Rising middle-level powers such as Turkey and Iran in the Middle East and Brazil in South America now are challenging the diplomatic supremacy of Washington. Earlier this month, the new contours of diplomatic power were on display in Istanbul.

Turkey has long been seen as a land bridge between East and West. For decades it has tried to impress Europe and to persuade Europe to let it join the European Union. In recent times, Turkey has been refurbishing its ties with countries that border it like Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Jared Cohen, who sits on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s policy planning staff, calls himself a technopragmatist. Technology is neither good nor bad, he said. “The technologies themselves don’t choose sides; people do.”

From Obama and Hillary, to Kobe and Michelle (Kwan), the U.S. Pavilion features some of the most recognizable celebrity “brand ambassadors” for the country.  But the most visible presence belongs to the student ambassadors.  This video blog highlights their experiences at the Expo.

Paul Foldi and his colleagues on (fellow Hoosier) Senator Richard Lugar's staff have prepared the report: "U.S. International Broadcasting -- Is Anybody Listening? -- Keeping the U.S. Connected." This is an uncommonly thorough and thoughtful report about the challenges to U.S.

As the administration did with its recent National Security Strategy—in which the enemy was identified only as Al Qaeda and any reference to Islamism was left out—the Obama team seems eager to paint the Muslim world as largely blameless for the actions of a few deranged individuals. It is part of Obama’s broader strategy of winning back the affections of the Islamic world.

Dan Sreebny has joined the Office of Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale as a Senior Media Advisor.

A fresh crisis in former Soviet Central Asia offers an opportunity for cooperation when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev calls on President Barack Obama at the White House next week.