For the White House, it is critical that the current conflict not be perceived as an East vs. West, Muslim vs. Christian holy war. There are 1.2 billion followers of Islam worldwide and majority-Muslim nations stretch halfway around the globe from Morocco to the Philippines. Many of these countries are in strategically vital locations to the U.S. So staying in the good graces of the Islamic world as the effort to bring Osama bin Laden to justice continues is paramount

The White House also has communication goals here at home. As of November 14, not one single American serviceman has been killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan, and public support for the war remains high. But should the progress of the war slow and casualties mount, that could change. So the White House and other administration officials have attempted to set realistic expectations and have avoided promises of a quick conclusion to the conflict.

The Bush administration clearly got off to a slow start in its attempt to control the public relations agenda. Just hours after bombing began in Afghanistan, a videotaped message in which bin Laden ominously threatened more attacks on the West was broadcast on Al-Jazeera (see "What Is Al-Jazeera?"), an influential Arab-controlled television station with millions of Muslim viewers across the Middle East. At just the moment when the U.S. hoped to be portrayed as taking the offensive in the war against international terror, the specter of bin Laden loomed larger than ever.

In the weeks since, though, the U.S. has proven more adept at throwing PR counterpunches. Bin Laden recently appeared again on Al-Jazeera with more threats of terrorism. But this time the U.S. had prepared a response. After the wanted terrorist had completed his remarks, the administration sent a spokesman of its own on Al-Jazeera to outline the American position in nearly perfect Arabic. The spokesman outlined previous military and humanitarian actions carried out by Washington on behalf of Muslim populations around the globe.

The British have also played a key role in the court of international public opinion with U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair acting as a lead prosecutor of sorts, offering evidence on two occasions of al Qaeda's involvement in the September 11 attacks.

To coordinate its communications strategy, a team of top PR pros meets daily to discuss exactly what messages the U.S. and its allies want to convey to the world. Key members of this group include:

• Karen Hughes, counselor to the president: An adviser to Bush since 1994, Hughes has been designated by the president to be the White House point person for all of the government's wartime public relations. Every morning, she meets with four others — three women and one man — to hammer out the message of the day.
• Charlotte Beers, under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department: A legendary former advertising executive, Beers has found ways to market Head and Shoulders shampoo, McDonald's hamburgers and Uncle Ben's rice. Her team at the State Department seeks to coordinate and control how foreign audiences perceive the U.S. during this conflict.
• Victoria "Tori" Clarke, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs: A former ad executive and aide to the first President Bush, she is the Pentagon's chief spokesperson charged with describing military actions on a daily basis.
• Mary Matalin, counselor to the vice president: A longtime TV commentator and Bush family loyalist, Matalin is now a top adviser to Dick Cheney. She helps manage the administration's domestic political message.
• Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary: As the official liaison between the White House and the media, Fleischer briefs reporters daily on the president's policies, actions and statements.

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An MTV News Staff report

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