Your tax dollars at work: broadcasting terrorist messages

With screw-ups like this, is it any wonder we're faring so poorly in our multitude of taks in the Middle East?
Al Hurra television, the U.S. government's $63 million-a-year effort at public diplomacy broadcasting in the Middle East, is run by executives and officials who cannot speak Arabic, according to a senior official who oversees the program.

That might explain why critics say the service has recently been caught broadcasting terrorist messages, including an hour-long tirade on the importance of anti-Jewish violence, among other questionable pieces.

(HT: C&L) Ouch. I think this is kind of symbolic of all our efforts in Iraq: We make some ham-fisted attempt to win hearts and minds, appoint a bunch of people who don't know what they're doing to run it, and then discover our efforts have been infiltrated or co-opted by those who wish us ill.

Comments

Timothy Carter said…
Wow, I step away from your blog for a week and look at all the stuff you've done! Cool. Or not cool, depending on your outlook. Cool stuff that you've done, but the television station broadcasting terrorist messages thanks to hapless Americans is not so cool. If you take my meaning. And I'm sure that you do.
Zachary Drake said…
Thanks for stopping by again, Timothy. I hope work finds you soon!

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