Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

Sent to me by reader Joshua Schneider, as he beats me to the Post on a day lost to running with my older son (anticipating fall cross country), a Family with Children from China (Indy chapter) picnic, and "Sky High" with the kids.

Here's the best bits:

Diplomats for Tough Duty

By Tom Brokaw
Sunday, August 14, 2005; B07
Washington Post

With Karen Hughes moving into the post of assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, perhaps there will be more attention from the administration, Congress and the public to the difficult mission she is taking on. It has been on the back burner too long.

Defenders and critics of President Bush's war on terrorism agree on very little except this: There is a critical need for a more energetic, imaginative and effective campaign to promote the American ideals of democracy, tolerance, compassion and economic opportunity in the Islamic world.

It is a large and complex challenge requiring some fundamental changes. One possibility came to me during reporting trips to remote reaches of Afghanistan, where I spent time with U.S. Special Forces and units of the 10th Mountain Division.

Both outfits were stationed in hostile territory doing double duty: fighting the Taliban and trying to hold the hearts and minds of Afghan locals by building schools, medical clinics and roads in their isolated villages . . .

. . . I worried that the two missions of the military would at some point become incompatible, even incendiary . . .

What image lingered, I wondered. The good cop or the bad cop? . . .

The Special Forces concept -- unconventional warriors chosen for their intelligence, stamina, adaptability and range of skills -- has worked well for the military. Why couldn't it work as well for the Foreign Service?

The State Department could recruit young men and women who want an adventurous life and train them as the Diplomatic Special Forces, a kind of Peace Corps plus. Put them through crash courses in local dialects and skills relevant to the areas where they will be assigned. Place them in military outposts in remote areas, an arrangement that would have the added benefit of forging bonds between the military and the diplomatic corps. Give them extra pay and set the bar high so they have the same elite status as the Pentagon's Special Forces.

My guess is that it would be an appealing prospect for members of the younger generation who want to serve their country but not necessarily in military uniform. . .

Hmmm.

Yes, yes, it does sound like a sad rehash of Vietnam-era pacification strategies.

Full story at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081201411.html