"They hate our policies, not our freedom"

The Defense Science Board, a Federal advisory committee, consisting of 32 appointed members and seven ex officio members, established to provide independent advice to the SecDef, released its September 2004 report about U.S. worldwide communication and public relations efforts in the 'War on Terrorism' to the public this past week. The report had been available on the DSB website in early November, but I find it curious that it was not released until after the election. Could it be that it was not released until now because it is critical of the President's policies? Yes, it could!

In fact, the DSB report takes the administration to task for its failure to live up to its rhetoric. The report is highly critical of the administration's use of the language of freedom and democracy while at the same time supporting Muslim governments that are perceived as tyrannical throughout the Middle East region.

'Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies [the report
says]. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as
one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the
long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as
tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf
states. Thus, when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to
Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy.'

To read more about this significant contribution to the debate about the War on Terrorism, see the CSMonitor's "Terrorism and Security Daily Update" for Monday, 29 November 2004.