Iraqi Dissident, "Keep Hammering On The Same Nail"

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The State Department is providing media training to Iraqi dissidents to "help make the Bush administration's argument for the removal of Saddam Hussein," PR week reports. In addition to teaching the 17 Iraqis how to write "effective op-eds and speeches," the State Department is giving direction on "what to speak about in order to convince the public of the need to topple Hussein." PR Week reports a State Department spokeswoman saying, "The message is democracy. The message is open and free elections. The message is what we have in our basic Bill of Rights." WNYC's "On the Media" spoke with Muhanned Eshaiker, who serves on the board of the Iraqi Forum for Democracy and is receiving State Department training. Eshaiker told "On the Media," "I think the Iraqis in exile were not really taking advantage of the media opportunities. ... We probably stumble or wait and say well, I mean what's the use -- everybody knows he's a criminal, so what's the use if we just add another story over or another crime? But everything counts! You know, the -- if we keep hammering on the same nail, the nail is going to find its way through."