Acme of Skill

Study homeland security this summer with James Carafano

Dr Waller — Sun, 12 May 2013 02:39:11 +0000

You’ve seen homeland security authority James Carafano many times on CNN, Fox News or MSNBC.

How would you like to spend two evenings a week with him this summer?

Now you can. Dr. Carafano is now a professor at the Institute of World Politics. His brand new course, Foundations of Homeland Security, is being offered on Monday and Wednesday nights from June 3 through July 17.

There is still time to apply. Visit StudyHomelandSecurity.org to sign up online.

Coming up on May 11: European embassies’ open house

Dr Waller — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:59:36 +0000

European Union embassies in Washington are holding their seventh annual EU Open House. The March 11 event is open to the public.

“Enjoy an insider’s view of the EU’s headquarters in the U.S.,” the invitation says.

“Learn how the EU delegation and the 27 member countries’ representatives work together. Test your knowledge with the EU quiz and win prizes. Festivities include a photo bough, an interactive wall map, custom luggage tags, Kids Corner, music and refreshments.”

Check out EUinthe US.org for more information.

Latest Wikipedia contributions from my students

Dr Waller — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:20:32 +0000

Take a look at my students’ contributions to Wikipedia this semester! They covered a lot of material in the fields of propaganda, public diplomacy, political warfare, and information operations.

Each year, my graduate students at the Institute of World Politics are assigned to develop or improve Wikipedia pages as part of their class assignments. So far they have started or improved upon more than 200 different Wikipedia topics.

Certain people, organizations and movements out there don’t like some of my students’ topics, and attacked the Wikipedia pages by deleting key information, falsely tagging them as misleading, or simply vandalizing them. These attacks are testaments to my students’ good work.

Others out there in Wikipedia-land helped out by editing, adding material, changing inaccuracies, challenging certain assumptions, and so forth, to improve the products for the public.

Most of the pages are excellent; some are world-class. This year’s topics on Wikipedia include:

Active Measures Working Group;
Architectural propaganda;
Civilization jihad (not active on Wikipedia; the Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t like us discussing this topic since the FBI discovered it in a 2002 bust in Annandale, Virginia);
Cultural diplomacy;
Cultural infiltration;
Cultural intelligence;
Dehellenization;
Economic diplomacy;
Economic jihad;
Haqqani Network;
Leadership analysis;
List of student federations of Pakistan;
New African (propaganda magazine);
Project Solarium;
Semantic infiltration;
The Seekers of Truth and Justice (Sudan/Darfur conflict);
U.S. government informational comics;
United States propaganda comics.

Digital citizen-sleuths: Social media played big role in solving Boston Marathon jihad case

Dr Waller — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:13:23 +0000

Individual citizens, with their digital cameras and social media networks, played a major role in helping authorities solve the Boston Marathon jihadi case.

Call it crowdsourcing intelligence.

Photos, videos, Facebook updates, tweets, and online research and analysis provided substantial clues for police and investigators in identifying and taking down the Islamist brothers who murdered at least four and injured more than 170 on April 15.

It will be interesting to reconstruct exactly how the “army of Davids,” working independently and online, helped authorities piece together clues and provide details about the terrorists.

On April 18, the FBI demonstrated imagery of the suspects, and called upon the public to assist with the investigation.

The public responded so heavily to the FBI’s call for help, that their visits to the FBI website caused the site to crash.

ABC News broadcast an early survey of the role social media played in solving the case.

Muslim Brotherhood can’t take a joke – so let’s keep joking

Dr Waller — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:32:07 +0000

Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi depended on protesters to ridicule the regime he targeted in Egypt, but now that he has become the Egyptian regime, he’s showing he fears the power of ridicule as a political weapon.

Morsi had local comedian and satirist Bassem Youssef set up to be prosecuted for “insulting” him (and Islam) on March 30 of this year, making the Egyptian funnyman an instant cause celebre worldwide.

