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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: Hawkmoon who wrote (20147)	2/27/2002 6:38:07 PM
From: frankw1900	of 281500

Re VOA. The most listened to radio in Afghanistamn is BBC Farsi and Pashtun programming. But they really program. Not just news, but soaps, health, education, etc.. They do research on the ground using local folk to be sure their programs actually speak to local concerns. They try to tell the truth. It gives the Brits some kind of basic credibilty. I'm sure this all costs money but not very much. What it does require is long term commitment, a clear mandate, and no interference from politicians over short term matters. With respect to the middle east and the islamist propaganda cloud. The islamists have a large head start due to western, particularly US, inattention. I doubt if newspaper, radio and TV will in themselves cut it because the islamists are getting to the kids and young adults in the schools and mosques. Therefore, as I mentioned to TB, the non-islamist folk need to be supported and protected in competing ventures. (TB called this middle east muslim head start program. I say whatever it takes). As ME TV goes, Al Jazeera is the best of a bad lot. It needs competition. Awful of of folk in that part of the world take themselves far too seriously. It's not surprising because so do their leaders and it's not good to get too out of step with that view. The LA Iranian TV story posted here yesterday gets big viewership despite viewing risk because it doesn't take the mullahs seriously at all. More of that sort of thing needs be sent that way. What I'm saying is full court press on all fronts. For ten years it would probably cost a tenth of an advanced weapons system. What the islamists spent wasn't a lot and half of that was probably siphoned away by criminals. The US government (and mine) haven't shown much imagination in this direction.

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