Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wikileaks-related posts
TSB at The Skeptical Bureaucrat ("Giving my fellow Americans the view from my cubicle") has three good posts here, here, and here.
re: "Ambassador Philip Murphy: "I'm a big boy ....the buck stops with me..." "
Domani Spero at Diplopundit ("Just one obsessive observer, diplomatic watcher, opinionator and noodle newsmaker monitoring the goings on at Foggy Bottom and the worldwide available universe") shares an example of a leader taking responsibility.
It's very refreshing.
This is the sort of thing that causes FSOs to take jobs in really awful places, just for that chance to work for a great boss.
It's very refreshing.
This is the sort of thing that causes FSOs to take jobs in really awful places, just for that chance to work for a great boss.
re: "The downside to better information-sharing: the human factor aka rotten apple with a security clearance"
Domani Spero at Diplopundit ("Just one obsessive observer, diplomatic watcher, opinionator and noodle newsmaker monitoring the goings on at Foggy Bottom and the worldwide available universe") continues to share her excellent perspective.
Money quote(s):
" (I)t has been reported that Hillary Clinton has "ordered" FSOs to spy on diplomats in the UN, because see there's a cable out there with her name at the bottom.
Ughh! Are they saying that she wrote all those cables that have her name on it? Really? But ALL cables coming out of the State Department when the Secretary of State is not traveling will have "CLINTON" as sign-off signature, approved through multiple layers of the alphabet soup, functional and regional bureaus, etc. She does not actually write them, dudes. And when she is traveling, the sign-off signature changes to whoever is in charge of the building, like "STEINBERG" or "BURNS" (since new D/MR "NIDES" has not been confirmed yet).Yes, that building has a life of its own.
The same is true with the embassy cables. The leaked cables were the transmitted ones; they usually do not include the names of the writers. And like the State Department cables, they all have the embassies' chiefs of missions in the sign-off lines. Does it mean the ambassador is XYZ country wrote all those cables? Goodness, no! Would they be able to go anywhere else or do anything else if they were all tied to their desks?"
"We suspect that this leak will have several repercussions on process, access and and more, and most probably for the short term, make the embassy reporting jobs more difficult than they already are"
&
"Former diplomat and Wilson Center scholar Aaron Miller writes that "The republic will survive the WikiLeaks brouhaha; but there's a lesson here for all of us: whether you're in Washington or Kabul, think and think hard before you draft." We agree about the survival of the republic but -- do we really want our diplomats to be more politically correct than be brutally candid when reporting to our policy makers? What used would that be to our decision makers?
And here the cables are called "insulting [to] world leaders." You should read what foreign diplomats wrote about George W. and our congressional leaders. Oh, right, you can't -- those are all in secret diplomatic channels going overseas, too."
Money quote(s):
" (I)t has been reported that Hillary Clinton has "ordered" FSOs to spy on diplomats in the UN, because see there's a cable out there with her name at the bottom.
Ughh! Are they saying that she wrote all those cables that have her name on it? Really? But ALL cables coming out of the State Department when the Secretary of State is not traveling will have "CLINTON" as sign-off signature, approved through multiple layers of the alphabet soup, functional and regional bureaus, etc. She does not actually write them, dudes. And when she is traveling, the sign-off signature changes to whoever is in charge of the building, like "STEINBERG" or "BURNS" (since new D/MR "NIDES" has not been confirmed yet).Yes, that building has a life of its own.
The same is true with the embassy cables. The leaked cables were the transmitted ones; they usually do not include the names of the writers. And like the State Department cables, they all have the embassies' chiefs of missions in the sign-off lines. Does it mean the ambassador is XYZ country wrote all those cables? Goodness, no! Would they be able to go anywhere else or do anything else if they were all tied to their desks?"
