CRS (Sep 21) - "U.S. Public Diplomacy: Legislative Proposals to
Amend Prohibitions on Disseminating Materials to Domestic
Audiences":
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/R42754.pdf
From the Summary:
Proposed in the 112th Congress, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act
of 2012 (H.R. 5736), and
identical provisions included at Section 1097 of the National
Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal
Year 2013 (NDAA; H.R. 4310), would amend and restate these
two legislative provisions
restricting domestic availability and dissemination of
communications created by the State
Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to
target and influence foreign
publics. The proposed amendments to these provisions would
remove the prohibition on domestic
dissemination of public diplomacy information produced by the
Department of State and the
BBG intended for foreign audiences, while maintaining the
prohibition on using public
diplomacy funds to influence U.S. public opinion.
Proponents of amending these two sections argue that the ban
on domestic dissemination of
public diplomacy information is impractical given the global
reach of modern communications,
especially the Internet, and that it unnecessarily prevents
valid U.S. government communications
with foreign publics due to U.S. officials’ fear of violating
the ban. They assert as well that lifting
the ban will promote the transparency in the United States of
U.S. public diplomacy and
international broadcasting activities conducted abroad.
Critics of lifting the ban state that it may
open the door to more aggressive U.S. government activities
to persuade U.S. citizens to support
government policies, and might also divert the focus of State
Department and the BBG
communications from foreign publics, reducing their
effectiveness.
HT @saftergood,
gf
On 5/24/12 6:26 PM, Gregory Foster
wrote:
Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee marked up a version of
the defense appropriations bill which does NOT include language
supporting the Thornberry/Smith amendment. That language could be
added back in when differences between the House and Senate
versions of the bill are reconciled in conference committee.
BuzzFeed (May 24) - "Senate Bill Drops 'Propaganda' Amendment"
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rebeccaelliott/senate-bill-drops-propaganda-amendment
gf
On 5/21/12 12:32 AM, Gregory Foster wrote:
...has singled himself out as another Texas Congressman worthy
of unseating. His district traverses the Texas panhandle
including Amarillo and Wichita Falls:
http://www.thornberry.house.gov/
http://www.thornberry.house.gov/District/InteractiveMap.htm
The FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (HR 4310),
passed by the House on Friday, had two amendments introduced by
Representative Thornberry. Here's a summary of the first (source),
which was accepted:
114. Thornberry (TX), Smith, Adam (WA) #85 Would amend the
United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948
(known as the Smith-Mundt Act) and the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 to clarify the
authorities of the Department of State and the Broadcasting
Board of Governors to prepare, disseminate and use public
diplomacy information abroad and to strike the current ban on
domestic dissemination of such material. Would clarify that
the Smith-Mundt Act's provisions related to public diplomacy
information do not apply to other Federal departments or
agencies (including the Department of Defense). (10 minutes)
If I'm reading #114 correctly, that would authorize the
deployment of American propaganda on the American population.
Here's the BuzzFeed article that seems to have broken the story,
which cites an anonymous Pentagon source:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mhastings/congressmen-seek-to-lift-propaganda-ban
Here's a press release (May 17) from Washington Representative
Adam Smith's website:
http://adamsmith.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=121987
Here's a related press release (May 15) from Representative
Thornberry's website:
http://thornberry.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=296108
Representative Thornberry's press release concerns his
introduction, with co-sponsor Smith, of HR 5736: "
To amend the United States Information and Educational Exchange
Act of 1948 to authorize the domestic dissemination of
information and material about the United States intended
primarily for foreign audiences, and for other purposes"; it's
been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h5736/show
Wrapping up, I noticed the summary of the second amendment Mr.
Thornberry introduced for attachment to the FY2013 NDAA:
115. Thornberry (TX) #87 Would require the President to
submit to Congress a charter to establish an interagency body
to coordinate and deconflict full-spectrum military cyber
operations. (10 minutes)
Not sure if that amendment was accepted into the bill as
passed. The bill still has to navigate the Senate and win the
President's signature before it's law.
Worth noting that Smith's press release cites an announcement on
May 17th "
before a forum of 150 national security experts and
practitioners" with a link to a video; that link isn't working,
but points to the Center for Strategic and International Studies
- now familiar to me as the
home of cyberwar drummer James Andrew Lewis. Hunting for
that video turns up this appearance of the Smith and Thornberry
show in 2008, "Fighting Terrorism in the 21st Century:
Sharpening the Tools of Strategic Communication and Public
Diplomacy" (includes audio and downloadable
video):
http://csis.org/event/fighting-terrorism-21st-century-sharpening-tools-strategic-communication-and-public-diplomacy
Just beginning that video, and it seems to convey quite a bit
about what these fellows have been up to - for quite some time.
gf
--
Gregory Foster || [email protected]
@gregoryfoster <> http://entersection.com/
|
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