America Abroad Media

This article is part of the Propaganda Portal project of Spinwatch.

Marc Grossman, America Abroad Media's Judy Woodruff, and Assistant Secretary Daniel Fried

AAM is dedicated to this philosophy - and to independent journalism that is dedicated to the free exchange, informed debate, and critical analysis of ideas. AAM believes in the marketplace of ideas—that journalism in its highest (and truest) form strives to provide citizens with information that will better their understanding of their world and themselves. Founded in 2002 by Dr. Aaron Lobel, AAM has three principal initiatives to carry out our mission.

The three elements are a radio station, a television station and some journalism fellowships, which, now that the cold war is over, will provide "much-needed dialogue between America and the Muslim world." Their web site tells us that the founder:

Prior to founding America Abroad Media, Mr. Lobel was a Research Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C.; National Security Fellow at the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University; and a National Security Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, where he edited Presidential Judgment: Foreign Policy Decision Making in the White House (Hollis Press 2001). Mr. Lobel received a Ph.D. from Harvard University's Department of Government, where he was also awarded the University's top teaching award, the Joseph P. Levenson Prize. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Business for Diplomatic Action and of Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE), and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

And that it is funded by the following organisations and the quotations are from AAM's description:

• The Ford Foundation "a resource for innovative people and institutions around the world. They were founded to advance human welfare, and all of our work flows from this fundamental commitment."

• The Hewlett Foundation "concentrates its resources on activities in education, environment, global development, performing arts, and population."

• the Carnegie Corporation of New York "created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding [...] which he said should aim "to do real and permanent good in this world."

• The Starr Foundation established in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr. It makes grants in a number of areas, including "education, medicine and healthcare, human needs, public policy, culture and the environment."

• The Draper Richards Foundation founded in 2002: Funders William H. Draper, III and Robin Richards Donohoe "believe in the power of innovation and passionate individuals to change the world."

• Smith Richardson Foundation "The mission of the Smith Richardson Foundation is to contribute to important public debates and to help address serious public policy challenges facing the United States. [...]It also seeks to assist with the development of effective policies to compete internationally and to advance U.S. interests and values abroad."

• Ploughshares Fund "enables the smartest people with the best ideas for building a safer, more peaceful world to implement their ideas and achieve results [...] aimed at preventing the spread and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of war, and preventing conflicts that could lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction."

• Stuart Family Foundation "dedicated to strengthening America, at home and abroad. Robert D. Stuart Jr. founded the Foundation in 1986, with the goal to influence public policy and bolster high ethical values and patriotism."

• The Sophia and William Casey Foundation is an independent foundation "established to honor and continue the legacy of the Caseys".

• The Henry Luce Foundation "established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc., to honor his parents who were missionary educators in China. The Foundation builds upon the vision and values of four generations of the Luce family: broadening knowledge and encouraging the highest standards of service and leadership."

To these end AAM has broadcast "America's Funniest Muslim", Azhar Usman, a "Muslim-American comedian, lecturer, and community activist." Thus AAM can proclaim itself "an unparalleled global television series — connecting America and the world for serious discussion about the critical issues of out time." One of which is the pervasive and intrusive nature of US propaganda.

America's Funniest Muslim

AAM is also a partner of The Atlantic Partnership a similar propaganda operation involving many US and UK diplomats and politicians.

Advisory Board

David M. Abshire: President and CEO of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. AAM's biography states that "In 1962, Dr. Abshire and Admiral Arleigh Burke founded the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)." This ignores the fact that the CSIS was co-founded by Ray S. Cline when he was the deputy director of the CIA or the context (the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion). It does not mention Layalina which uses the offices of CSIS to produce its propaganda material. It does mention that Abshire served as a Special Counselor to President Reagan and was the U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 1983 until 1987, but omits his role in the cover-up of Iran/Contra, setting the tone for a list of very partial biographies.

