INTERNATIONAL
TRADE
ADMINISTRATION

International Trade Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce

Franklin L. Lavin

Under Secretary for International Trade

Franklin L. (Frank) Lavin serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, a role that has been called "America's Salesman-in-Chief." Since November 2005, Under Secretary Lavin has led the International Trade Administration's team of more than 2,200 dedicated individuals posted around the world.

Previously, Lavin was the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore from 2001 to 2005. From 1996 to 2001, he worked in Hong Kong and Singapore in senior banking and management positions at Citibank and Bank of America. Previously, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia and the Pacific, in the White House as Director of the Office of Political Affairs, and as Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council.

Under Secretary Lavin earned a B.S. from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; a M.S. in Chinese Language from Georgetown University; a M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University; and a M.B.A. in Finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

DATE: 10/22/07

CORR. FILE Laun, Frank

ACTION:

Paul Stape Dennis Gish

Jessee Ann R. Theresa

Security Suzanne

COMMENTS:

SUBJECT FILE

CROSS REFERENCE

STAFF MEMO BY:

DC OFFICE:
Christie / Jody / Ann J. / Rose

INFORMATION COPY TO:

ROUTE CC COPY TO:

TO BE FILED ✓

My troop ship to Europe was different than Carl Lavin's. Our ship embarked from New York in a convoy of Liberty Ships and, after only some two days at sea, there was a minor collision between two of the ships in the convoy. Not much more serious than a scrape, perhaps, but the damage was such that our ship had to return to New York Harbor. Unbeknownst to us, the good citizens of New York assumed we were returning from the Front and laid on a heroes' welcome. We did not have the heart to tell them we had only been at sea a few days and had never seen combat. Eventually we were dispatched *after repairs to the ship*, and I joined the 84th Division in Europe. Carl did not join our Division until Christmas Day 1944 when he was detached from the 69th Division and hurried to the Front as a response to the German offensive in the Ardennes.

Carl Lavin and I served together, though we did not know each other at the time. He and I were both foot soldiers, not just in the same Division, but also in the same Regiment and Battalion, *though a different Company. And, shortly after he joined the Division, I was transferred to Division Headquarters*.

Yet reading this book and his letters, [this paragraph is unchanged.]

I have a special place in my heart for the men of the 335th Regiment of the 84th Infantry Division. They saw some of the Second World War's most coruscating moments. They served capably and with enormous losses. And their story deserves to be told. Thankfully, Carl Levan has done so.

For me, [this paragraph is unchanged.]

It was in the 84th Division that I first met Fritz Kraemer, the staid Prussian aristocrat who helped start me on the road of serious academic work.

[The next two paragraphs are deleted.]

I believe Carl also made [from here through the end is unchanged.]

# An American Teenager Helps Save the World
While Arguing with his Mother, Trying to find a Date,
and not Exactly Making Honor Roll

## The Carl Lavin story

### Introduction, by Henry A. Kissinger

My troop ship to Europe was different than Carl Lavin's. Our ship embarked from New York in a convoy of Liberty Ships and after only some two days at sea, there was a minor collusion between two of the ships in the convoy. Not much more serious than a scrape, perhaps, but the damages were such that our ship had to return to New York Harbor. Unbeknownst to us, the good citizens of New York assumed we had returned from the front, and laid on a heroes' welcome, with fireworks, music, and streamers. We did not have the heart to tell them we had only been at sea a few days and had never seen combat. Eventually we were dispatched on another ship and I joined the 84th Division in Europe. Carl did not join our Division until Christmas Day 1944 when he was detached from the 69th Division and hurried to the front as a response to the German offensive in the Ardennes.

Carl Lavin and I served together, though we did not know each other at the time. He and I were both foot soldiers, not just in the same division, but the same regiment, the same battalion, and the same company. It might seem a little unusual, given that there are only some 150 men per company and we were together for perhaps several months, that neither of us has a recollection of the other. But in the chaos of war perhaps we should not be surprised.

Yet reading this book and his letters I have the sense that I knew him intimately. We sometimes forget that the U.S. Army was, and is, essentially a force of teenagers and young men who are forced to grapple with the exigencies of combat even as they are attempting to grapple with adulthood.

Although my wartime experiences have given me a broad empathy for U.S. soldiers, I have a special place in my heart for the men of Company L. They saw some of the Second World War's more coruscating moments. They served capably and with enormous losses. And their story deserves to be told. Thankfully, Carl Lavin has done so.

For me, the war was the opportunity to repay my adopted country for the safety it offered my family after we had been driven from the land of our birth. It was also a journey back to that country of birth to witness first hand the devastation wrought by that conflict.

