Al Kamen writes: New, improved Karen Hughes?



She ended up last year visiting only nine of the world’s 53 Islamic countries. Still, folks at Foggy Bottom give her some good marks for reorganizing the State Department’s public diplomacy operation to make it more effective. There are now regional offices in London and Dubai with Arabic-speaking U.S. officials to handle public affairs. She lifted the ban on U.S. officials’ appearing on the Arabic world’s No. 1 television station, al-Jazeera – she was on live on Thursday and taped an interview with another major broadcaster, al-Arabiya, as well. Washington Post reporter Al Kamen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia.

Al Kamen writes: New, improved Karen Hughes?

New, improved Karen Hughes?


By AL KAMEN, The Washington Post

Published: Wednesday, Sep. 13, 2006

WASHINGTON – Where’s Karen? When she started out a year ago as public diplomacy czarina, Karen Hughes hit the road to Muslim countries to meet with women’s groups and get a feel for the situation. The audiences weren’t all that receptive. Hostile, even. And her trips got awful reviews.

So Hughes hasn’t been on the road much lately. Then she popped up just before Labor Day to talk about women’s rights at a real world hot spot – Hawaii. We’re told it was a 24-hour visit to speak at an Asia-Pacific conference.

She ended up last year visiting only nine of the world’s 53 Islamic countries. Still, folks at Foggy Bottom give her some good marks for reorganizing the State Department’s public diplomacy operation to make it more effective. There are now regional offices in London and Dubai with Arabic-speaking U.S. officials to handle public affairs. She lifted the ban on U.S. officials’ appearing on the Arabic world’s No. 1 television station, al-Jazeera – she was on live on Thursday and taped an interview with another major broadcaster, al-Arabiya, as well.

And having Adam Ereli, a former department spokesman and an Arabic speaker, in the London office most likely is more effective diplomacy than a speech by Hughes – especially since she seems to give the same tired stories – being mistaken for Madeleine Albright, mistaken for Condoleezza Rice, not used to being called “ambassador” – every single time.

We’re told she’s hitting the road next month to Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Let’s hope with some new material.

When this story was posted in October 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

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He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

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Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

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Support the US-Peruvian Trade Pact Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, the Peace Corps President, has been lobbying both Democratic and Republican legislators to support the US-Peruvian trade pact before July 28, when his term ends and a US congressional recess begins. If President Bush fails to get approval before Congress goes on recess, it will be a case study proving that the United States does not reward its friends. Please call your representatives.

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PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

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History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

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