American Encounters with Arabs The "Soft Power" of U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Middle East

Subjects:

• Multicultural Studies » Middle East Studies
• Political Science » International Relations

Reviews:

• The book is a badly needed account of how the US has managed, and mismanaged, its public diplomacy with the Middle East, especially the Arab world. Rugh, a 31-year career officer with the US Information Agency (USIA), does an excellent job of illustrating the relationship between the tools of public diplomacy and the problems of interfacing with foreign audiences. The author focuses clearly on middle range theory with an emphasis on the policy issues. The presentation is organized along historical lines, with an initial general focus on the 1940s-50s and subsequent chapters devoted to each presidential era, concluding in mid-2005. The 2003 Iraq war and its aftermath exacerbated problems of public diplomacy, which began after USIA was dismantled in 1999 and its functions given over to the State Department. Despite this trend, the book cites several excellent personal efforts for public affairs officers, calls for more grounded efforts, and reminds the reader that public diplomacy is "a complex process that depends not only on Washington officials but also on public diplomacy professionals who live abroad . . . managing a variety of programs." Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates through practitioners.
  —Choice July 2006
• Rugh, a retired career Foreign Service officer who served as ambassador to countries in the Middle East, explains key issues surrounding the US government's public diplomacy programs in the region, chronicling public diplomacy efforts from the Eisenhower presidency to the current administration. He provides a behind-the- scenes look at how public affairs officers do their jobs and how they have met the challenges of the past and the post-September 11th era.
  —Reference & Research Book News May 2006

• Endorsement From Joseph Nye
  author of Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics: In an information age, success depends not merely upon whose army wins, but also on whose story wins. Winning hearts and minds in the Arab world is crucial to our future, and Ambassador Rugh's careful account of our successes and failures there is essential reading on this important subject.
• Endorsement From Lee H. Hamilton
  Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; former Chair, House Committee on International Relations; and former co-chair of the 9/11 Commission: William Rugh performs a great and timely service in this outstanding volume. His history of American public diplomacy efforts in the Middle East is invaluable, and his prescriptions for the future are excellent. Anyone interested in how public diplomacy can improve America's relationship with the Arab and Islamic world should read this book.
• Endorsement From Henry E. Catto Jr.
  Former Director, U.S. Information Agency, and Ambassador to Britain and El Salvador: A knowledgeable history of U.S.-Arab relations in recent years and a much-deserved salute to and snapshot of individual Public Affairs Officers.
• Endorsement From Bruce S. Gelb
  Former Director, U.S. Information Agency and Ambassador to Belgium: Ambassador William Rugh has described in an easy to understand way exactly what has been missing from America's public diplomacy effort ever since 1998 when the United States Information Agency was shut down 'by mistake.'

Table of Contents:

• List of Tables
• Preface
• List of Terms
• Introduction
• Public Diplomacy Resources and Instruments
• Beginnings in the Arab World 1940s-1953
• President Eisenhower and USIA 1953-1961
• The Kennedy and Johnson Presidencies 1961-1969
• The Nixon and Ford Presidencies 1969-1977
• The Carter Presidency 1977-1981
• The Reagan Era 1981-1989
• The Presidency of George H.W. Bush 1989-1993
• The Clinton Era 1993-2001
• President George W. Bush's First Years 2001-2003
• The Bush Presidency and Iraq
• Democratic Reform and Other Issues
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index