Tatiana Gfoeller
Posted on 11/29/2010 12:12:25 PM PST by maggief
Thanks maggief. I think this emerged in regular news channels a while back. Regardless, the useless parasites known as the “royal family” should be kept in one spot to greet the tourists, have no other official duties, and have all their land and property confiscated. And when one of those inbred arrogant POSes does something like this (or says or does pretty much anything like Jughead Charles) they’d be privately reprimanded — or better yet, beheaded.
Yawn.....
I spent 28 years as a foreign service officer. You couldn't be more wrong.
In fact, the Prince is more grounded in reality, perceiving that the competition in Central Asia is reminiscent of the Great Game as it pertains to corporations competing for contracts from those nations.
You seem to want to create your own definition of what the Great Game was all about. It means something quite different than competing for commercial contracts. It was about competing empires trying to control other peoples and countries. In essence it was imperialism. The goverment of Kyrgyzstan clearly understands what it means and I can only imagine what their reaction was to this statement by the British Prince--an overblown one at that since the UK is no longer a global power and one in decline.
The Great Game (Russian: Большая игра, Bol'sháya igrá) is a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. The classic Great Game period is generally regarded as running approximately from the Russo-Persian Treaty of 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907.
It seemes to me that it is our ambassador who does not acknowledge reality, cocooned in her self imposed beliefs, parroting our official lines, wishing reality is what she says it is, rather than what it actually is.
The person who lives in a cocoon is the Prince. He is a living anachronism whose ego and sense of self-importance make him out of touch with reality. You have failed to show or demonstrate how our ambassdor is out of touch. She wrote the cable to report her observations on the Prince's visit. She is the daughter of Russian immigrants. She served two tours in Russia, the first when it was the Soviet Union and the second when it was Russia. She served in Communist Poland [as I did] and in Turkmenistan. The idea that the Prince knows more about what is going on in Bishkek or the region than she does is laughable.
I have no idea what official line she is parroting. Are you reading the same cable I am or do you have a reading comprehension problem?
And the American Ambassador comes off as some petulant harpie, miffed that she was upstaged by the young Prince.
LOL. That is patently absurd. She was invited by the British Embassy to attend, the only non UK or Canadian there. The Prince was the speaker and she was in the audience. The idea that she thought she was the main attraction is ludicrous.
You have a distorted view of what diplomacy is all about or how an Embassy functions. Nor do you seem to understand what this cable is all about and who are the consumers of it. One of the most important functions our ambassadors have is to promote American business and economic interests. We are competing against the rest of the world including the UK, France, etc.
Prince Andrew represents the UK in this regard. He was briefed by the Foreign Office before the trip. It is important to listen to and report what he said and how he said it. In my opinion, he did a poor job due to a lack of diplomatic skills and bull in the china shop approach. The host country could not have appreciated his remarks. Prince Andrew seemed oblivious to the fact that he was speaking in a public venue. Dumb.
The primary purpose of our presence in Kyrgyzstan is to keep our air base open and operating. It is a vital logistical base for our operations in Afghanistan. Manas Air Base was opened in 2001.
On 3 February 2009, Kyrgyzstani President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced that Manas Air Base would soon be closed. Bakiyev said that economic considerations and the negative public attitude towards the base contributed to the decision. A bill calling for the closure of the base and the eviction of U.S. forces was passed by the Kyrgyz parliament by a vote of 78 to one on 19 February 2009. The following day, 20 February, an official eviction notice was delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, according to the Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The news of the base's closure followed the announcement of a new agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan in which Kyrgyzstan will receive $2 billion in loans and $150 million in financial aid from Russia. Most observers see the two events as connected, and believe that Russian financial assistance was offered on the condition that U.S. forces were expelled from Kyrgyzstan. Currently, the U.S. governments gives $150 million in aid annually to Kyrgyzstan. According to General David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, around $63 million of that sum is directly connected to the base. The larger Russian package is viewed by some analysts as an effort to "out-bid" the Americans.
Referring to the closure of Manas Air Base, Pentagon spokesman Geoff S. Morrell directly accused Russia of "attempting to undermine [American] use of that facility". U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also said that, "The Russians are trying to have it both ways with respect to Afghanistan in terms of Manas. On one hand you're making positive noises about working with us in Afghanistan, and on the other hand you're working against us in terms of that airfield which is clearly important to us." However Russian President Dmitry Medvedev distanced his country from the announcement, saying that it was "within the competence of the Kyrgyz Republic" to decide how the Manas base functioned.
On 23 June 2009 a new deal was reached between the U.S. and Kyrgyz governments. It was ratified by the Kyrgyz parliament two days later, and signed into law by President Bakiyev on 7 July. Under the terms of the new agreement, U.S. payment for use of the facilities will increase from $17.1 million to $60 million. An additional $117 million will be given to the Kyrgyz government, including $36 million for upgrading the airport with additional storage facilities and aircraft parking, $21 million for fighting drug trafficking in the country, and $20 million for economic development.
Based on the above, it is quite understandable why our ambassador said what she did. In addition to what you posted, she said, "We support Kyrgyzstan's independence and sovereignty but also welcome good relations between it and all of its neighbors, including Russia." She distanced the US from the Great Game and 19th century imperialism.
I take it you haven’t heard of the Chinese-Korean leaks.
LOL
That’s what she said..../s
LOL
Now, now. You two oldsters best be growin up and gettin along. /s
LOL
Tatiana Gfoeller
I think I see your problem....
You have a distorted view of what diplomacy is all about or how an Embassy functions.
Diplomacy is supposed to be the art of f****** other countries politely while pursuing strategic National interests. Sadly that's not what the US State Dept. is about.
