Top U.S. image-builder pays a visit

Top U.S. image-builder pays a visit

The United States' new public relations chief hopes to boost ties
with the world's most populous Muslim nation during a three-day
visit that kicked off on Thursday, officials said.

Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, a longtime confidante of
President George W. Bush, was to meet with senior Indonesian
government officials, students and members of non-governmental
organizations, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Max Kwak.

She will also make a brief stop to the tsunami-ravaged
province of Aceh for a firsthand look at reconstruction efforts.
She attended an iftar, the meal that breaks the dawn-to-dusk fast
during the Muslim holy month Ramadhan, with U.S. embassy
officials, students and activists on Thursday.

"She wants to increase mutual understanding between the two
countries," said Kwak, who could not make her itinerary public.

Hughes assumed the position of undersecretary of state for
public diplomacy and public affairs two months ago. She traveled
to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey last month, where she was
pounded by criticism about American policies toward Iraq and the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. -- AP