Today, David Frost, a respected British broadcaster, announced that he was taking a position with al-Jazeera International, the English channel from the Arab television network, al-Jazeera.

An al-Jazeera statement called Sir David "the only person to have interviewed the last seven presidents of the United States and the last six prime ministers of the United Kingdom".

It said: "(He) has joined the line-up of key on-air talent at the new 24-hour English language news and current affairs channel."

Concerning the new station:

In covering the past few years of conflict in Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Afghanistan, it has shown extremely violent and bloody images - which al-Jazeera editors say has been necessary in order to show what is really happening.

But now, its senior managers and editors say they want the channel to reflect a broader range of subjects.

"Our new future direction will be to reach the human, as a human, with a human's hopes, pains and aspirations, targeting the forgotten areas that no one has tried to reach before," said chief editor Ahmed al-Shaykh.

There will be two reactions to this news. Everyone is wary of al-Jazeera as an outlet for groups like al-Qaeda to get their words heard. However, the hiring of an intelligent Westerner and the signaling by al-Jazeera that it desires a broader audience and subject matter is real cause for celebration. When people speak of the "integration" of those disconnected regions, this is what they should be encouraging: interaction, and especially via the mass media. What could be better than having a face like Frost's in front of Arab audiences every day? This is a move that should be applauded and encouraged. Money and resources should go into networks like al-Jazeera. Establish financial incentives for competing networks. Get Seinfeld rolling already. Bugaloos reruns.

Of course, there will be outrage by people who don't understand this. The "liberal Brit" will be said to have joined the terrorists. This group will reveal their real motivations: continued disconnectedness from anybody who does anything that detracts from U.S. policy. (Real freedom demands that disagreement be not only permitted but encouraged.) You're with us or against us, and if you're with al-Jazeera, your choice is clear. This is the continuation of the False Dilemma that our present leaders are trying so hard to perpetuate: it's either Iraq War or 9/11 Returns: which one do you want, bubba?!

The purpose of "integration" is to establish discouragement of terrorism and radical Muslims within the regions of their origin. That is the supposed advantage of an "anti-terrorist" Iraq, and the foreign friendly disposition we currently call "democracy". I'm not meaning to make a bigger deal of the Frost move that it warrants, so don't post crap about this not being enough. I know that. But bridges — of communication, commerce — must be built, and both al-Jazeera and Frost deserve credit for taking what is sure to be a needlessly controversial leap in that direction.