Jones, who first toured the Middle East and North Africa in 1953 with the jazz musician Lionel Hampton, said: "I have long been a vocal proponent of music and the arts being a great asset in building bridges between people and cultures."

...Doyle focuses on the "soft power" applied in negotiations between American forces and Sunni Sheiks in forming an alliance to kick al Qaeda out of Iraq. This narrative in the story should be evaluated in understanding how we ought to employ U.S. military and diplomatic resources in the Middle East today.

While some continue to emphasise the need for either more troops or a renewed effort at U.S. public diplomacy in Iraq as the deadline draws nearer, Iraq will continue to face significant challenges in its domestic political arena.

That manual has become the guide for counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. It emphasizes that military power alone can’t succeed against an insurgency, and the importance of public diplomacy as part of a “comprehensive strategy employing all instruments of national power.”

The Babil Provincial Reconstruction Team, with support from 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, officially opened the doors of the historic Babylon Museum Sunday.The restoration of this historic landmark is a reflection of the U.S. Government's commitment to implementing the Strategic Framework Agreement...

Whalon says the Christian community of Iraq, which numbered about 1.2 million before the war began, now is down to about 400,000, with many moving out under the threat of death. After the attack in October, the number of people on waiting lists seeking refuge in France swelled to more than 4,000.

Eleven Tufts students with the New Initiative for Middle East Peace (NIMEP) spent two weeks in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq on a fact-finding mission in January. Participants met with several local leaders, including Kurdistan's regional president Massoud Barzani.

A top U.S. State Department official says Iran's efforts to exercise "hard power" in Iraq have failed, prompting Tehran to try to influence its western neighbor through the use of "soft power," or more indirect means.