Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Interview With Edward Djerejian
Aired October 01, 2003 - 14:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Edward Djerejian leads the advisory panel on public diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim world. One of its conclusions: America's image has reached shocking levels.
Edward, thanks for being with us. These commercials, one that we just watched from the Shared Values, Muslims in the U.S. living here, living dignified lives, of course. The Muslim world refused to run these commercials so they were pulled. Why?
AMB. EDWARD DJEREJIAN, ADVISORY GROUP ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: Well, certain countries that refuse to run them -- and I think there was some political considerations on the part of the governments in the region.
But what we did, we were mandated by Congress to put together an advisory group to look at the whole direction of our public diplomacy throughout the Arab and Muslim world. And we published our findings today. And basically what we found, which is really important, is that in the daily discourse, discussions, debates, conversations that going on in the Arab and Muslim world, we as Americans are not present in any significant way or our point of view isn't.
And so the whole thrust of our report is basically geared to giving a whole strategic direction to our public diplomacy from the White House on down, to arm our embassies and our people in the field with the human and financial resources they need and to creatively use through the Internet and other instruments better outreach and effective discourse in dialogue with the peoples in this region.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about some of the solutions that you proposed. Because there is a big difference between P.R. and informing the world on American policies. I was reading here some of the suggestions -- building more libraries overseas in Muslim areas, information centers, translate more Western books into the cultural language, more exchange programs. These seem like great ideas.
And the question is, is the money, there is the effort there? A lot of money has already gone toward these efforts, but you don't see a lot of the programs coming forward.
DJEREJIAN: Right, first of all, the resources, the financial resources and some of the human resources sadly are not there. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, frankly we've let down our guard. And basically, the so-called end of history didn't happen.
We find ourselves now in a similar struggle for the battle of minds with a very important part of the world, the Arab and Muslim world. It's a battle of ideas.
We were told -- my group is told in the field, that if you Americans do not start to find yourself in this part of the world, the extremists and Islamists will define you for yourself.
And that's the nub of the issue, we are simply not present in an effective way. And one of the problems is we do not have a strategic coordinated policy and public diplomacy, and we are making some very important structural organizational changes, the recommendations from the White House on down...
PHILLIPS: Do you have faith those changes will be made?
DJEREJIAN: Well, let me tell you about -- our advisory group has been mandated by the House Appropriations Committee, and specifically Congressman -- representative from Virginia Frank Wolf.
And in the supplemental language, the Congress said that FY-2004 appropriations and beyond are not going to be considered until our advisory group's report is published and the administration has reacted to it. So that gives us an additional responsibility. We have the attention of the White House, the National Security Council, the State Department, even the Defense Department. Everyone is aware we have a problem. We have the attention of Congress.
So I am hopeful that some of our recommendations will actually be carried out.
PHILLIPS: Ambassador Edward Djerejian, thank you so much for your time. Of course anyone that hasn't had a chance to hear or see this report, front page of "The New York Times" today, a very good article.
Thank you, sir. We appreciate it your time.
DJEREJIAN: Thank you. Good to be with you.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 1, 2003 - 14:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Edward Djerejian leads the advisory panel on public diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim world. One of its conclusions: America's image has reached shocking levels.
Edward, thanks for being with us. These commercials, one that we just watched from the Shared Values, Muslims in the U.S. living here, living dignified lives, of course. The Muslim world refused to run these commercials so they were pulled. Why?
AMB. EDWARD DJEREJIAN, ADVISORY GROUP ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: Well, certain countries that refuse to run them -- and I think there was some political considerations on the part of the governments in the region.
But what we did, we were mandated by Congress to put together an advisory group to look at the whole direction of our public diplomacy throughout the Arab and Muslim world. And we published our findings today. And basically what we found, which is really important, is that in the daily discourse, discussions, debates, conversations that going on in the Arab and Muslim world, we as Americans are not present in any significant way or our point of view isn't.
And so the whole thrust of our report is basically geared to giving a whole strategic direction to our public diplomacy from the White House on down, to arm our embassies and our people in the field with the human and financial resources they need and to creatively use through the Internet and other instruments better outreach and effective discourse in dialogue with the peoples in this region.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about some of the solutions that you proposed. Because there is a big difference between P.R. and informing the world on American policies. I was reading here some of the suggestions -- building more libraries overseas in Muslim areas, information centers, translate more Western books into the cultural language, more exchange programs. These seem like great ideas.
And the question is, is the money, there is the effort there? A lot of money has already gone toward these efforts, but you don't see a lot of the programs coming forward.
DJEREJIAN: Right, first of all, the resources, the financial resources and some of the human resources sadly are not there. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, frankly we've let down our guard. And basically, the so-called end of history didn't happen.
We find ourselves now in a similar struggle for the battle of minds with a very important part of the world, the Arab and Muslim world. It's a battle of ideas.
We were told -- my group is told in the field, that if you Americans do not start to find yourself in this part of the world, the extremists and Islamists will define you for yourself.
And that's the nub of the issue, we are simply not present in an effective way. And one of the problems is we do not have a strategic coordinated policy and public diplomacy, and we are making some very important structural organizational changes, the recommendations from the White House on down...
PHILLIPS: Do you have faith those changes will be made?
DJEREJIAN: Well, let me tell you about -- our advisory group has been mandated by the House Appropriations Committee, and specifically Congressman -- representative from Virginia Frank Wolf.
And in the supplemental language, the Congress said that FY-2004 appropriations and beyond are not going to be considered until our advisory group's report is published and the administration has reacted to it. So that gives us an additional responsibility. We have the attention of the White House, the National Security Council, the State Department, even the Defense Department. Everyone is aware we have a problem. We have the attention of Congress.
So I am hopeful that some of our recommendations will actually be carried out.
PHILLIPS: Ambassador Edward Djerejian, thank you so much for your time. Of course anyone that hasn't had a chance to hear or see this report, front page of "The New York Times" today, a very good article.
Thank you, sir. We appreciate it your time.
DJEREJIAN: Thank you. Good to be with you.
PHILLIPS: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
