From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Should America use soft power in the Middle East?

Hello again, I'm on and Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues, Americans care about most.

In the aftermath of World War II, the U.S. was known for generosity to allies and former enemies.

Now it's seen as an international bully.

As the wars grind on in Iraq and Afghanistan, even some hardliners are saying the Bush administration has neglected a prime American asset, soft power.

On to the point, what is soft power? Are Iran and China beating the U.S. at what used to be its own game?

How could soft power serve America's interests in a world of terrorism and nuclear weapons?

On reporters notebook later on, the U.S. Supreme Court,

the First Amendment, and child pornography on the Internet.

First, the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica

and from the Public Radio International Program Fund,

whose contributors include the Ford Foundation

and the John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Warren Alley, back with To the Point. With the U.S. bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan,

even some tough-minded conservatives are talking about a new emphasis on soft power. On To the Point,

we'll talk about what that means and how it could serve America's interests in an increasingly

dangerous world.

On reporter's notebook, child pornography, and the First Amendment were back again today at the U.S. Supreme Court.

First, this news update, the Associated Press and several newspapers report that State Department investigators offered immunity from prosecution to Blackwater Security Guards in exchange for statements about last month's

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