American comedian Jon Stewart rushed to Youssef’s aid, lampooning Morsi in a stinging April 1 broadcast. The US Department of state weighed in for Youssef as well, Tweeting from the American Embassy in Cairo about Stewart’s anti-Morsi monologue.

Stewart’s April 1 segment is a fine piece of well-informed, sophisticated satire. It was crafted so smartly that both American and Egyptian audiences could readily understand the messages of Morsi’s thin-skinned political pettiness – which Stewart called a form of weakness unbefitting the president of an important nation – and Morsi’s own political hypocrisy.

Morsi, Stewart pointed out, would not be in power today were it not for the protesters and satirists whom he is now persecuting.

Stewart’s April 1 monologue, titled “Viva Hate,” is instructive for study as a very effective piece of political satire.

The US Embassy tweets promoting Stewart’s skewering of Morsi earned mixed reviews, with some being very praiseworthy and others deeming the tweets unbecoming of the Department of State. (This writer thinks the tweets were an excellent idea, if only because official US policy toward Morsi’s Egypt has severely undercut Washington’s options toward the most populous Arab country.)

The controversy surrounding the US Embassy tweets focused worldwide attention on Stewart’s satire and Youssef’s plight, and twisted the political screws on Morsi, who was forced to relent.

Stewart interviewed Youssef on his Daily Show in June 2012. (See part 1 and part 2.)

More information:

Bassem Youssef’s Youtube channel (more than 9.6 million views).
Bassem Youssef on Twitter (more than 1.3 million followers).
Bassem Youssef’s B+ show on Facebook (more than 2.2 million ‘likes’).
CBS on “The Revolutionary Comedy of Egypt’s Bassem Youssef.”

Egyptian protesters call for Morsi to be ousted & put on trial

Dr Waller — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:35:03 +0000

Looks like Egyptians aren’t taking the Muslimbrotherhoodization of their country sitting down. Protesters are now openly calling for President Mohammed Morsi – a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood – to be overthrown and placed on trial for crimes that include politically motivated murder.

Egypt is becoming so fragmented under Morsi’s dictatorial rule that the country’s military leader, General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’, warned that the state could disintegrate.

Egypt is splitting into various factions: generational, secular vs religious, Muslim Brotherhood vs everyone else, and now, regional. Even conservative Muslims are feeling a backlash against them because of Morsi.

The Associated Press reports from Port Said, the frontline city on the Mediterranean end of the Suez Canal:

“Egypt’s unrest began Thursday and accelerated the following day when clashes erupted nationwide amid protests by the opposition marking the two-year anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Port Said’s violence was touched off Saturday when a court issued death sentences against 21 people – mostly local soccer fans – over a bloody soccer riot in the city a year ago. Youths infuriated by the verdicts marched in the streets and clashed with police at a police station and the prison.

“The verdicts were seen by residents as unfairly targeting Port Said. They also tapped into a vein of resentment in a city of 600,000 that prides itself as a national symbol of resistance after being on the front lines of multiple wars with Israel since 1956.

“Many are convinced Morsi and the Brotherhood are trying to sideline the city because of a tradition of defying authority. They were further outraged when Morsi went on TV Sunday night and declared the state of emergency and curfew in Port Said, Suez and Ismailiya. Wagging his finger and shouting, Morsi supported the actions of police in confronting the protesters and warned of stronger measures if calm is not restored.”

Buyers’ remorse

Religious Egyptians who voted for Morsi are now showing buyers’ remorse. AP quotes one bearded Muslim man as lamenting, ”Now people spit in the face of anyone with a beard because of Morsi.”

During a January 29 burial ceremony for youths shot dead by police enforcing Morsi’s repression in Port Said, “women in face veils screamed anti-Morsi slogans in the funeral march,” according to AP. “One woman, Faten el-Tahan, a government worker in a conservative Muslim headscarf, said she wished her ‘hands were cut off’ the day she voted for Morsi in last year’s presidential election.”

“My children told me not to vote for him,” she told AP. “I thought he was a faithful man who knows God. But he turned out to be not faithful and he doesn’t know God. I made a big mistake.”