"We suspect that this leak will have several repercussions on process, access and and more, and most probably for the short term, make the embassy reporting jobs more difficult than they already are"
&
"Former diplomat and Wilson Center scholar Aaron Miller writes that "The republic will survive the WikiLeaks brouhaha; but there's a lesson here for all of us: whether you're in Washington or Kabul, think and think hard before you draft." We agree about the survival of the republic but -- do we really want our diplomats to be more politically correct than be brutally candid when reporting to our policy makers? What used would that be to our decision makers?
And here the cables are called "insulting [to] world leaders." You should read what foreign diplomats wrote about George W. and our congressional leaders. Oh, right, you can't -- those are all in secret diplomatic channels going overseas, too."
re: "Here's Hoping You Choke on That Whistle"
No Double Standards at Muttering Behind the Hardline ("Rants of a Foreign Service Officer on the things that matter to you -- and matter to you not at all") says what needs saying.
Money quote(s):
"The Internet is now buzzing with the news of the release of hundreds of thousands of USG cables. I'm sick to my stomach. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for transparent government. But that's not what this exercise is about.
This is about cheap voyeurism, plain and simple."
"A whistleblower is someone who makes public disclosure of wrongdoing or corruption. Simply airing out information doesn't qualify you to don a mantle of righteousness.
There isn't anything virtuous about what Wikileaks -- and the scumbag USG employee who leaked these documents to Wikileaks -- has done.
Thanks to everyone disseminating this information, my colleagues at many posts around the world are literally in mortal danger."
&
"To all who complain about the conduct of our foreign policy: how the hell do you expect us to protect this country and advance our foreign policy objectives without the least expectation that our reporting and analysis will be protected?
Because that what this leak has done.
What political officer henceforth will ever speak to Washington with the same degree of candor?
Where corruption and illegality occur, they should be routed out. But recklessly divulging state secrets with blatant disregard for the consequences is a high crime that should be punished as such."
Money quote(s):
"The Internet is now buzzing with the news of the release of hundreds of thousands of USG cables. I'm sick to my stomach. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for transparent government. But that's not what this exercise is about.
This is about cheap voyeurism, plain and simple."
"A whistleblower is someone who makes public disclosure of wrongdoing or corruption. Simply airing out information doesn't qualify you to don a mantle of righteousness.
There isn't anything virtuous about what Wikileaks -- and the scumbag USG employee who leaked these documents to Wikileaks -- has done.
Thanks to everyone disseminating this information, my colleagues at many posts around the world are literally in mortal danger."
&
"To all who complain about the conduct of our foreign policy: how the hell do you expect us to protect this country and advance our foreign policy objectives without the least expectation that our reporting and analysis will be protected?
Because that what this leak has done.
What political officer henceforth will ever speak to Washington with the same degree of candor?
Where corruption and illegality occur, they should be routed out. But recklessly divulging state secrets with blatant disregard for the consequences is a high crime that should be punished as such."
re: "Latest Wikileaks Dump: Swan Song for the Diplomatic Cable?"
Peter Spiro at Opinio Juris ("a forum for informed discussion and lively debate about international law and international relations") clearly understands the issues.
Money quote(s):
"(T)his will be a much bigger story than the previous Iraq and Afghanistan disclosures, mostly because there will be something here for everyone. I’m not sure that the State Department looks particularly bad, as Timothy Garten Ash explains. It shouldn’t be a revelation to anyone that diplomats sometimes do something that looks like spying. This is much more likely to cause scandals in foreign capitals than in the US (which is not to say that it won’t hurt US foreign policy interests — it will). What you will see are lots of examples of US diplomats executing their briefs, in most cases pretty well."
&
"It’s one thing to understand that your work will come to light 25 years hence, when you (and your interlocutors) will either be dead or retired, too old much to care; or else flattered to see your handiwork become the stuff of history. It’s another to have to worry about something being disclosed that might affect your ability to function in your next post (or whether you’ll get one at all)."
_____
Be sure to read the comments.