It was also in the ashes of the Second World War that I formed in my mind the calling to the study on international relations. Carl Lavin and I had witnessed the greatest human calamity the world had ever seen, precipitated by what had been viewed as the most educated and advanced of the world's nations. As Winston Churchill wrote, there was never a war that was easier to stop than the Second World War. Why did the great men of Europe, the statesmen, the political leaders, the diplomats, all fail?

My conclusion from this experience was that one of the highest callings a person could undertake would be to understand the nature of war and peace and how nations could preclude future catastrophes.

I believe Carl also made some key decisions because of the war. He cherished the comfort and settled environment of his upbringing. He contributed to the vast post-war economic boom that propelled America to super-power status.

After the war, we went our separate ways. My calling was academia, and eventually public service. Carl returned to a family business in the Midwest and raised his family.

Though I never knew Carl directly, I had gotten to know his son Frank through public service as he served as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and later as the Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce and we had the chance to collaborate at several times.

I am grateful to Frank for his public service, but more importantly for his work in putting together this book. He put in the work to edit and research the work therein. As I see the strength of the man in his letters, so do I see a reflection of those strengths in his son.

HAK

Ann Rastl

From: Frank Lavin [franklavin@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 21, 2007 2:16 AM
To: Ann Rastl
Subject: for Dr. Kissinger
Attachments: Battle of the Bulge.doc; Battle of the Rhine.doc; The Battle of the Roer.doc; Occupation.doc; Occupation Reims.doc; Preface.doc; Epilog.doc; Introduction.doc

OCT 2 2 2007

Battle of the
Bulge.doc (110 K... Rhine.doc (142 K...

Battle of the

The Battle of the
Roer.doc (19...

Occupation.doc (91
KB)

Occupation
Reims.doc (78 KB)

Preface.doc (62 KB) Epilog.doc (38 KB)

Introduction.doc
(26 KB)

Thank you Ann, for transmitting this material

Dear Dr. Kissinger:

Thank you for taking the time to read this material. Attached per email discussions with Ms. McFarlane are the following five chapters from my book on my father's war-time experiences: (a) The Battle of the Bulge; (b) the Battle of the Roer; (c) the Battle of the Rhine; (d) the occupation of Heidelberg and Hamelin; (e) the occupation of Mannheim, Gmund, and Lauda.

For context, I am also enclosing the book's preface and epilogue.

Finally, I have drafted some possible comments for you for use as an introduction. I tried to articulate some thoughts from your point of view so please excuse any presumption on my part. I hope you find it to your liking. In any event, I am grateful for your consideration.

With respect and friendship,

Frank Lavin

HAK:

Frank Lavin asks if you'd like to read the mss. of his father's experience in the 84th Infantry Division (in combat and in the occupation)... and if you'd write the foreword.

Like to read a bound galley____

Foreword: Yes____ No____ Maybe____

(let know later)

ssm

11/19/2007 12:02 PAA 12130281057

LA WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL

002

LOS ANGELES
WORLD AFFAIRS
COUNCIL

November 16, 2007

OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN
JOHN F. HOTCHKIS

PRESIDENT
J. CURTIS MACK, II

VICE CHAIR
JAY WINTROB

VICE CHAIR/TREASURER
DR. SUSAN F. RICE

SECRETARY
MRS. EARLE M. JORGENSEN

DIRECTORS

JAMES ALBAUGH
AHMED ALI
ROBERT BEYER
STEPHEN F. BOLLENBACH
JOANN BOURNE
GABRIEL BRENIER
THE RT. REV. JON BRUNO
GREYSON BRYAN
ANTHONY BUZZELLI
RICK J. CARUSO
JOSEPH R. CERRELL
DR. JEAN-LOU CHAMEAU
JOHN C. CUSHMAN, III
MRS. MIMI DANIEL
ROBERT A. ECKERT
RABBI HARVEY J. FIELDS
YUKITOSHI FUNO
JAY GELLERT
MRS. GUILFORD GLAZER
STANLEY P. GOLD
BARBARA GOTHARD
LINDA GRIEGG
PETER GRIFFITH
GENE HALE
BEBETTE HEIMBUCH
DAVID D. HILLER
GLEN HOLDEN
JOHN F. HOTCHKIS
ROBERT A. IGER
DR. RAY R. IRANI
JAMES M. JASKA
ANOREW S. KANE
BRUCE E. KARATZ
JESSIE KNIGHT, JR.
DR. STEVEN KOBLIK
DR. JOLENE KOESTER
TIMOTHY LEIWEKE
DR. STEPHEN LIU
SUSAN MALLORY
TOM MARKIN
PETER W. MULLIN
PAULINE CROWE NAFTZGER
PETER O'MALLEY
KI SUH PARK
A. JERROLD PERENCHIO
DR. ELLIOT PONCHICK
LAWRENCE J. RAMER
DR. SUSAN F. RICE
JAMES F. ROTHENBERG
WILLIAM P. RUTLEDGE
DR. STEVEN B. SAMPLE
DEAN SCARBOROUGH
ROBERT B. SIMONDS
LISA SMITH
MRS. NORMAN F. SPRAGUE, JR.
DR. RONALD SUGAR
MARVIN SUOMI
HISAO TAGUCHI
DONALD TANG
MICHAEL E. TENNENBAUM
DR. JAMES A. THOMSON
ELIZABETH TITO
FRANKLIN E. ULF
ANDREA L. VAN DE KAMP
ROBERT VAN DINE
CASEY WASSERMAN
JAY WINTROB
JAMES WOOD
DAVID J. ZUERCHER