Focus is on Muslim Brotherhood to back off

That “mistake” has allowed Egyptians to see the Muslim Brotherhood for what it is. Even General El-Sissi’, who was appointed by Morsi, has placed the greatest responsibility on the President.

According to AP, “The opposition contends the crisis is caused by Brotherhood attempts to monopolize power and can only be resolved if it makes major concessions to loosen its grip, including forming a national unity government and rewriting contentious parts of the Islamist-backed constitution.”

That monopolization of power, and the emergence of armed gangs in Egyptian cities, has severely damaged the tourist economy and daily economic life for the average citizen.

“The Brotherhood has dismissed those demands, and Morsi has instead invited the opposition to join a broad dialogue conference. The opposition has refused it as mere window dressing,” says AP. ”The army chief’s comments suggested the military’s impatience with politicians’ power struggles.”

What the US should do

The United States government helped create this mess. Bailing out Morsi’s hated regime is no way to build bridges with the Egyptians. The US should endeavor to penalize the Morsi regime by blocking economic aid to the central government and undermining Morsi’s ability to finance political patronage. That means blocking bilateral programs to the factions of the central government under Morsi’s control, and blocking multilateral funding as with the IMF, and third-party bilateral funding such as that coming from the regime in Qatar.

Washington should also sell, finance or otherwise provide modern military hardware to the Egyptian military if and only if the Egyptian military helps push Morsi from power. The Egyptian armed forces need such weapons for their credibility and to show that they have the necessary international prestige – even if they intervene once again in Egyptian politics.

The default position for the US is generally to reduce or withhold military transfers to armed forces that intervene in politics. In the present-day case of Egypt, such military upgrades should be used as incentives for those armed forces specifically to intervene – or at minimum, not to intervene on behalf of the Morsi regime.

The US should also regularly highlight the Morsi regime’s abuses: human rights, civil rights, economic, police, and more. The credibility of the Muslim Brotherhood must also be highlighted here, providing that, in its first attempt to take office after winning a democratic mandate, the Brotherhood lived up to everything its critics predicted.

Getting the word out: Fighting for a global public opinion advantage

Dr Waller — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 01:39:36 +0000

The Heritage Foundation sponsored a great talk on January 24, in which we discussed the international public opinion battlespace and how to operate within it.

Helle Dale was our host, who invited Dr Amy Zalman, Department of Defense Chair of Information Integration at the National War College; Dr Ariel Cohen, of Heritage, Dean Cheng of Heritage, and me. A really great discussion – along with a fine paper by Dean Cheng.

Take a look at the video.

See you at the public diplomacy event at Heritage

Dr Waller — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:42:14 +0000

On January 24, I’ll be speaking at the Heritage Foundation at noon today with Amy Zalman of the National War College, and Ariel Cohen and Dean Cheng of Heritage, on global public opinion as a force for change and how to harness it. The presentation is to be webcast live. Longtime co-conspirator Helle Dale is chairing the event.

The title of the program is “Getting the Word Out: International Powers Fight for Global Public Opinion Advantage.” I’m looking forward to the presentation on China.

The event is open to the public, and is also viewable live via webcast. Click here for more info.

Egyptian Islamists fear comedian’s jokes

Dr Waller — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:00:45 +0000

Egyptian Islamists are so fearful of jokes undermining their authority that they have taken action against a popular comedian.

Their action to prosecute funnyman Bassem Youssef, who modeled his program after Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, shows yet again how satire and ridicule can be potent weapons against Islamist intolerance.

Youssef (not to be confused with a litigious FBI agent of the same name) rose to prominence in Egypt during the February 2011 revolution that toppled US-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak. Now that Youssef is using his wit against Mubarak’s successor, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi, the comedian has become a target.

Youssef “made fun of President Mohammed Morsi on television,” which Islamists allied with Morsi say “undermines” the Egyptian president and is therefore a crime, the Telegraph of London reports.