Money quote(s):
"(T)his will be a much bigger story than the previous Iraq and Afghanistan disclosures, mostly because there will be something here for everyone. I’m not sure that the State Department looks particularly bad, as Timothy Garten Ash explains. It shouldn’t be a revelation to anyone that diplomats sometimes do something that looks like spying. This is much more likely to cause scandals in foreign capitals than in the US (which is not to say that it won’t hurt US foreign policy interests — it will). What you will see are lots of examples of US diplomats executing their briefs, in most cases pretty well."
&
"It’s one thing to understand that your work will come to light 25 years hence, when you (and your interlocutors) will either be dead or retired, too old much to care; or else flattered to see your handiwork become the stuff of history. It’s another to have to worry about something being disclosed that might affect your ability to function in your next post (or whether you’ll get one at all)."
_____
Be sure to read the comments.
re: "251,287 Embassy Cables: A Slick Spill at C Street's Cable Factory and Worldwide, Too..."
Domani Spero at Diplopundit ("Just one obsessive observer, diplomatic watcher, opinionator and noodle newsmaker monitoring the goings on at Foggy Bottom and the worldwide available universe") has collected a number of press excerpts, plus some "value-added."
Money quote(s):
"How many meeting appointments can our diplomats expect to confirm this week? Um, none?"
&
"Given that the release has now occurred, shouldn't we expect an arrest warrant for Mr. Assange for violating US laws?"
Money quote(s):
"How many meeting appointments can our diplomats expect to confirm this week? Um, none?"
&
"Given that the release has now occurred, shouldn't we expect an arrest warrant for Mr. Assange for violating US laws?"
Monday, November 29, 2010
re: "Upping the Ante"
Spook86 at In From the Cold ("Musings on Life, Love, Politics, Military Affairs, the Media, the Intelligence Community and Just About Anything Else that Captures Our Interest") evaluates the Korean situation.
Money quote(s):
"Historically, all responses to Pyongyang's provocations have been deliberate and measured, and limited to political and diplomatic measures. While North Korea has routinely targeted U.S. and ROK military personnel for decades, we have been extremely reluctant to return the favor.
Now may be the time to return the favor. As Kim Jong-il pushes the peninsula towards the brink, the U.S. and South Korea must be clear in explaining the consequences of future attacks--and be willing to follow through. One reason the DPRK has grown so emboldened is a consistent lack of action on the part of the United States and our allies in Seoul. Recent history suggests North Korea has little to fear from allied bluster. At this point, they have little incentive to back down.
No one wants war on the Korean peninsula. But the feckless appeasement of Kim's regime is hardly a path to peace."
Money quote(s):
"Historically, all responses to Pyongyang's provocations have been deliberate and measured, and limited to political and diplomatic measures. While North Korea has routinely targeted U.S. and ROK military personnel for decades, we have been extremely reluctant to return the favor.
Now may be the time to return the favor. As Kim Jong-il pushes the peninsula towards the brink, the U.S. and South Korea must be clear in explaining the consequences of future attacks--and be willing to follow through. One reason the DPRK has grown so emboldened is a consistent lack of action on the part of the United States and our allies in Seoul. Recent history suggests North Korea has little to fear from allied bluster. At this point, they have little incentive to back down.
No one wants war on the Korean peninsula. But the feckless appeasement of Kim's regime is hardly a path to peace."
re: "The Pinstriped Set"
Lex at Neptunus Lex ("The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy!") has some Department-related news about Wikileaks.
Money quote(s):
"If I had to choose between leaks that threaten soldiers lives, and those of Iraqi and Afghani citizens who would partner with us, and leaks that reveal what diplomats are really thinking behind their bland façades, the choice is straightforward."
Money quote(s):
"If I had to choose between leaks that threaten soldiers lives, and those of Iraqi and Afghani citizens who would partner with us, and leaks that reveal what diplomats are really thinking behind their bland façades, the choice is straightforward."
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