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October 24, 2005
Iftaar at the State Department
Secretary of State Rice is hosting an iftaar dinner "to celebrate Ramadan and honor the significance of reflection, generosity, and compassion shared by all religions."
I hope Karen Hughes shows up. She did a marvelous job in Indonesia the other day:
"My state of Texas is very big," she told the students. "So you can imagine my surprise to learn that your country, Indonesia, is three times bigger than my big state of Texas."
Ah well, at least she's a mom.
Posted by eerie at October 24, 2005 10:35 PM
Filed Under: US Foreign Policy
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Comments
Perhaps it hasn't registered with her yet that students in other countries might actually be receiving an education.
Posted by: h sofía at October 25, 2005 12:38 AM
Oh God - she really said that? Oh God. The public diplomacy initiative is becoming more and more embarrassing. I shudder for any Arabists left in State's public diplomacy department (used to be USIA). They must just hate this.
Posted by: Anna in Cairo at October 25, 2005 03:20 AM
That's just a painfully dumb thing to say. Not disastrous but one of those squirm in your seat sort of items.
Posted by: lounsbury at October 25, 2005 06:36 AM
What is Karen Hughes doing on these things anyways? She doesn't make sense for anything other than domestic PR.
Posted by: zurn at October 26, 2005 02:28 AM
Abu Aardvark notes that the new head of Defense PR is some hardline anti-Muslim jerk, who considers Al Jazeera to be working hand in hand with Al Qaida (someone Dorrance - can't remember his exact name), which should do wonders for the US "image in the Muslim world" along with Hughes' appalling combination of condescension and ignorance.
Posted by: Anna in Cairo at October 27, 2005 08:19 AM