LIFE DIRECTORS
ROY ASH
ELI BROAD
WARREN CHRISTOPHER
THOMAS V. JONES
MRS. EARLE M. JORGENSEN
KENT KRESA
MENO T. LAKE
DR. JOSEPH B. PLATT
RICHARD J. STEGEMEIER

345 South Figueroa St., Suite 313
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tel: (213) 628-2333
Fax: (213) 628-1057

E-mail: worldaffairs@lawac.org

The Honorable Henry Kissinger
350 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Fax: (212) 759-0042

Dear Dr. Kissinger:

On behalf of the Officers and Directors of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, it is my distinct pleasure to request that you consider a return engagement to address our membership. Based on the success of your previous program, many of our members have requested the opportunity to hear you speak again. As the world continues to change, your views and insight become more relevant in our efforts to "bring the world to Los Angeles" and to our community, and we would be grateful for your consideration.

We have most recently enjoyed presentations from many international leaders and dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister His Excellency Sergey Lavrov, Her Excellency Tzipi Livni, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, U. S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, Chinese Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, financier George Soros, U. S. Army Chief of Staff General George W. Casey, Jr., journalist Bob Woodward, business leader and author Carly Fiorina and historian Michael Beschloss. We pride ourselves on our nonprofit and nonpartisan platform.

We hope you will be able to find a convenient time to join us once again. As before, excerpts of your remarks will be published in our monthly *Journal*, with the full text of your speech appearing on the Los Angeles World Affairs Council's website. Also, you will be seen throughout Southern California on our weekly cable television program.

I know your schedule must be extremely demanding, but hope you will consider this invitation. We have several dates available, and will work to accommodate your schedule. The Council's staff will do everything possible to make your visit pleasant, productive and successful. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jesee LePorin

From: Margaret Daher [MDaher@layalina.tv] on behalf of Richard Fairbanks [RFairban@csis.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:41 AM
To: Richard Fairbanks
Subject: Layalina Productions Featured in the New York Times

JAN 3 1 2007

Dear Layalina Counselor,

I am pleased to inform you that The New York Times published today an article about Layalina's efforts, following the premiere of Layalina's semi-reality travelogue series "On the Road in America" in the Middle East. The article, entitled "American Road Trip Through Arab Eyes: TV Series Aims to Change How Arabs View This Country," includes interviews with Layalina Counselors George Shultz and Zbigniew Brzezinski. The article is located above the fold on the cover page of the arts section.

In addition to the article, which also includes information on Layalina's mission, business model and impact, the online version of the paper features a segment from the second episode of the series, which took place in New York.

To read the article please click on the link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/arts/television/31road.html?_r=1&hp&ex=117 0219600&en=b1a6540385dffc44&ei=5094&partner= homepage&oref=slogin

We also expect an article in the Wall Street Journal to appear early next week.

On the Road in America - Television - New York Times

Page 1 of 4

The New York Times
nytimes.com

PRINTERS-FRIENDLY FORMAT
SPONSORED BY
**CON**
**LITTLE M**

January 31, 2007

# American Road Trip Through Arab Eyes

By JACQUES STEINBERG

"On the Road in America" looks, on first viewing, like the sort of television show that Al Jazeera and MTV might produce if they could be coaxed together in front of an editing terminal. A 12-part reality series, currently being broadcast throughout the Middle East, "On the Road" features a caravan of young, good-looking Arabs crisscrossing America on a mission to educate themselves and the people they encounter along the way.

In reality, its list of production credits reads more like the roster of the Iraq Study Group that reported its findings to President Bush in December. The co-chairmen of that bipartisan effort — James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton — are on the board of advisers of Layalina Productions, the nonprofit (and nonpartisan) group that made "On the Road in America" and licensed it to Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), an Arab satellite TV network. (MBC is the parent company of Al Arabiya, a news channel that is a rival of Al Jazeera.)

