U.S. Shows That Soft Power Can Work In A Hard War (Washington Times)…Gary Schaub Jr. Nov 12, 2008.
Soft power is about to come to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) – America’s military command in the Middle East – in a big way.
By winning friends and influencing people, the idea goes, the United States can defuse potential conflicts before they start and achieve America’s goals without firing a shot.
If the next president is patient and trusts Gen. Petraeus’ judgment, the success of the surge can be replicated across the Middle East and Central Asia, and soft-power approaches will permeate American foreign policy for a generation to come.
Gary Schaub Jr. is an assistant professor in the Leadership and Strategy Department of the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Ala.
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