves Voice of America they "will" do better when better funded and hire more linguistics. I am helping refer a US based native of NWFP, over here 20 years now, who is fluent in his native Pashto (works in both Pakistan NWFP and Afghanistan), as a small personal effort. I still believe we need to help find fixes instead of arm chair complaining that so and so doesn't do the best or the right job. Hope you all agree, as many of you have contacts who speak more or other than Arabic, which is not the need of the hour when it comes to Afghanistan and Pakistan/NWFP/FATA.
VOA current developments & some Al Jazeera status sources
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rex Brynen
I know that al-Jazeera announced an Urdu language network in conjunction with ARY, but I didn't know that it was broadcasting yet (certainly,
the website is still only under construction). I'm not aware that it is (or will be) broadcasting other than in Urdu, nor on radio--do you have sources for this?
Finally, as I noted before, the main Arabic al-Jazeera network can hardly be described as the "mouthpiece of the Taliban and al Qaida." For its part, ARY also runs (in additional to its news and entertainment networks) the Pakistani versions of HBO and Nickelodeon, plus a music video and home shopping channel. Do you have any concrete data showing that the Urdu-language version will somehow be so dramatically different from the products that these networks already broadcast?
Thank you very much for your sound, logical, and probing questions. These and related points are in discussion currently before the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.
And as I said before I simply factually in view of world news coverage Al Jazeera uniquely has given to al Qaida starting immediately after 9/11 and in view of the funding shiek behind al Jazeera's relationships with the old Taliban Government of Afghanistan, the laundering of money you can reserach on the Internet for the terrorists through his UAE banks, etc, I do not agree with you nor does the 9/11 Commission when it comes to views for and against Al Jazeera. But, to each his own view. I'm supporting our troops by pushing for the 9/11 Commission Report better funding and more specific non-Arabic linguists.
It is important to stay focused on two things re need for Pashto, Urdu, etc. versions of VOA and enhanced programming to deal with terrorists kidnapping of moderate Islam in part via repeated propaganda on Al Jazeera: Of 166 million total Pakistan population about 46 million are illiterate, and many of these 46 million are in the NWFP, speak Pashto, are raw illiterate gun toting tribesmen who depend soley on TV and radio news, repeat news, broadcasts.
In Afghanistan out of an estimated by the CIA Fact Book on line (Internet) out of 37 million total population as many as 26.3 million are illiterate. Again these illiterates depend on TV and radio for all their news and other information.
Voice of America, right now, today, has an unmet need to support our boys and girls in the field there by broadcasing our views, facts, and news of evens there as well as world news as we see it. Especially important is getting Pashto speakers on the air to read peaceful admonitions from the Quran to undermine the mad mullahs and the dogma being pushed on air now by Al Qaida and the Taliban, some of which terrorist broadcasts are currently small FM transmitters being episodically set up in the mountains by the Taliban and al Qaida. I must admit I am baflled with an ancient, short history in TV and radio myself, as memory says AM waves bounce and work best for hilly terrain whereas FM waves are more straight line broadcast friendly.
I get my info on what Al Jazeera is doing, otherwise, from reading the on line Peshawar FRONTIER POST, the Karachi DAWN, but also from interchanges on the websie Hujra Online, which is a part of the KhyberWatch.com Pakhtun webiste. I also get info from the head of a major Pakistani university think tank who is refreshingly open minded and will print my articles, which are source deocumented, against the terrorist and their sympathetic friends who write in the same Pak think tank site, published mainly on the Internet to be clear. Also, I get a growing number of direct, personal e-mails from Muslims overseas who are of the more educated variety who wish to find a moderate path away from the terrorists and terrorism. This I can't reference to you as some of these folks, especially in the NWFP of Pakistan are among the minorities, Shias there who are be murdered indiscriminately by the Sunni Taliban and al Qaida inside Pakistan today. The do not want their info given out but of course I put that info into the Homeland Security pipleline regularly, via an anti-terrorism team here, a study group at West Point, and other special contacts that don't create "public awareness" of who these people are.