Also on the advisory panel of Layalina are a former president, George H. W. Bush (listed as honorary chairman of what is officially its board of counselors), and nearly a dozen prominent members of his and other administrations, both Republican and Democratic, including Henry A. Kissinger, Brent Scowcroft, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Samuel R. Berger and Lawrence S. Eagleburger. (Also on the panel is Don Hewitt, the founder and longtime executive producer of "60 Minutes," who helped edit the pilot of "On the Road in America.")

This unlikely coalition of unpaid consultants — whose principal role was to raise money and to knock on diplomatic doors — has helped create a series primarily intended to reintroduce America to the Arab world through the eyes of three students (from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon) and a Palestinian woman who serves both as a production assistant and translator.

(The show can currently be seen only in the Middle East, though its producers are seeking an American distributor.)

Implicit in the series's mission, if not spoken aloud, is a desire to correct whatever damage has been done to America's standing in the Middle East by the Iraq war and the nearly four-year American military presence in that country. But the production, financed mostly through

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/arts/television/31road.html?_r=2&hp=&ex=&oref=sl... 1/31/2007

Page 2 of 4

foundations and without government help, also seeks to counter the image of America often conveyed to the Arab world via Hollywood: that of an arrogant, self-absorbed, bellicose nation.

"What appealed to me about this project," said Dr. Brzezinski, who was national security adviser in the Carter administration, "is that it seemed to be addressed to a real need, namely conveying somehow the reality of American life — its diversity, its fundamental tolerance, the kind of thing that is not always understood abroad, either by admirers or detractors of America."

Asked why he had chosen to align himself with the project, Mr. Shultz, who served as secretary of state in the Reagan administration, said: "One of the things we need to learn how to do much better is communicate with the world of Islam. We are, at this time, amateurish."

Marc C. Ginsberg, the president of Layalina and an ambassador to Morocco during the Clinton administration, said he wanted "On the Road" to be a "warts and all" portrayal of both sides of the divide between the West and the Middle East, to say nothing of the factions within the Middle East itself.

In the first episode — set in Washington and broadcast on MBC on Jan. 18 — Ali Amr, 22, an Egyptian accounting student, discusses his initial impressions of the American people. "You will tell me they are not responsible for Bush's policies," he says, "and I will tell you that they are the ones who elected Bush, correct or not?"

This particular clip, in Arabic, was not included in the six-minute highlight reel sent to Layalina's board of advisers, including the first President Bush. But Mr. Ginsberg said that Mr. Bush and the other advisers were made aware that the production might contain criticism of the American government.

"We had no intention of offending him," Mr. Ginsberg said of Mr. Bush. "But we don't want to edit the comments of the stars of these shows."

Reached on Monday, a spokesman for the former president said he had no comment. Mr. Ginsberg said he had sent a copy of the same highlight reel to an aide to Karen Hughes, a close adviser to George W. Bush currently serving as an undersecretary of state. "They want us to come over and do a briefing at the State Department," Mr. Ginsberg said.

Far more bracing than the participants' occasional comments about the current president, though, is the frank discussion throughout the series's first two episodes — the second takes the participants from Washington to New York City — about the long-frayed relations between

Page 3 of 4

Israel and many of its Arab neighbors.

"Israelis, I hate Israelis," Lara Abou Saifan, the series's production assistant, a Palestinian from Lebanon, says in Arabic after a radio news report of Israeli bombing of her country last summer. But this being an American-made series — its creator and executive producer, Jerome Gary, produced the documentary "Pumping Iron" (1977) — Ms. Abou Saifan quickly (within the span of that 24-minute episode) comes to temper her views, mainly through a back-and-forth with a cameraman, Guy Livneh, who turns out to be Israeli.

"You know, the Arab world thinks that Israel wants to conquer the Middle East," he says inside the production van. "That's absurd, you know."

Later Ms. Abou Saifan tells Mr. Livneh: "I never, never, never, never imagined that I'd have this conversation with someone like you."

Layalina was founded by Richard Fairbanks, a Mideast peace negotiator during the Reagan administration, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorism attacks, with the hope of using mass media to help soothe the rage on all sides. Mr. Fairbanks's foundation is also among the chief benefactors of "On the Road in America." At about $1.8 million, the series's budget is relatively cheap by Hollywood standards, considering that the production hopscotched across America last summer, with stops in the Mississippi Delta for a lesson on poverty, Montana (hiking with cowgirls), as well as Washington (singing with a gospel choir and campaigning for mayoral candidates) and New York (visiting a bond trader and ground zero). In the final episodes Americans accompany the four back to the Middle East.

