A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 19 in Haifa. The Israelis launch attacks deep inside Syria. The U.S. government stands on the sidelines, unwilling to act or to criticize for fear of jeopardizing what it calls its “global war on terror.”

At the same time, a new report shows the image of the U.S. in Arab and Muslim countries is at an all time low. The author, a former U.S. Ambassador, says “We have failed to listen and to persuade. We have not taken the time to understand our audience, and we have not bothered to help them understand us.” He argues for more money for advertising and education. Others say the U.S. image won’t change, until its foreign policy does.

Guests:

Edward Djerejian, Chair, U.S. State Department Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World and Founding Director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University

Rami Khouri, Executive Editor, The Daily Star, Beirut, Lebanon