Posted: 2:08 am EDT
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An internal State Department memo paints a dreary view of the Obama administration’s efforts to counter messaging by the Islamic State. And somebody leaked it to the New York Times.

The Coalition’s messaging working group vs. #ISIL can’t manage to communicate with itself, State Dept. official says. http://t.co/PnXRr9I2OL

— Michael R. Gordon (@gordonnyt) June 13, 2015

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UAE reticent, Brits are overeager.” @stengel says US & allies losing social media war v #ISIS. http://t.co/N49ehY2qez pic.twitter.com/CYpDNt7tFG

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) June 13, 2015

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At least #johnoliver no longer mocks them. Major “metric” of success in eyes of pol types. https://t.co/G6hL0cZYmc

— Alberto Fernandez (@VPAFernandez) June 13, 2015

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@stengel‘s internal memo on anti-#ISIL communication strategy, courtesy of another leak in Washington http://t.co/OcucAQ8ia5

— Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) June 13, 2015

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@comradewong why did one Obama admin official leak the memo? To undercut Kerry/Stengel/State?

— Jonathan E. Kaplan (@Jonny99Kaplan) June 13, 2015

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Why, indeed?

The internal memo, dated June 9 is marked SBU or “sensitive but unclassified.” It was drafted and approved by Richard A. Stengel, the State Department’s under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs (State/R) and a former managing editor of Time magazine.  The memo addressed to Secretary Kerry is cleared only by one person, Susan Stevenson, from Stengel’s own Front Office; there are no other addressee.  It’s hard to say how far this memo traveled in 4-5 days before it was leaked but the source could not be too far away from Stengel and Kerry’s offices.

The question now is motive. Who leaked that memo and why? Is it to garner support from higher ups like those in the WH or is it to torpedo Stengel’s “big proposal and immediate improvement” before it get legs. Who gains, who losses from this leak?

The memo is made available online by the NYT.

Pardon me, you’re waiting for the SBU leaker to get caught? We’ll, we’re also waiting for the trap doors for the leakers of the 2010 secret cables sent by then Ambassador Eikenberry on the Afghanistan strategy, and the 2012 top secret cable by then Ambassador Crocker on Pakistani havens.  To-date, none of those leakers have been caught. So, catch the SBU leaker? Good luck!

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