Among Youssef’s offenses: Poking fun at Morsi’s repeated use of the word “love” in political speeches. Youssef played love songs and displayed a red pillow with the Egyptian president’s face on it.

“Bassem Youssef’s case will increase worries about freedom of speech in the post-Hosni Mubarak era, especially when the country’s new constitution includes provisions criticized by rights activists for, among other things, forbidding insults,” according to the Telegraph.

Some Salafists have fired back at Youssef with acidic humor of their own. Abu Islam Ahmed Abdallah, an Islamist whose show “Hezbollah” is aired on the Ummah Channel (these are real names, not jokes), appeared to express physical attraction to the comedian, calling Youssef more beautiful than famous Egyptian actresses and saying that he should cover his face.

Al-Ahram cites Abu Islam as saying that Islamic sheikhs who have become involved in politics should not be criticized, “because God gave them the right to enlighten people on what is right and what is wrong and that they can judge who will go to heaven and who will go to hell.”

Abu Islam publicly burned the Christian Bible during the Muslim Brotherhood-backed violent protests of September 11, 2012.

The Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists have been demanding restrictions on freedom of expression and begun high-profile intimidation campaigns against Egyptian artists.

Act quickly for a State Department internship

Dr Waller — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:58:43 +0000

To my students: The State Department is welcoming applications for internships – and anyone interested will have to hurry, because State closes the door on applications quickly.

Don’t apply until the announcement appears in USAJOBS.gov. Set up a saved search, and when the alert arrives, send in your application immediately.

Here is a reprint of the State Department release, sent out yesterday (December 10):

Office of Origin:

HR/SS

Office of Origin:	HR/SS
Announcement Number:	2012_12_062
Date of Announcement:	December 10, 2012

Upcoming Pathways Internship Vacancy Announcements

Pathways Internship Recruitment – Coming Soon!

The Bureau of Human Resources, Office of Shared Services (HR/SS) is pleased to announce that Pathways Internship recruiting will be starting soon!

The first vacancy announcements will be posted on USAJOBS in the next few days, so let all of the students in your life know to prepare their resumes! Once it has been posted on USAJOBS, another Department Notice will be published with the link to the vacancy announcement. Due to the high interest in this program, the open period for this announcement will be limited to a specified number of applications.

As a reminder, The Department’s Pathways Internship Program has two components to allow for flexible recruitment: the Internship Experience Program (IEP) and the Internship Temporary Experience Program (ITEP). These two programs replace all former paid internships (Student Temporary Employment Program, Student Career Experience Program, Cooperative Education Program, DG Priority Program, Stay-in-School Program, and the Summer Clerical Program).

The Internship Experience Program (IEP) allows for non-temporary appointments without a not-to-exceed date. The appointment is expected to last the length of the academic program for which the intern is enrolled, with the ability to extend for 120 days to allow for noncompetitive conversion into the competitive service. IEP participants, while in the program, are eligible for noncompetitive promotions.

The Internship Temporary Experience Program (ITEP) places interns on temporary appointments not to exceed one year, with the possibility of extensions in one-year increments. The temporary nature of ITEP allows for interns to work during seasonal and holiday breaks in academic programs. After successful program completion, ITEP participants are eligible for noncompetitive conversions into the competitive service (just like IEPs). ITEP participants; however, are ineligible for noncompetitive promotions. If an ITEP participant is qualified at a higher grade level, he/she must compete for the position via a USAJOBS vacancy announcement.

The upcoming vacancy announcements under the Pathways Internship Temporary Experience Program (ITEP) and the Pathways Internship Experience Program (IEP) for Office Automation (GS-399, Grades 1–4) positions will be open for interns who would like to work throughout the year as well as those who can only work seasonally (i.e. during the summer and holiday breaks). In the coming months, we also plan to post positions in other areas such as Human Resources, Foreign Affairs, Information Technology, and Program Analysis.

For questions regarding the Pathways Internship Program, please contact HRSC@state.gov.