The producers are also moving ahead on several other projects aimed at an Arab audience. One is a situation comedy — the working title is "How's Your Arabic?" — about an Arab-American trying to teach Arabic to immigrants and F.B.I. agents at an American university. Another project is a one-hour, weekly news magazine that MBC is considering. Its working title is "Al Saat," which roughly translates to "One Hour," a name that is hardly surprising, considering Mr. Hewitt's role as a consultant. MBC executives say it is too early to know how much of the prime-time audience of its main channel, MBC 1 — typically about 21 million viewers, including in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq — has tuned in for the first two episodes of "On the Road."

But Mazen Hayek, group director of broadcasting for MBC, said MBC was immensely proud of its association with the project.

"The most important thing in this series," he said in a telephone interview from MBC's

headquarters in Dubai, "is that it will help us overcome existing stereotypes among Americans and Arabs, through the interaction of the talent, and through the viewers seeing how the Americans dealt with those guys."

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

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Page 1 of 2

Jessee LePorin

Layalina

**From:** Richard Fairbanks [RFairban@csis.org]
**Sent:** Wednesday, June 13, 2007 11:43 AM
**To:** undisclosed-recipients:
**Subject:** Layalina article in Emmy Magazine

JUN 13 2007

Dear friends,

We are delighted with the positive article about our reality travelogue series *On the Road in America* in a magazine as prestigious as *Emmy*. However, as this is a bi-monthly publication, the story was written in advance of the release of the Ipsos-Stat polling as to viewership and impact. As you already know, the Ipsos-Stat polling found *On the Road in America* to be the second-most watched television series in its primetime slot in the Middle East region.

We are very pleased with the positive media coverage that we have received and look forward to leveraging our increased visibility both here and in the Middle East to bring to fruition the remaining shows in our production pipeline. In particular, we are focused on bringing to Arab viewers our news magazine program *Al-Saat* patterned after *60 Minutes* and also our scripted program *How's Your Arabic?*, which combines elements of both drama and humor.

In that regard, we would be pleased with any tax-deductible financial contribution that you may consider making. To learn more about donating to Layalina, please click here.

Thank you in advance for your help.

With kind regards,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EMMY MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS ON THE ROAD IN
AMERICA

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 11, 2007 - *EMMY* magazine, the bi-monthly publication of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, features Layalina Productions in its June 2007 issue (Vol. XXIX, No. 3), on newsstands currently.

Ann Farmer's full-page article entitled "Road Picture" discusses the success of Layalina's hit reality-TV series *Ala al Tariq fi Amrika* (On the Road in America) and features interviews with cast members Sanad Al-Kubaissi and Ali Amir. Layalina Founder & Chairman Ambassador Richard Fairbanks is quoted in the article, as is Layalina Vice President Leon Shahabian who executive produced the series.

6/13/2007

Page 2 of 2

Jerome Gary, the series' creator, director, and executive producer is also quoted.

To read the article, please click here.

*On the Road in America* is Layalina's twelve-episode travelogue reality series. *On the Road* had its premiere run on MBC1, the largest free-to-air pan-Arab satellite network between January 18 and April 7, 2007. According to polling from Ipsos Stat, *On the Road* was the second most-watched show in its primetime slot in the Arab world.

To learn more about *On the Road in America*, please visit our programming page.

###

6/13/2007

sundance
CHANNEL®

PRESS RELEASE

# SUNDANCE CHANNEL ACQUIRES "ON THE ROAD IN AMERICA"

## 12-Part Series To Make U.S. Television Premiere on Sundance Channel In 2008

New York, NY, October 9, 2007. Sundance Channel has acquired the 12-part series "On the Road in America" produced by Layalina Productions of Washington, DC in association with Visionaire Media of Los Angeles. The series follows the experiences of four Arab students - Ali from Egypt, Sanad from Saudi Arabia, Lara from Palestine and Mohamed from Lebanon - as they travel across the United States over a ten week period. It will air on Sundance Channel in 2008. The announcement was made by Laura Michalchyshyn, Executive Vice President and GM, Programming and Creative Affairs, Sundance Channel.

"On The Road in America' presents a fascinating look at two different cultures and their attitudes towards each other," commented Michalchyshyn. "Though it was created for audiences across the Middle East, we believe that this series can provide cross-cultural understanding for the American audience as well."

The deal was negotiated by Sundance Channel Senior Vice President, Acquisitions, Program Planning and Scheduling Christian Vesper with David Spiegelman, Senior Executive Vice President, Domestic Television Distribution and Marketing for New Line Television on behalf of "On the Road in America."

"On The Road in America" focuses on how 4 young Arabs experience American culture and society during their ten-week journey. The series was created to expose Middle Eastern audiences to the diversity and uniqueness of America and Americans. At the same time, the Americans that the subjects encountered were able to develop a better understanding of

Middle Eastern people and their way of life. Ultimately the series reflects both the
differences and similarities between the two cultures.

