Washington, May 20: The US, which is fighting a war
against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been "out
communicated" by al Qaeda and Taliban, who have better used
the media as a propaganda tool, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton said on Wednesday.
"We are being out communicated by the Taliban and Al
Qaeda. We have to do a better job," Clinton said in her
testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee
Subcommittee on State and Foreign Affairs.
Acknowledging that al Qaeda and Taliban leaders were
making better use of media and communication technologies to
get their messages out and indulge in propaganda against
Washington and its allies, she said the US has not been able
to counter it successfully so far.
However seeking to change this, the Obama administration
is developing a strategy to make better and effective use of
media and communications to counter the propaganda of the
Taliban and get its message out to the people in the region,
the Secretary of State said.
"We are seeking the resources to deploy a new strategic
communications strategy to combat violence and empower of
moderation in both countries," she said.
A similar view was expressed by Richard Holbrooke, the
Special US Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, in his
testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He said the Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are making an
effective use of communications to get their messages out,
with running FM radio stations on trucks and other smaller
vehicles.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 21:24