Michael Armacost: Shorenstein Distinguished Fellow, The Asia Pacific Center at Stanford University, Armacost was President of The Brookings Institution in Washington DC from 1995 until July 2002. In the 70s he held senior Asian affairs and international security posts in the State Department, Defense Department, and the National Security Council. U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1989 to 1993, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 1984-1989, and Ambassador to the Philippines from 1982-1984. He is part of Project Syndicate. Armacost joined The Asia Foundation's board of trustees in 1994. The NNDB site states that he is also a member of Member of the Board of AFLAC (1994-), Applied Materials (1993-), Cargill, TRW (a Defense contractor), USEC (2002-)NNBD states this was "Formed 1992 by the US Government as the United States Enrichment Corporation, to provide low-enriched uranium (LEU) for private industry"), American Academy of Diplomacy, Aspen Institute, Bill Bradley for President, Bohemian Grove, Bush-Cheney '04, Council on Foreign Relations, George W. Bush for President, Hoover Institution, McCain 2000, National Committee on US-China Relations Board of Directors and the Trilateral Commission.

Richard L. Armitage: President of Armitage International, Armitage has been the President of Armitage International since March of 2005. Previously, he served as Deputy Secretary of State from 2001 until 2005. Also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS.)

Norman Augustine: Retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, Augustine is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Samuel Berger: Chairman, Stonebridge International LLC a Washington, D.C.- based consulting firm.

Zbigniew Brzezinski: Counselor-In-Residence, Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Robert E. Osgood Professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Henry Catto: Chairman, The Atlantic Council of the United States and the vice-chairman of the Aspen Institute.

William Draper: Managing Director, Draper Richards LP

Ken Duberstein: Chairman and CEO of The Duberstein Group, Duberstein served as U.S. President Ronald Reagan's White House Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1989.

David Gergen: Director of the Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

Marc Grossman: Vice President, The Cohen Group Vice Chairman since June of 2005.

Richard Haass: President of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Chuck Hagel: United States Senator (R-NE)

Lee Hamilton: Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Carla Hills: Chairman and CEO, Hills and Company a Washington D.C.- based consulting company that advises clients on international trade and investment issues

Stanley Hoffman: Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor, Harvard University, he was the Chairman of the Center for European Studies at Harvard from its creation in 1969 until 1995.

Samuel Huntington: Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor and Chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies

Martin Indyk: Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Anthony Lake: Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Aaron Lobel: founded America Abroad Media (AAM) and serves as the organization's president and chairman of the board, as well as executive producer of America Abroad and AAM Television.

Richard Lugar: United States Senator from Indiana and the longest serving senator in Indiana history, having being elected to a fourth term in 1994.

Ernest May: Charles Warren Professor of History, Harvard University

Ron Nessen: Journalist -in-Residence, The Brookings Institution. He served as press secretary to President Gerald Ford from 1974-76.

Thomas Pickering :Vice-Chairman, Hills and Company

Susan Rice: The Stephen and Barbara Friedman Endowed Fellow, The Brookings Institution

Felix Rohatyn:President and Chairman of Rohatyn Associates, LLC. He previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to France under the Clinton Administration from 1997-2000.

Stephen Peter Rosen:the Beton Michael Kaneb Professor of National Security and Military Affairs at Harvard University and director of Harvard's Olin Institute for Strategic Studies.

Dennis Ross:Distinguished Fellow and Counselor at The Washington Institute for Near East

General Brent Scowcroft: president of The Scowcroft Group, an international consulting firm.

James Steinberg: is the Dean of the Lyndon Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

Strobe Talbott: succeeded Michael Armacost as President of the Brookings Institution in July 2002.

Vin Weber is a former Republican Congressman from Minnesota. Currently, Weber is managing partner of the Washington, D.C. branch of lobbying firm Clark & Weinstock.

John C. Whitehead: Chairman of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Mr. Whitehead began his professional career in 1947 at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he worked for 38 years.

James Q. Wilson: is the Ronald Reagan professor of public policy at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy in California, and a professor emeritus at UCLA.

R. James Woolsey: joined Booz Allen Hamilton in 2002 as a Vice-President in the Global Strategic Security practice.

Dr. Philip D. Zelikow: is currently the White Burkett Miller Professor of History at the University of Virginia.

Contact

• Website:http://www.americaabroadmedia.org