The Peshawar FRONTIER POST has no topical archive, it only as a by date for entire issues archieve. It used to have a topical log after 9/11 but received so many threats and Islamic Sharia Court lawsuits, as well as under Pakistani Government law(s) law suits that the topical and by writers name index was abolished, to stop false charges being made referncing articles and writers the terrorists didn't like or want printed, etc.
DAWN in Karachi however still has a proper archieve you can do some research on.
Trip yesterday to University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama, showed I need new disk brakes on my Impala and I am headed out early, now, to the auto mechanic's shop.
Al Jazeera has big bucks, is anti-US and West in general, and very much the channel which gets al Qaida's propaganda to the fore ever since 9/11. Do you like Al Jazeera doing children's TV programming promoting being a "good terrorist" boy and girl, blowing up in suicide martydome the infidel Christians? Come now. This is happening now in the Middle East as a starter.
We, via VOA, have to be proactive and look ahead.
Discussion of Voice of America v. Al Jazeera on worldwide open Internet now
I was a bit surprised about an hour ago to find the SWJ discussion of Voice of America vs. Al Jazeera being posted almost moment by moment as we dialgoue herein.
That said, I have between business events (I still work for a living) found several Internet open to everyone sites that amplify this discussion.
Understand my premise is that we need to better fund and utilize Voice of America, especially at the current time into the NWFP of Pakistan and into Afghanistan as a part of what is loosely meant by the 100 year war, which to me means a propaganda war revolving around religious extremist terrorist Islamics vs. the rest of Islam and the rest of the world's all other faiths.
1. Here is the best discussion I can find for now on why VOA needs to be done better, all this of course building from the 9/11 Bipartisan Commission Report recommendation to build up and use more effectively Voice of America:
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/usr_d...fAmerica_2.pdf
2. Here are a series of stories on the open Internet related to Al Jazeera, but pay special attention to the one about Al Jazeera being blatantly rascist, as a response to it was erased [by someone who controls these Internet entries] as I started open and read it:
http://www.truveo.com/aljazeera-chan.../id/2460008808
3. One of many examples where Al Jazeera has developed information on film useful to our enemies, the Taliban and al Qaida, which Al Jazeera and this very liberal website [source is copied below of this article] have tried to deny. "Loose lips sink ships" still applies today. This story is dated in 2006:
http://www.internews.org/pubs/afghan...12_jfr_09.shtm
Al-Jazeera TV reporter arrested by CFC-A:
According to Mohamad Sediq, administrator of Al-Jazeera TV network in Kabul, one Al-Jazeera reporter (Waliullah Shaheen), his cameraman (Saeed Naser) and their driver (Mohammad Agha) were arrested by the CFC-A (Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan) in Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan while filming in the vicinity of Camp Eggers in Kabul. They were interrogated in cold weather under snow falling for almost an hour, their equipment was confiscated and the individuals were then taken to the 10th department of police in Kabul.
The Media Relation officer of the CFC-A, Lt. Mike Cody, told Media Watch: “Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan personnel reported to the scene saw evidence that security features had been filmed. As a result of the incident, CFC-A withdrew the credentials of the reporters involved.”
Ground rules for credentialed reporters specify that photography showing levels of security at military installations may not be published. Likewise, signs at the gate nearest to the incident warn, in three languages (English, Dari and Pashto) that photography is not allowed. He rejected the allegation of the Al-Jazeera TV production crew who said they were investigated in cold weather under snow falling for a long time. Mohammad Sediq denied having filmed prohibited areas and he added: “our reporters were 50 meters away from the signs saying “photography is not allowed.""
The 10th department of police released Waliullah Shaheen and his colleagues after four hours detention.
It is worth mentioning that their equipment was returned to them after one week, and their credentials (identification documents) have still not been returned to them.