"On The Road in America" is created and directed by Academy Award®-nominated and multiple Emmy® Award-winning producer Jerome Gary. It is executive produced by Jerome Gary and Leon Shahabian. The series consists of twelve thirty-minute episodes and originally aired on Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC). On The Road in America was produced thanks to a grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation of Indiana.

Sundance Channel:

Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television
destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold,
uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging
selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free.
Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture of NBC Universal, CBS, and Robert
Redford. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute
and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging
artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is
www.sundancechannel.com.

Layalina Productions:

Layalina Productions, Inc. is a non-profit corporation based in Washington, D.C. Layalina was founded in March 2002 by its Chairman, Richard Fairbanks, the former chief U.S. negotiator for the Middle East Peace Process, to produce thoughtful Arabic and English language television programming. The corporation's Board of Counselors comprises former diplomats and officials, broadcasters, and private sector executives from the United States. Layalina's educational, debate, entertainment, and children's shows aim to strengthen existing bridges of mutual understanding between the U.S. and the Arab world and build new ones. Layalina's President, Marc Ginsberg, is a former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. Layalina's Honorary Chairman is former President George H.W. Bush. To learn more about Layalina, visit www.layalina.tv.

New Line Television:

New Line Television is a division of New Line Cinema (www.newline.com), the most successful independent film company in the world. The division develops, produces and distributes TV projects for the broadcast networks, cable and first-run syndication, as well as distributes New Line feature films across the television landscape. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, New Line Cinema has divisions devoted to home entertainment, music, theater, merchandising and international. A pioneer in franchise filmmaking, New Line's Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in history. New Line is a division of Time Warner, Inc.

###

Press Contacts:

Sarah Eaton
Sr. Vice President, Public Relations
Sundance Channel
212-708-8043
sarah.eaton@sundancechannel.com

Katie Lanegran
Sr. Director, Public Relations
Sundance Channel
212-708-8044
katie.lanegran@sundancechannel.com

Layalina
Productions

الإمكانيات

Quarterly Newsletter / Fall 2007

On the Road to Air in the United States

We are delighted to announce that New Line Television, our domestic distributor, has secured a two-year telecast exclusive with the Sundance Channel to air Layalina's reality television series, *Ala al Tariq fi Amrika* (On the Road in America) in the United States. The 12 half-hour episode first season of the series, produced in association with Visionaire Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, is slated to debut in May 2008.

This is a landmark achievement, as broadcasting the same series in the U.S. and the Arab world helps us to meet our mission of increasing cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. Although our main focus was and continues to be demystifying the United States, its peoples and policies to Arab audiences, we have come to embrace the importance of fostering the reverse process as well.

As the U.S. broadcast date approaches, we will unveil an integral public relations campaign, which will include screenings and panel discussions at the New York and Los Angeles branches of the Museum of Television & Radio.

Additionally, Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC), the Arab broadcaster for *On the Road in America*, is rebroadcasting the series during Ramadan, the most-watched television season in the Arab world. This series first aired on MBC between January and April 2007 and became the second most-watched television show

in the Middle East in its primetime slot, as measured by Ipsos-Stat. The popularity of our series comes at a time when satellite TV and the internet "have become borderless ideological incubators" in the Middle East and North Africa, according to media expert Marc Perelman.

We are delighted with the popularity of *On the Road in America* and are excited to share it with a U.S. audience. We would like to thank the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation of Indiana for their generous support of the series.

*On the Road in America* cast at Millennium Park, Chicago.

Support Layalina

Layalina Productions, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Layalina is funded solely through tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations and through grants by foundations based in the U.S. and the Arab world.

Please support Layalina by making a tax-deductible donation. To donate by mail, please send your check or money order to:

Layalina Productions, Inc.
Attn: Treasurer
1250 24th Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20037

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In this issue:

* On the Road to Air in the United States................................1

* Chairman's Message................................................................2

* On the Road in the Middle East........................................2

* Programming Update: *Al-Sa'at* (The Hour)..................2

* Citizen Diplomacy Event in Cairo................................3

* FY06 in Numbers................................................................3

* On the Road: In the News in Egypt.................................4

* Layalina Has Moved!....................................................4

* Team Layalina is Growing............................................4

# Chairman's Message

Dear friends,

I am delighted to announce that we have received many exciting new production and co-production offers from major media networks in both the United States and the Arab world. I look forward to bringing you new information on these offers in the coming weeks.

