Mission Al-Jazeera: MEI Book Launch with Josh Rushing
Event Featuring:
Overview
Josh Rushing discussed his recently published book, Mission Al-Jazeera: Build a Bridge, Seek the Truth, Change the World. By describing the reluctance of the US military to engage Al-Jazeera, Mr. Rushing illustrated the general negative opinion that many Americans have towards the Arab media. He argued that reluctance to provide information to the network only adds to America’s unpopularity. He also stressed the importance of greater interaction between the US government and Al-Jazeera, so as to improve the image of America in the Middle East.
Event Summary
osh Rushing began his presentation by relating his experience as a US military spokesperson in the Middle East during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. While covering the Iraq war at the US military “Central Command” center in Doha, he met the technological staff from Al-Jazeera. Through his interactions with the staff, his initial negative views of the network changed. Eventually, he was appointed the military’s top correspondent to the Arab press, responsible for interacting with and giving interviews to networks such as Al-Jazeera.
Mr. Rushing emphasized that the US military must embrace Al-Jazeera and empower it with information in order to win the conflict of ideas in the Middle East. Referring back to his experience in Doha, he noted that the US military often reacted harshly to his desire to engage the network; in one instance, a superior questioned his loyalty to the US. Another example came during a military press conference in Doha, when his request to General Tommy Franks to direct the first question to the Al-Jazeera correspondent was immediately dismissed.
Upon leaving Doha, Mr. Rushing became the US Marine Corps (USMC) representative in Los Angeles. To his surprise, he received a call congratulating him on the documentary Control Room, recently shown at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Without notifying him, the producers of the movie used footage from an interview he had given while stationed in Doha. While the documentary garnered much attention, the Pentagon did not allow him to comment. Mr. Rushing’s frustration over this restriction and the media’s portrayal of the war in Iraq eventually led him to resign from the USMC after fourteen years of service. When a former BBC reporter offered Mr. Rushing a position as a correspondent for the new Al-Jazeera English network, he accepted and continues to work with the channel.
During the question and answer session following his presentation, Mr. Rushing reiterated the importance of US government support for Al-Jazeera, the largest English language international network after CNN and BBC World. He stated that Al-Jazeera, with its main headquarters in Qatar and numerous bureaus around the world, has much credibility in the Middle East. If utilized properly, this credibility could be an important tool in the effort to improve America’s image in the region. As Al-Jazeera increases its coverage area, Mr. Rushing expressed his hope that its popularity will also build in the US.
About this Event
Josh Rushing offered these remarks at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC on July 2, 2007.
Speaker Details
Josh Rushing is a 14-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps and has held ranks from private to captain. He gained fame through the documentary Control Room, which illustrates his tribulations as the US military’s chief spokesman for the Arab World. Currently, he serves as a correspondent and military analyst for Al Jazeera English. He has been on a number of television programs, including the Today Show, Anderson Cooper 360, The O'Reilly Factor, and most recently, The Daily Show.
Attributions
Artin Afkhami, a rising senior and Middle East Studies major at the University of California, Berkeley and current intern in MEI’s Public Policy Center, wrote this policy brief. This brief was peer-edited by Development intern Nazia Moqueet, Economics and Middle Eastern Studies major at Colgate University.
