Posted on 02/17/2006 1:59:56 PM PST by leadpencil1
NEW YORK (AP) - Al-Qaida and other Islamic extremist groups have poisoned the Muslim public's view of the United States through deft use of the Internet and other modern communications methods that the American government has failed to master, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Friday.
In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Rumsfeld sounded a theme he frequently raises as a key to eventually winning the global war on terrorism: countering anti-Western messages from Islamic extremists.
"Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today's media age, but for the most part we - our country, our government - has not adapted," he said.
He quoted Ayman al-Zawahri, the chief lieutenant of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, as saying that their terrorist network is in a media battle for the hearts and minds of Muslims. Rumsfeld agreed, saying that the battle for public opinion is at least as important as the battles on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The extremist groups are able to act quickly on the information front, with relatively few people, while the U.S. government bureaucracy has yet to keep up in an age of e-mail, blogs and instant messaging, he said.
"We in the government have barely even begun to compete in reaching their audiences," Rumsfeld said.
Rumsfeld has often described the U.S. government as being disadvantaged by its ponderous approach to dealing with the media, and he has pushed for the U.S. military in particular to try innovative approaches to getting out its message to the Islamic world.
He has also complained that the U.S. media tends to focus too much on the negative aspects of U.S. involvement in Iraq.
In his speech, Rumsfeld said the military needs to focus more on adapting to the changes in global media.
"In some cases, military public affairs officials have had little communications training and little, if any, grounding in the importance of timing and rapid response, and the realities of digital and broadcast media," he said.
The government's public affairs system is antiquated, he said, working mostly on an eight-hour, five-days-a-week schedule that cannot keep up with the rest of the world.
"This is an unacceptable, dangerous deficiency," he said.
Rummy gets it.
I wouldn't be too worried abt the mohamaden world's negative views if America, btw. They prefer to back the strong horse and respect strength for its own sake. If we stop trying to 'win' them over and stop butt-skissing arab street and 'moderate muzlims', we'll have their attention and more just for the asking.
At least The DON can properly diagnose the greatest ailment towards the GWOT.
Then there's the other front in the media war, our own MSM. What has been made very clear over the past week is that Big Media in America has become too closely associated with liberal propaganda.
According to recent polls 80% to 90% of US reporters describe themselves as "liberal". And what's becoming clearer is that they really, really, hate Bush and Cheney.
From Dan Rather to Helen Thomas to the late Peter Jennings to Bruce Morton and Wolf Blitzer they have become unhinged. I think the last three elections have done it.
They have done everything in their power to elect Democrats and it just doesn't work anymore. So now they will try to impeach the President. It's coming. Get ready.
Extremists winning the media war? Since most of the media are extremists....this makes good sense.
Thank God for the internet and fox news.
I saw the title and thought it was about Al Gore.
Tiger hand?
Pure blather...and I imagine Rumsfeld was quoted out of context.
Islam has effectly used propaganda and lies to spread hatred for the west. Our number one weapon isn't a return fire of propaganda by the government...it is letting the organs of free speech attack islam (without restraint). Freedom of speech shouldn't be used responsibly...it should be used relentlessly. It should tear into lies and B/S of islam like a lion into a freshly-killed eland.
Winning the hearts and minds of muslims is, IMO, not the goal of the media war. The freedom of speech (including not only the press, but also the arts and literature) must have their way with islam. The goal of this war is to flush islam out of the mosque, to shine the white hot light of reason and truth on it.
If islam can bear up, so be it. Otherwise, islam...RIP!
Of course the Islamic terrorists are winning the media war. They have as active allies the most powerful media outlets in the world - NBC, ABC, CBS (and of course the NYT and most major papers in the U.S. plus most of the media in virtually every EU nation). Every time they kill one of our people they rate more headlines proclaiming their growing success.
In March 2000, CNN showed a picture of the Virgin Mary made out of dung:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/STYLE/arts/03/27/museum.flap/index.html
Right there on CNN’s website you have a picture of "The Holy Virgin Mary" by British artist Chris Ofili. He used elephant dung and images of female genitalia in that ‘work’.
This garbage posing as ‘art’ was deemed offensive to Christians. CNN had no qualms about showing it and offending Christians. It has remained on their web site until today. Nearly five years now.
In fact, if you click on the link above, you will see this ‘work’ - still proudly displayed on CNN’s website.
Now the violent Muslims are rampaging and burning things - again - about a few cartoons, and CNN says, “CNN has chosen to not show the cartoons out of respect for Islam.”
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/05/cartoon.protests/index.html
Follow this link and read the last line in the article.
Hypocrisy?
Do not trust the MSM.
Cleric offers reward for killing cartoonistVow comes as Pakistan arrests scores, including radical Islamic leader
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A Pakistani cleric announced a $1 million bounty for killing a cartoonist who drew the Prophet Muhammad caricatures, as thousands rallied across the country Friday and authorities arrested scores of protesters.....
It doesn't help that most of our media is against us.
After World War II, the USA and the allies CONTROLLED the media, brainwashing the citizens, so as to "de-brainwash" them.
Today, we win the war, then let Al-Jazeera control the media in that area. Pretty stupid, Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Bush. What the hell did you expect? When you practice touchie--feelie political correctness, expect to lose. Why be surprised over this?
Truman and FDR wanted to WIN. That is the stark difference between these loonies and FDR and Truman.
Sounds more like an announcement to me; I mean, it's painfully apparent the ENEMEDIA would rather pick up a snake than give equal time to both sides of the ideological fence. Not only is their bias showing but the Press has no covenant to tell a balanced story, let lone the truth; the medium is a tool of the'intellectuals' who know better, who would, given half a chance, annihilate us 'war-mongering, right-wing bigots' rather than deal with islam as the scourge, the threat to all of mankind that it is.
Why? Because they are cowards. The Left is the 'alternative, progressive' POV. Alternative to what? Self Defense. It's anathema. That's why they bend over and take it.
Progressive? Hey, 'civilized' people don't fight! Which means they don't fight back!
It's a waste of time and effort, totally, to give the ENEMEDIA the time of day. It's deadly, potentially totally destructive of our entire culture, to expect anything other than Marxist ideology from the ENEMEDIA, when we should be DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
I'm hoping the Administration, (and this is what Rummy might be leading up to,) will set up some kind of information organisation. The Left will undoubtedly call it a Propaganda vehicle. But if we are going to fight, let us fight fire with fire. If we wait for the biased ENEMEDIA to play nice, islam will continue to make ground on the ignorance of the majority.
And YES, Political Correctness serves nothing better than islam. Free Speech? It cannot exist if you must be PC at the same time.
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