When the United States invaded Iraq, Texas Marine Josh Rushing was posted to an unconventional battlefield: the U.S. media center in Doha, Qatar, which housed all the important news networks covering Iraq. As a media officer, Rushing was given talking points and soon found himself providing reporters with the White House spin on the war. But when he was appointed to act as point person for Al Jazeera, the largest Arabic-language news channel in the world, everything changed. Through his conversations with Al Jazeera reporters, Rushing became acquainted with the nuances of Arab identity and the range of political opinion in the Arab world. Paradoxically, this knowledge and sensibility led to his silencing by the Pentagon, his early retirement from the Marines, and, eventually, a new career with the English-language news channel, Al Jazeera International.In Mission Al Jazeera, Rushing blends his personal story with fresh insight on the cultural misunderstandings rampant in the current war on terror. As the world becomes increasingly skeptical of Western foreign policy. he explains, we have to interact with the international media to reach the people that are most hostile to us. He takes us inside Al Jazeera's offices and programming that challenges preconceptions both in the West and in the Arab world. As Al Jazeera reaches beyond its Arab-language audience to conquer the English-speaking world, Rushing alerts us that it's time to tune in and engage. Read Less