It's about featherbedding bonehead political contributors in Abassadorships while career FS 'officers' find ways to extract cash and second careers from the Saudis.
One of the most important functions our ambassadors have is to promote American business and economic interests.
I'm sure that's in the State Dept. Training Manual somewhere, probably in a footnote on page 773 or thereabouts. Sadly as a fairly average US citizen all I ever see State do is play "Let's F*** Republican Presidents".
The idea that the Prince knows more about what is going on in Bishkek or the region than she does is laughable.
Ahhh yes the classic "I went to Georgetown so I'm always the Smartest Person In The Room" disease. Our President suffers from a variation of this.
LOL. You create these phony strawmen and then pretend to slay them. Don't lecture me about what the State Department is about. You haven't a clue how it operates or what it does. The furtherance of US strategic national interests is what the State Department does around the globe, often at risk of life and limb.
It's about featherbedding bonehead political contributors in Abassadorships while career FS 'officers' find ways to extract cash and second careers from the Saudis.
There you go again with your phony strawmen.
I'm sure that's in the State Dept. Training Manual somewhere, probably in a footnote on page 773 or thereabouts. Sadly as a fairly average US citizen all I ever see State do is play "Let's F*** Republican Presidents".
Did you suck that one out of your thumb?
Ahhh yes the classic "I went to Georgetown so I'm always the Smartest Person In The Room" disease. Our President suffers from a variation of this.
Give me a break. She did more than go to Georgetown. Unlike Obama or Prince Andrew, she earned her position thru a solid record of achievement. And she has 26 years of experience gained thru her overseas assignments. She didn't achieve her position by virtue of her skin color or who was her father. Obama and Prince Andrew are the empty suits who don't have a clue about the real world.
Sounds to me more like he was running his mouth, in a manner that reminds one of his father.
Diplomatic language is deliberately careful for a reason. Insulting one's hosts is just stupid, unless you're trying to get them to respond agressively.
I think it’s best if you back off here, L. He’s eating your lunch.
Interesting read. This prince, unlike his father, seems to be a pretty bright young man.
But in point of fact, he is correct in that assessment. No one travels better than a Brit.
Nor does the Secretary of State apparently. I see how it operates. Summed up in a short phrase it's "damned poorly" in my estimation.
Nice job on INFOSEC, too. Love what you've done to safeguard all those important, sensitive, Classified thingies. It should only take a couple of decades to recover from the damage all you Georgetown educated, highly experienced folks have done.
And she has 26 years of experience gained thru her overseas assignments.
Including a stint in Saudi. Rather lucrative posting from I've heard. I had a close friend who was posted there for nearly 5 years back in the 90's. Funny how all them Ambassador and 'senior FS' types end up working for 6 figure salaries at 'think tanks' after they leave.
Two things just happened.
One was the direct broadside fired at Hillary Clintons Presidential campaign. She's going to have to resign her post pretty much in disgrace. Chances are she's finished as a Presidential candidate. This happened on her watch and Obama is going to throw her under the bus.
Second is the absolutely deplorable state of INFOSEC at the State and Defense Departments. A frigging PFC was able to download and release literally tens of thousands of pages of Classified documents right under the noses of his superiors in a time of War.
Then he was able to cause them to be publicly released. In a rational world this little twerp would already be swinging from the end of a rope. Instead we get huffing and puffing from our Pantomime Attorney General.
It's going to take decades to repair this damage to our National interests, decades. No one is going to trust a word coming out of our State Department for years. And they'll not speak candidly or truthfully to our diplomats for at least that long.
THAT'S what these boneheaded moronic "professional foreign service officers" have wrought. State needs a top to bottom flushing out with a high pressure hose.
And the traitor who released this stuff along with his Wikileaks accomplice both need to be executed.
Yeah the sun never sets on the British Empire. The UK is deteriorating into a third world slum. How is that geography working out for them?
The State Department doesn't have a say in who its political master will be.
Nice job on INFOSEC, too. Love what you've done to safeguard all those important, sensitive, Classified thingies. It should only take a couple of decades to recover from the damage all you Georgetown educated, highly experienced folks have done.
The guy who stole them was from DOD [US Army], which has a long history of losing classified material whether it was the Walkers or Pollard. Wikileaks got plenty of DOD classified material on Iraq and Afghanistan or did you miss that one? The Stare Department's record on protecting classified information is far better than DOD or the CIA.
Including a stint in Saudi. Rather lucrative posting from I've heard. I had a close friend who was posted there for nearly 5 years back in the 90's. Funny how all them Ambassador and 'senior FS' types end up working for 6 figure salaries at 'think tanks' after they leave.
I was stationed there for five years as a senior FSO. I never ended working for a six figure salary at a think tank and know very few who did. You like to generalize without really having any facts.
The U.S. will eventually, and rather quickly, I'm afraid, be the object of hate and bitterness by many of these individuals and entities....and this poisoning of the waters will last for years. A lot of it will change the course of history.
Unfortunately, the blame will be on our country's shoulders because the second release could have been stopped except for the lack of courage, resolve, inablity to make large decisions, and character of the Destroyer, Obama....and he didn't stop it....and the fallout will cause the ruination (perhaps even death, in some cases) of many in high places who will never forget the perfidy and who will blame our country long after the Great Satan will have left the White House and the world scene.
Obama may have not caused the leaks by putting up someone to steal the documents, but the lack of experience, naivity, intransigence, natural anti-American impulses and other character flaws of this weak, sociopathic, narcissicist, marxist president has caused this terrible damage to a multitude of interests......and this is how it will be viewed by those damaged, whether currently our friends or foes.
Leni
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