Recently, The American University in Cairo hosted a screening from *On the Road in America* and a public diplomacy panel discussion. The response from audience members and Egyptian media was very encouraging. The second showing of the *On the Road* series is currently on the air during Ramadan on MBC, the Arab world's largest free-to-air satellite network, and the full series will debut in the U.S. next year on the Sundance Channel. We have also begun working with our production partner Jerome Gary, the director of *On the Road in America*, on a reverse of the series called *On the Road in the Middle East*.

We are developing the pilot of our news magazine show *The Hour* with our partners at MBC's news channel, Al-Arabiya, and look forward to co-producing this episode shortly. We are pleased that this well-watched and highly-regarded Arab news network is keen to work with us on such a unique and important series.

Layalina is a fast-growing citizen diplomacy initiative and any contribution that you may consider making will help us continue our successful pursuit of providing popular programming introducing a positive view of our country and its culture that is so seldom seen in the Middle East. We look forward to working with you to bring to fruition our shared vision for a more peaceful tomorrow.

With kind regards,

Richard Fairbanks
Chairman of the Board

# On the Road in the Middle East

On the Road in the Middle East, the reverse to Layalina's hit travelogue series On the Road in America, produced in association with Visionaire Media of Los Angeles, is currently in development. In contrast to the first series, in which four young Arabs traveled across the United States, six twenty-something Americans will travel across the Arab Middle East and North Africa on a thirteen-week journey. The series aims to eliminate some of the existing stereotypes between Arabs and Americans via their interactions with members of the communities they visit. Jerome Gary, Chairman of Visionaire Media, Academy Award® nominated producer and Layalina Donor, is working on a pre-sale of the series to U.S. cable networks. A domestic sale will allow us to produce the series on a timely basis through funding from a commercial source. In addition to airing domestically, On the Road in the Middle

East will also air on a leading free-to-air pan-Arab satellite channel, in order to reach the widest audience possible. The *On the Road in the Middle East* promo reel is now complete and can be screened at www.layalina.tv/programming/ontheroadinthemiddleeast.asp.

# Programming Update: Al Sa'at

We are happy to announce that we have made positive progress vis-à-vis the upcoming production of the pilot episode for our proposed news magazine show *Al-Sa'at* (The Hour).

The program is being developed in conjunction with Al-Arabiya, MBC's news channel, one of the most popular and credible free to air pan-Arab satellite networks in the Middle East.

On September 11, Layalina President Ambassador Marc Ginsberg met in Abu Dhabi with MBC Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Sam Barnett and Al-Arabiya award-winning anchor Ahmed Abdallah. The meetings dealt with pilot production timeline and budget, co-production parameters, and story segment ideas.

We will work with Al-Arabiya's team of editors and journalists over the coming weeks to flesh out the segments for the pilot and subsequently launch the pre-production phase of development.

During this production, Layalina will help assemble a core team of Arab and American producers and anchors who

will provide a substantive and balanced exploration of controversial issues affecting Americans and Arabs alike. The team will draw guests from well-known Arab and American political and policy circles.

Layalina Counselor Don Hewitt, the creator and emeritus executive producer of *60 Minutes*, has pledged to be of help to the production team.

Though Layalina will join a number of other American media initiatives in the region attempting to present an American voice to Arab TV viewers, *The Hour* will stand out from the rest by representing a non-governmental, citizen-diplomacy effort.

*The Hour* aims to reach out to the millions of disaffected Arab youth who form the majority of the Arab population. We hope to positively shape the opinions of future Arab leaders towards a more peaceful contemplation of a shared future.

The pilot episode of *The Hour* is made possible thanks to a grant from the Marc and Eva Stern Foundation of California.

We look forward to your tax-deductible support to make future episodes of this series possible.

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On September 9, The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research at the American University in Cairo hosted a screening of two episodes from *Ala al Tariq fi Amrika* (On the Road in America), Layalina's popular reality travelogue series.

Following the screening, Ali Amr, the 23 year-old Egyptian cast member from *On the Road* made a presentation to the audience about his experiences in the United States. Ali spoke of the positive shift in his outlook on Americans following his meetings with individuals from all walks of life during the production of the first season of the series last year, which covered 23 states over 60 days.

During the question and answer session that followed, Ali and Layalina Vice President and series Executive Producer Leon Shahabian entertained a wide-range of questions concerning the show and public diplomacy efforts. Leon also spoke of the success of *On the Road* in securing the second highest viewership numbers for its primetime slot during the premiere

broadcast of the 12-episode season on pan-Arab satellite channel MBC1.

Dr. Jerry W. Leach, the Director of AUC's American Studies Center, moderated the event, which was preceded by a reception and took place at the Jameel Center Auditorium on the University's Greek campus.

