Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently criticized the US military’s outreach to Muslims during the 91st annual national convention of the American Legion. He argued that there is not enough emphasis placed on building trust and credibility with Muslims, reports the Washington Post.

Mullen explained that current outreach efforts are being grossly mishandled, saying that government actions seldom fulfill promises, consequently hurting “ourselves and the message we are trying to send when it appears we are doing something merely for the credit."

He further noted that strategic communication tends to blur the message rather than achieve any specific goal. "Most strategic communication problems are not communications problems at all," Mullen wrote, "They are policy and execution problems."

Efforts to reach out to the Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim world are a top priority of the vast communications and public relations scheme of the Defense Department, says Anne Gearan for the Associated Press. According to public opinion polls across the Muslim world, many of the US military’s public relations efforts are discredited or wasted.

A survey of two dozen nations conducted this spring found that positive public attitudes toward the United States have surged in many parts of the world since President Barack Obama's election, but not in most Arab and Muslim regions.

Mullen noted that one major failure of the US military was the abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The US’s image problem is not due to a lack of skill on the part of the communicators. "Our messages lack credibility because we haven't invested enough in building trust and relationships, and we haven't always delivered on promises," he said

Admiral Mullen also suggested that America must live up to its own values in order to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world, continues BD News 24. The admiral's views are widely shared by many in the Muslim world despite the fact that President Obama has sought to differentiate himself from his predecessor George W. Bush by publicly declaring that America does not intend to lead the rest of the world by force, but by example.

However, BD News 24 remarks that according to analysts, the perception of America remains very negative, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan where local populations are still greatly affected by US military action.

According to the New York Times, Pakistani officials recently told Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke that America was widely despised in their country because, they said, the US was obsessed with finding and killing Osama bin Laden to avenge the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Admiral Mullen cited American efforts to rebuild Europe after World War II and containing communism during the Cold War as examples of American successes that did not depend on opinion polls or strategic communication plans.

In recent weeks, members of Congress also have expressed concern about the government's programs for strategic communication, public diplomacy and public affairs.

The Senate Armed Services Committee issued a report last month noting that while "strategic communications and public diplomacy programs are important activities," it was unclear whether these efforts were integrated within the Pentagon or across other departments and agencies. "Nor is the committee able to oversee adequately the funding for the multitude of programs," the Senate report stated.

Mullen did not single out specific government communications programs for criticism but insisted, "There has been a certain arrogance to our 'strat comm' efforts." He also remarked that "good communications runs both ways." Emphasizing the need for mutual understanding and a reciprocal dialogue, Mullen added that the US must learn to be more receptive to Muslim’s needs and wishes.