Posted on: Saturday, July 24, 2004

EDITORIAL
U.S. losing PR war in the Middle East

Among the many causes for alarm pointed out by the Sept. 11 Commission is the extremely negative — and worsening — perception of the United States among Arabs.

It may in the long run prove to be easier to change the hearts and minds of Muslims than to defend against the terrorist threat posed by fanatic jihadists, whose ranks are swelled by negative perceptions of America.

Two polls made public Thursday make clear that the reputation of the United States among Arabs has suffered badly in the past two years, mostly because of American support for Israel's policies and for the invasion of Iraq.

In Egypt, an American ally that receives billions in U.S. aid, negative attitudes increased from 76 percent in 2002 to a shocking 98 percent last month.

Most Arabs polled say they believe the Iraq War has caused more terrorism and brought about less democracy, and that the Iraqis are far worse off today than they were under Saddam.

The 9/11 commission recognizes the difficulties of "public diplomacy," but it believes the United States must be more aggressive in trying to counter these negative perceptions.

Of course, to the extent these perceptions are accurate, they can only be turned around by widely publicized changes in foreign policy.

But the United States can project a broader, more benign picture in Arab lands by letting people get to know us better. Fulbright and other fellowships, expansion of popular U.S. libraries abroad and exchange programs at institutions like the East-West Center — which has, indeed, picked up the pace of its activities in this arena through the U.S.-Muslim initiative — give participants a more balanced, nuanced picture of who we are.

President Bush was right, in the wake of 9/11, to promise to double the size of the Peace Corps, from some 7,000 to 14,000. That promise, unfortunately, has lacked follow-through; the number of volunteers is up only slightly.

The commission recognized that such programs can result in "a shared interest in greater tolerance and cultural respect, translating into a commitment to fight the violent extremists who foment hatred."