In attendance were officials from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt, journalists from leading daily *Al-Abram* and the English language *Daily News*, as well as NGO professionals serving in Cairo. Also in attendance were academics, AUC alumni and students, including a number of American students studying abroad in Egypt.

Layalina is grateful to the American University in Cairo for providing us with a forum to engage Egyptian youth, at a time where poll after poll finds that Egyptians have an exceedingly low favorable opinion about the United States.

We look forward to your tax-deductible financial support to continue holding substantive outreach events with youth in the Arab world that aim to demystify the United States, its people and policies.

Top: *On the Road in America* cast-member Ali Amr and Layalina Vice President and series Executive Producer Leon Shahabian entertain questions from the audience. Above (Left to Right): Dr. Jerry W. Leach, Director of AUC's American Studies Center, Leon Shahabian, and Ali Amr.

FY06 in Numbers*

Donations Received
(Calendar Year)

Total Donations: $449,300

Outlays
(Calendar Year)

Total Outlays: $1,810,447

Expenditures in FY06 above and beyond the FY06 donation level were made possible thanks to a surplus from fundraising in FY05, specifically a generous grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation of Indiana temporarily restricted for the production of *On the Road in America*.

We are delighted to announce that in FY06, the IRS granted Layalina the classification of public charity within the 501(c)(3) non-profit designation. As a result, donations made to Layalina are tax-deductible when calculating federal taxes to the maximum amount permitted by law.

*From Independent Auditor's Report and Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005.

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## Board of Counselors

President George H.W. Bush
Honorary Chairman

Tarek Abdel-Meguid
David M. Abshire
Richard V. Allen
George L. Argyros*
Thomas Ludlow Ashley*
James A. Baker, III
Samuel R. Berger
Wayne L. Berman
Reginald K. Brack
Zbigniew Brzezinski
John E. Chapoton*
Walter L. Cutler*
Lawrence S. Eagleburger
Richard Fairbanks*
A. H. Farouki
Marc Charles Ginsberg*
Lee H. Hamilton
Don Hewitt
Carla A. Hills
Henry A. Kissinger
Maura B. Morey
Sam Nunn
Paul A. Russo*
Alejandro Santo Domingo
James Schlesinger
Brent Scowcroft
George P. Shultz
Damaris Skouras
Jeffrey H. Smulyan
Carl Spielvogel
Robert S. Strauss
John C. Whitehead
Frederick B. Whittemore*
Daniel Yergin
Ezra K. Zilkha

*Board of Directors members

## Team Layalina

Richard Fairbanks, Chairman of the Board
Marc Charles Ginsberg, President
Leon Shahabian, Vice President & Treasurer
Luke Stets, Outreach Director & Secretary
Teresa Herrmann, Managing Editor
Shafic Wahab, Project Associate
Sasha Scott, Volunteer

Layalina Productions, Inc.
1250 24th Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20037
t. 202-776-7761 :: f. 202-776-7762
info@layalina.tv :: www.layalina.tv

## On the Road: In the News in Egypt

"The greatest lessons he says he's taken from the experience are first, not to believe media or judge without knowing, and second, that travel is infinitely more educational than books. Learning to separate government from citizenry, whom he generally found pleasant, Amr says he left with more hope than he had ever had regarding Arab-American relations."

-Daily News writer Deena Douara on cast-member Ali Amr, 9/13/2007

Ala al Tariq fi Amrika (On the Road in America) was recently featured in the Egyptian press, notably Arabic weekly *Al-Doustour*, French-language *Al-Abram Hebdo* and English-language *Daily News*.

## Layalina Has Moved!

We are pleased to announce that we moved our offices in mid-September. In an effort to accommodate our growing staff's need for additional square footage, our new space is 42% larger than our old offices. We are now located at 1250 24th St. NW Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20037. The building also serves as the headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund, the multinational conservation organization, and is home to several production companies. We would like to thank our supporters for making our growth possible and for investing in a future of better understanding between the United States and the Arab world.

## Team Layalina is Growing

Please join us in welcoming Shafic Wahab, Layalina's new Project Associate. Shafic is no stranger to Layalina, having interned with us for two semesters (summer 2006 and summer 2007). Shafic is a recent graduate of The Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, DC, with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies. A native of Miami, Florida, Shafic is a contributor to *The Layalina Review*, our bi-weekly publication which tracks developments in public diplomacy and Arab media. He speaks Spanish and Arabic.

The Quarterly Newsletter is published by Layalina Productions, Inc., a §501(c)(3) non-profit, private sector corporation dedicated to bridging the growing divide between the Arab world and the United States through effective television programming. To be placed on our mailing list, contact us at info@layalina.tv.

Support Layalina by making a tax-deductible donation online at www.layalina.tv or by contacting us at 202-776-7761.

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