IRAQ WRAPUP 7-Diplomat 'mispoke' on U.S. arrogance in Iraq

Reuters ^ | 10/22/06 | Claudia Parsons

[the Real fifi]

He is no different than most at the Near East Asian section of the DoS..

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


LibWacker,


Dubya should kick his dumb butt all the way back across the Rio Grande.


A single bullet will do for this traitor ... and instead use the plane ticket for some (heroic) GI to visit his mother at Christmas ...


Patton-at-Bastogne

"May God and His Angels Guard Your Sacred Throne, and May You Long Become It."

Shakespeare, Henry V, Act I, Scene II


.

[Walkingfeather]

isn't karen hughes not number 2 inthe state dept.? THIS guy should be on his way to the congo by monday.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BBC now reports him apologizing!!

US official retracts Iraq remarks

********************************************

US official retracts Iraq remarks

Mr Fernandez said that US policy was open to 'strong criticism'

The US state department official who said that the US had shown "arrogance and stupidity" in Iraq has apologised for his comments.

Alberto Fernandez, who made the remarks during an interview with Arabic TV station al-Jazeera, said that he had "seriously misspoke".

His comments did not represent the views of the state department, he said.

His remarks came at a time of intense scrutiny of White House Iraq policy, with mid-term elections due next month.

Mr Fernandez is an Arabic speaker who is director of public diplomacy in the state department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

On Saturday, he told the Qatar-based broadcaster that the world was "witnessing failure in Iraq".

Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on Al-Jazeera, I realised that I seriously misspoke Alberto Fernandez

"That's not the failure of the United States alone, but it is a disaster for the region," he said.

"I think there is great room for strong criticism, because without doubt, there was arrogance and stupidity by the United States in Iraq."

State department spokesman Sean McCormack initially said that Mr Fernandez had been quoted incorrectly and rejected his comments.

And in a statement posted on the state department's website, Mr Fernandez retracted his remarks.

"Upon reading the transcript of my appearance on al-Jazeera, I realised that I seriously misspoke by using the phrase: 'There has been arrogance and stupidity' by the US in Iraq," he said.

"This represents neither my views nor those of the state department. I apologise."

[CyberAnt]

"You're fired"

That should do it! Besides, first the guy said he was "misquoted" in the translation - and now he says he "misspoke" - which means HE LIED!!

These are members of the "Shadow Party" which is undermining our government and our president. This guy needs to be fired - NOW!! It's the only way they're going to be able to stop this mouthing off overseas to our enemies.

[atomic conspiracy]

He should be fired all right, preferably from a 16 inch gun.

[Mila]

"Dubya should kick his dumb butt all the way back across the Rio Grande."

He's a Cubano.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14560221/site/newsweek/

[khnyny]

Exactly, Fernandez got caught and is attempting to weasel his way out of the mess he's created.

IMHO, the message which the US is giving the world regarding policy in Iraq should be consistent and everyone in the State Department and elsewhere should be on the same page. You don't have one message for the West and contradict yourself and change that message for the consumption of the Islamic world. Our "diplomats" shouldn't model themselves after cheap con men, telling their audience what they want to hear. If the US wants to engender trust, the message and the VALUES must remain consistent. Maybe our "diplomats" should stop speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

[reagan_fanatic]

Why does he still have a job?

[RightWhale]

He didn't misspeak. He said what he thinks. However, he needs to resign.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. this is the "shadow party" which we have heard about. This group is some of the entrenched holdovers from democratic admins who have been there for years, or were appointed there during the Clinton years.

They are rotten thru and thru - and are so arrogant they believe they know better than the president. Maybe they do .. but it's not their place to make those sentiments public. I don't imagine Condi was very pleased and I wouldn't be at all surprised if Fernandez got a strong tongue lashing from her. Of course, we'll never hear about it - unless of source the shadow party finds it convenient to leak it.