USC Center on Public Diplomacy

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Published: APR 12, 2005 - 11:42AM PST

Special Reports
Special reports are articles collecting the most relevant public diplomacy articles and information on topical issues, and are posted periodically by our research team at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

KAREN HUGHES’ APPOINTMENT AS UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
APR 12, 2005 - 11:42AM PST
by Amelia H. Arsenault

Download this report [PDF] On March 14, 2005, Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice announced that President George W. Bush intends to nominate his long time friend and senior advisor, Karen Hughes as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy. According to Rice, if the Senate confirms Hughes’ appointment, “she will undertake a broad review and restructuring of [American] public diplomacy efforts.” Hughes’ nomination coincided closely with two controversial presidential appointments: Undersecretary of State, John Bolton as Ambassador to the United Nations and US Deputy Defense Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz as the head of the World Bank. Thus coverage and commentary about Hughes’ appointment has been largely subsumed by broader discussions about Bush’s decision to appoint three “Bush insiders” to such high profile foreign policy positions. For the most part, press and political pundits alike herald Hughes’ appointment as a sign of the Bush administration’s commitment to bolstering American public diplomacy. However, they remain divided about Hughes’ foreign policy experience and her ability to adequately address American credibility issues abroad. Less controversial is the fact that Hughes’ deputy at the State Department will be Dina Powell, currently White House head of personnel. Powell, who was born in Egypt and moved to the United States when she was four, stands out as one of the few upper-level U.S. diplomats fluent in Arabic. The following is an aggregation of key articles and commentary about Hughes’ nomination. If you would like to post your reactions and ideas about her appointment, you can add your comments at the bottom of this page. Advice to Bush: Image Improvement is Achieved by Policies, Not by Propaganda (Ahmad Mahir, Former Egyptian Foreign Minister, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, April 1, 2005) “The United States then resorted to appointing a media expert, close to President Bush and his ideology, who is responsible for "polishing and embellishing" (the US image). She is assisted by an expert of Egyptian origin who also used to work at the White House. All agree that (US State Department Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy) Karen Hughes and her assistant are held in high esteem, but they are like two skilful swimmers trying to swim in a cavernous tsunami.” (Full text Translation available on LexisNexis) Karen Hughes: Extreme World Makeover (David Corn, Globalpolicy.Org, March 31, 2005) Corn, a columnist for the Nation, warns that, “as a White House aide, [Karen Hughes] used P.R. tactics, not the truth, to push Bush's reckless policies. Now she'll do the same concerning the United States' image abroad. (If she could sell Bush to the American voters, maybe she can sell dirt as food.)” Memo To: Karen Hughes (Robert Satloff, Weekly Standard, March 28, 2005) Writes Satloff, “Congratulations on your nomination as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. Though this is a third-level State Department appointment, with an office about a half-mile away from your former prime spot in the West Wing of the White House, it is actually one of the most important jobs in the U.S. government. Like the generals in charge of the wars…... FULL TEXT