4. Another 2008 Al Zazeera internet news site very unfriendly and many alleged facts being untrue as regards the US and her allies regarding the war on terrorism:
http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F...7EA9DAD30F.htm
5. A December, 2007 Internet site story/allegation of a break between al Qaida and Al Jazeera. You had to first have Al Jazeera as the primary propaganda promotion system of al Qaida to then have had a break.
http://www.stratfor.com/memberships/107762
6. This is the sort of untrue junk, lies, we get from the NEW YORK TIMES. Story dateline is 2001. Here is what Public Law says about Voice of America and I ask you to note in particular #3 in it's three part charter:
"The VOA Charter (Public Law 94-350) requires that broadcasts (1) be accurate, objective, and comprehensive; (2) represent all segments of American society and present a balanced and comprehensive view of significant American thought and institutions; and (3) clearly present the policies of the United States."
For VOA Charter story see: http://www.bbg.gov/bbg_aboutus.cfm
For NEW YORK TIMES warped and misrepresented story about Voice of America from 2001 article see:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...53C1A9679C8B63
In summary, the US needs a pro-active 100 years ideological war Voice of America in all releveant and related dialects and languges as laid out in the above charter. We cannot rely on surrogates who have ideological sharp differences of a religious nature which is what the entire ideological differences of a terrorist and extremist nature are all about.
Now, watch the Internet at large, look for a new posting very fast, separate and apart from the posting(s) I have created this one posting to break away from. Interesting?
What is the Broadcasting Board of Governors?
See:
http://www.bbg.gov/bbg_board.cfm
This is the oversight and policy board of the Voice of America, which is a bipartisan group of very distinguished Americans.
The new chairman of the BBG is James K. Glassman, appointed June 7, 2007, who among many accomplishments is the former president of The Atlantic Monthly Co., publisher of The New Republic Magazine.
SWJ Voice of America discussion being posted on Internet?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Steve Blair
Ok, folks. Let's all take some deep breaths and possibly a step or two back. This is an interesting discussion, and I'd hate to see it get bogged down or sidetracked by personal attacks.
Thanks for the guidance applicable to several of us, including me!
Question: Can someone tell me how this discussion [about Voice of America primarily, but discussions of Hamas are within it, too, somehow] is being posted on the open Internet?
Here is the open Internet updated posting I just found the second day in a row now? I guess the SWJ except for the "Members Only" section is open or public domain, but it is curious to me how fast these VOA headlined discussin are making it onto the open Internet, outside of the SWJ.
Any ideas who is posting us, which includes the full formatted SWJ page and such?
Thanks for any feedback on this question.
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/usr_doc/WhisperofAmerica_2.pdf
I think if any reader of the SWJ postings reads the entire Newton Minnor Voice of America [in support of more and better] article by Newton Minnow former Chairman of the FCC under President Kennedy, as found at:
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/usr_d...fAmerica_2.pdf
they will by reading it in total context find a different picture than your extracts indicate. However, standing by themselves, alone, out of context, your wording as copied from Newt's article is well done.
Newton Minnow's mentioning of the then (now deceased) Congressman Henry Hyde and Senator Biden being essentially on the same page in support of expanded Voice of America broadcasting as now more necessary than ever before in history as the ideological war, propaganda war to me, since and started by 9/11, they both agree, is for using my own language "a hundred years of more" to come and we have to use our technology and communications and public relations skills to be our own systems advocate, as they both say and agree.
Cheers
The Congressional hearings about VOA budget and future
http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/sh...=Voice+America
IF this link works it takes you to a Sept. 2006 discussion among Pakhtuns inside Pakistan about forthcoming Voice of America TV and related programming which they are looking forward to.
It may not be clear but the article link I posted a few days ago, the article about me in the April 2008 issue of OFFICER MAGAZINE involves MOAA, the Military Officers Association of America, the fourth largest veterans organization/lobby in the US, largest of all officer veterans organization, is helping focus the need to complete implementing the 9/11 Commission Report recommendations to increase funding for and programming/languages beyond Arabic [my pet interest] to fight the long term ideological war against terrorists and terrorism worldwide.
We, and some others in MOAA, think that the focus right now is a combination of Iraq, of course, and Afghanistan and Pakistan.
