Publications and Presentations
2006 - 2007 - 2008 - 2009 - 2010
Lessons from Aceh Terrorist De-Radicalization
Mark Woodward, Ali Amin & Inayah Rohmaniyah
Although the International Crisis Group’s reports on radicalism in Indonesia are extremely detailed and well informed, their recommendations tend to be short-term solutions aimed at preventing terrorist acts in the near term. This report argues the value of a longer term approach to both prevent radicalization as well as to rehabilitate jihadis who have been identified and arrested. Although the “soft” approach to imprisoning arrested jihadis is more successful than harsher approaches, this approach still has counterproductive shortfalls, such as allowing unrepentant radicals the opportunity to preach to inmates and guards. Allowing ustad and imam with similar theological backgrounds but without sympathies for terrorism would be an effective way to counter radicalism in prisons as it would not represent a major shift in theological views of terrorists but rather in how they act with respect to terrorism.
This report also shows that although there appear to be three different groups that have emerged from Jemaah Islamiyah, their goals remain the same and they differ only with regard to which tactics to employ. Thus, disengagement efforts aimed at shifting perceptions of operational or tactical matters may be more effective than attempts at de-radicalization that require the transformation of worldviews and identities. However further research is needed on the cognitive restructuring processes involved in these kinds of transformations.
Out of Their Heads and Into Their Conversation: Countering Extremist Ideology
Angela Trethewey, Steven R. Corman & Bud Goodall
This paper advocates a different view of ideology, not as something that lives in the heads of extremists, but as as a system of ideas about how things are or ought to be that circulates in social discourse. This view helps us see ideology not as a fixed individual motivator but as something subject to influence through strategic communication. The paper identifies four functions of ideology, naturalizing, obscuring, universalizing, and structuring. Understanding these functions creates the opportunity for countermeasures designed to disrupt them, which are outlined in the paper.
Israeli Nukes versus Palestinian Slingshots
Ronald Lukens-Bull & Mark Woodward
This paper analyzes Indonesian press reportage of the recent conflict in Gaza claims that the Israelis used “Nuclear Weapons.” To Western readers these reports appear to be wildly inaccurate, buy they reveal local interpretive strategies that bring order to a complex body of information concerning the conflict. The coverage analyzed here evokes the shared Jewish, Christian and Muslim narrative of David and Goliath, and is an example of demonization that is common in such conflicts. Such narratives construct reality for local populations regardless of whether they are literally true.
Strategic Communication on a Rugged Landscape: Principles for Finding the Right Message
Steven R. Corman & Kevin J. Dooley
This paper addresses this issue by applying the concept of rugged landscapes to the problem of finding the right message(s) in U.S. strategic communication. We currently view the landscape as simple whereas it is actually rugged, virtually guaranteeing sub-optimal performance. To improve its chances of success in the search for the right message(s), the paper recommends the U.S. adopt four principles: Leap before you look, use the force, simplify structure, and accept downside risk.
(Re)Defining the Long War: Toward a New Vocabulary of International Terrorism
Aaron Hess & Z. S. Justus
The language of war continues to dominate discourse about U.S. efforts against terrorist organizations. This paper examines the rhetorical consequences of framing the conflict in traditional “war” language. It finds that doing so occludes the consensus that this is a different kind of conflict, making it difficult to communicate success, and ultimately impeding efforts to sustain public support for the action. Heeding recent calls to provide a clear alternative, it recommends reframing the conflict in terms of international crime, and outlines the advantages of doing so. It illustrates the approach by modifying a speech delivered by President Bush on the 2006 anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to include the new framing.
