These are the images of the Syrian conflict, the first war in which the prevalence of camera phones and Internet access has allowed hundreds of gruesome war crimes to be broadcast, spreading hatred and fear. They are defining the war that is spilling across Syria’s borders and making reconciliation an ever more distant prospect.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce the release of the free “American English” mobile application for lower-tech feature phones and Android devices. Developed in partnership with English Education Alliance (E2A) members, biNu and Worldreader, the application provides new audiences worldwide with “anytime, anywhere” English language learning resources on the mobile devices they already own.

Praise for Ms. Clinton came from Philip Seib who is the director of the Center on Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. He claimed that "her skill in advancing the use of public diplomacy was a highlight of her tenure as secretary."

Overall, the members of Della Mae demonstrated that they are among the best cultural ambassadors the U.S. has to offer, not only because of their immeasurable talent, but because of their ability to build relationships on a one-to-one basis.

In a few days, Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will visit Washington, a significant step for the country which has NATO’s second largest conventional army. The visit will also take place after a deeply troubled Turkish-Israeli relationship will have been reset at a proper level, after President Barack Obama’s successful intermediation.

A collection of valuable books was donated to the Qatar National Library’s Heritage Collection Building, by Carmen De La Peٌa, Spain’s Ambassador, recently. It was presented in collaboration with the Islamic Library of the Spanish Agency for Cooperation and Development (AECID) and Casa Arabe, a Spanish public diplomacy institution focused on relations with the Arab world.

The Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP) will meet on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. in Room 1105 of the Harry S. Truman Building. Hosted by Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Jose W. Fernandez and Committee Chairman Theodore Kassinger, the meeting will last until approximately 4:00 p.m. and is open to the public.

In light of the ongoing controversy over Benghazi, the New York Times’ Room for Debate asked contributors to weigh in on Hillary Clinton’s record as secretary of state. Clinton drew significant praise from some contributors. Philip Seib of the Center on Public Diplomacy said, “More than any previous secretary of state, Clinton ‘got it’ in terms of understanding the importance of public diplomacy as a foreign policy tool.”