House and Senate appropriations committee hearings on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) which is the policy end of Voice of America, are ongoing these days in DC. I am for, obviously more funding and expanded number and types of linguists. You who are opposed have every right to lobby the Congress against while we "for guys and gals" lobby the Congress for more funding and linguists.
The many young Marines, Army troops, Navy (especially SEALS), Air Force and Coast Guard I know direcly and am in contact with are pretty unamiously FOR a better PSYOPS, ie, VOA program, as it helps them help the people where they are now fighting the enemy, who are largely boasted about and of in and by Al Jazeera, which in my view ain't no mom and pop we have a different point of view outfit, it is aimed at our destruction in it's foreign affairsrs reporting and still unique/sole access to Taliban and al Qaida leadership.
Thanks for sharing your background experiences
Tom:
I am always glad to know the background of e-mail website correspondents and article writers.
My time, through and including the Gulf War (I) included and also included years earlier time in: Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Crete. These references took me down to retirement from Reserve in mid-1990s. This is now "dated" experience.
I was wounded in the Rann of Kutch between India and Pakistan in January, 1965, but another story for another day perhaps.
My US Embassy tour while dated, 1963-1965, still keeps me in touch via e-mail with such Pakistani legends as retired Air Chief Marshal Ashgar Khan, who was first head of the Pakistani Air Force, as of today in 2008. He is much older than me, in his 80s, of course. I was the Liaison Officer for our old U-2 and Intel Comm base at Badabar, which is suburban Peshawar.
As a US Civil Service career budget officer with the USPHS and VA, I was able to engineer leave and military leave, minus weekends not counted on short active duty Orders on TDY tours as a reservist to do work for and with old US Readiness Command, which became USSOCOM per the Goldwater-Nichols Act, the late Bill Nichols have been a close personal friend from down here.
Also had the pleasure and opportunity to do short active duty tours during my post active duty reserve life (after the 6 years regular USAF active duty) with FORSCOM, CINCLANT (w/Admiral Kelso, who didn't do it), and other "outfits." NOTE: I was in the paper only Inactive Reserve from late 1967 to Nov. 1971, while recuperating from back/spinal injuries from the Jan. 1965 wounding, where we were "blown up" in a PIA Land Rover in Pakistan, etc, etc.
Volunteered back on active duty the end of 1990 to help run the Desert Storm Airlift as a reserve 06. Worked out of both Charleston and Saudi.
In between all this active and reserve times I spent a few years as an Internaitonal Banking Officer in NYC, covering SW Asia, among other desk assignments as a traveling loan officer.
SUMMARY: In no way do I ever intend knowingly to demean or be rude to anyone's comments unless they are first openly rude to me. I only mean to share how they come across to me, since we until now, knew next to nothing about each other's implied meaning(s).
I am glad to know of your expertese, but my comments differentiating Arabs from non-Arabs were hopefully read by others who didn't know or don't know the difference until now of you intended or implied meaning and could have as easily misunderstood your writing, and mine, for that matter.
Peace toward victory of our ideology of democracy over terrorist tyranny is our common goal.
By the way, you are better read than I am in current tense books about our world situation and war on terrorism. The last book I read, over a year ago, on these topics was THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNEW by Peter Bergen. That is because I have been inundated with e-mails from Muslims overseas, as well as here in the US; being invited to write on several Muslim and specificlaly Pakhtun websites, including at two different Pakistani Universities, and other such stuff that eats up one's time when you are also working full time, putting three late in life children through two college degrees each, and doing the normal stuff of a married life. Have now published over 200 letters to Muslim editors and articles (fewer in number by far) in some of same Islamic overseas press.
In the middle of these things over my lifetime I was happy to have made time to co-found and be an early unpaid State Director of the Chuck Colson Prison Ministry for all Alabama and to be for six years on the Alabama Department of Youth Services Board and concurrent Board of Education. I have shared some of the DYS (junvenile jails) experiences with some in Pakistan who are struggling with their slant on juvenile crime seeking constructive ways and means today over there to reform criminal minded and dangerous youth there.
Any comments off line on the LSU and Alabama (my alma mater) football prospects for 2008?
Cheers,
George