Islam, Pluralism and Democracy
Mark Woodward
It is now common in both academic and policy circles to ask the question “Where are the liberal Muslims?” Abrurrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia, leads the world’s largest Muslim organization and advocates for human rights, democracy and religious pluralism. In 1990 he wrote a paper, translated here by Mark Woodward, which was strongly critical of the Suharto regime. When that regime collapsed in 1997, Wahid worked to ensure that the political process did not become a vehicle for sectarian strife, and in doing so helped prevent radicals from dominating Indonesian political and religious discourse as they have in many other Muslim countries. Because of his strong religious credentials, Wahid’s paper provides a case study of how Islamic ideas can function as arguments promoting democratic politics.
A 21st Century Model for Communication in the Global War of Ideas
Steven R. Corman, Angela Trethewey, & Bud Goodall
The present strategic communication efforts by the U.S. and its allies rest on an outdated, 20th century message influence model that is no longer effective in the complex global war of ideas. In this paper we explain why message influence strategies fail and what must be done to break the cycle of communication dysfunction. After describing a new pragmatic complexity model, we offer four principles of effective communication in the global war of ideas based on this model.
One Message for Many Audiences: Framing the Death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Z. S Justus & Aaron Hess
Globalization and telecommunications technology have made every message global. In this paper we explore this concept as it intersects with the recent death of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi through Entman’s model of cascading activation. We argue that the decision to release photos of Zarqawi’s body was a mistake that allowed terrorist organizations to quickly label Zarqawi a martyr. Finally, we offer strategic principles that reflect a more culturally-sensitive and symbolically nuanced approach to message crafting.
Strategic Ambiguity, Communication, and Public Diplomacy in an Uncertain World: Principles and Practices
Bud Goodall, Angela Trethewey, & Kelly McDonald
There is widespread recognition that the U.S. public diplomacy efforts worldwide have failed. This paper explores two major reasons for failures of communication in public diplomacy: (1) reliance on an outdated one-way model of influence, and (2) an inability to prepare for, or respond to the jihadi media and message strategy that has thus far dominated local cultural interpretations of U.S. diplomatic objectives. We propose a reframing of current communication policy around a model of strategic ambiguity and offer five principles to inform the development of that policy.
Credibility in the Global War on Terrorism
Steven R. Corman, Aaron Hess, & Z. S. Justus
The perceived credibility of the United States government on the global stage has never been lower. This impedes its ability to fight, much less to win, the “war of ideas” that is part of the global war on terrorism. This paper reviews the concept of credibility from the works of Aristotle through the present day. It demonstrates the need for further research on credibility, especially in non-Western cultures of strategic importance to the U.S. It also make four recommendations for deploying messages and communication policy while longer term efforts to improve credibility proceed.
The Iranian Letter to President Bush: Analysis and Recommendations
Bud Goodall, Linell Cady, Steven R. Corman, Kelly McDonald, Mark Woodward, & Carolyn Forbes
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently wrote to U.S. President George W. Bush, the first official communiqué from the Iranian government to the U.S. since the two countries broke diplomatic ties in 1979. The letter was dismissed by U.S. spokespersons as a “meandering screed” that did not address the current U.S. concerns over the nuclear energy program initiated by President Ahmadinejad. In this paper we argue that the letter is intended to reach a broad international audience, it is not a “meandering screed” but instead is an organized and coherent statement, and that it represents a dakwah or invitation, which may be interpreted as a call to Islam and/or a prelude to violence. We recommend that the U.S. develop an independent process for analyzing and managing diplomatic communication and that the U.S. open communication by formulating a response to the letter.
Communication and Media Strategy in the Jihadi War of Ideas
Steven R. Corman & Jill S. Schiefelbein
Recent controversies surrounding U.S. efforts to influence media in Iraq and the Middle East signal increasing interest in the war of ideas that is part of the conflict between the West and the worldwide jihadi movement. CSC has compiled a report entitled Communication and Media Strategy in the Jihadi War of Ideas that describes how jihadis use sophisticated communication and media methods to legitimate and propagate their movement, and intimidate their enemies. The report is based on recently released texts captured during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, translated statements from jihadi leaders, and other open source documents, such as speeches and website material.