Posted on 11/30/2006 11:14:51 PM PST by MadIvan
A US State Department official was facing disciplinary action yesterday for saying that Britain was routinely ignored in a “totally one-sided” relationship with America.
The remarks, made by Kendall Myers, prompted a letter to The Times today in which Robert Tuttle, the US Ambassador to London and a close friend of President Bush, insists that the US-UK relationship “will not be weakened by the careless remarks of a single individual”. He adds: “The individual views aired by Kendall Myers in no way reflect the views of the US Government; his inaccurate and ill-advised statements are not a reflection of US government opinion or policy.
“Why he chose to air these views in a public forum is a question only he can answer.”
Downing Street suggested that Dr Myers should resign as a senior analyst at the State Department, where he has worked for about 30 years, after his remarks were reported by The Times yesterday.
The State Department’s daily press conference yesterday was dominated by questions about Dr Myers, who has told colleagues that he is considering early retirement. Tom Casey, a spokesman, criticised the analyst’s opinions, saying: “I want to make clear he does not make policy either on the UK or other issues, and certainly doesn’t have a significant input into foreign policy formulation. We repudiate and disassociate ourselves from those comments. The comments, frankly, I think could be described as ill-informed, and I think from our perspective plain wrong.”
A senior State Department source went further, yesterday,saying that Mr Myers had broken “rule No 1” by expressing his private opinions in public. “I think you can imagine the first conversation Dr Myers had with his boss was not a very pleasant one,” he added.
Mr Tuttle’s letter says that the US-UK relationship was “forged in the ashes” of the War of Independence, emphasises the countries’ shared love of libertyand that the “close ties between our two governments have, for nearly 200 years, been reflected in the enduring ties between the British and American people”.
“The American Administration and the American people realise that they have no better friend in the world than the British people.”
I don't think we've ever had reliable friends outside of the Anglosphere - UK, Australia, and Canada (which is improving, IMO, thanks to Stephen Harper).
I just hope the disciplinary action involved is this clown's immediate sacking. And if that's somehow not allowed under the civil service rules, his permanent stationing in the Congo would be the next best thing.
Iran's ambassador to the UN might be more up his alley.
30 years? Has to be appointed.
Here's the really interesting bit -
In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine 'Central African Revolutionary Council'. On December 4, 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa declared the republic a monarchy, the Central African Empire. He issued an imperial constitution, converted back to Catholicism and had himself crowned Emperor Bokassa I on December 4, 1977, in a lavish ceremony clearly trying to copy Napoleon I who converted the French revolutionary republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire (but after conquering an empire second to no contemporary power), his full title being Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN, "Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. Over $20 million was spent on the coronation (consuming one third of the C.A.R.'s annual budget and all of France's aid that year), but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. Many thought Bokassa was insane, and compared his egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, Idi Amin. Tenacious rumors that he occasionally consumed human flesh were found unproven during his trial.
The rumour persists that he did eat people, however - others say it was certain.
Too bad we can't send Myers to him. ;)
Regards, Ivan
A history of cannibalism, an ongoing civil war with refugees seeking safety in the unstable country of Chad, and a former French colony - the Central African Republic sounds like the perfect posting for Dr. Meyers. Heck, since they speak French there, he might actually be willing to go.
Thanks to William Seward, America owns quite a chunk of cold, desolate wasteland. Unfortunately, it's hard to think of a good reason to send an ambassador to Alaska. Maybe we can have him negotiate with those caribou for whose sake we are not drilling for oil. (More PC stupidity! We have oil in one of the most desolate, forsaken pieces of earth and we can't even get it because we might inconvenience some animals. Sheesh!)
Yes. Instead of Mr. Nyers thinking aboput an early retirement it should be assured to him that he WILL take an early retirement.
When mr. Bush gave his "you are with us ,or against us" speech. he should have gone over to the State Department and given that same speech and started weeding out people like Myers. He certainly isnt the only person in State who thinks he knows more about running the country than the President.
I nominate Dr Myers for Ambassador to the Bikini Islands.
"....for saying that Britain was routinely ignored in a “totally one-sided” relationship with America."
So he said it, does it have merit? An analyst's job is to look at all-sides and not parrot one-view or another. By reaction, it was an "oops"....
Not ambassador- the pay and perks are too good, even in a $hithole. Maybe a junior position in equatorial Africa or Greenland..
Good start. Now, can we line up the other 3000 or so Clintonistas hanging around Washington, leaking unhelpful opinions or out-right national secrets and do the same with them?
"But the U.K is a damn good friend in a world where we have fewer good friends than we used to have."
Look around us... see our friends that stand by us? They are the ONLY friends that we truly ever had... the rest were posers! We have lost no one... but those that were never our friends have shown their true colors! GOD bless allies like Britain, Australia, Poland, Japan and many, many others!
LLS
I suppose the question is, is he being disciplined for making a false statement...or making a true one?
JUNE 5, 2009 : (WASHINGTON DC : WALTER KENDALL MYERS aka AGENT 202 & HIS WIFE GWENDOLYN STEINGRABER MYERS aka AGENT 123 / AGENT E-634 ARE INDICTED —— See SPIES FOR CUBA ) they were indicted in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to act as illegal agents of the Cuban government and to communicate classified information to the Cuban government. They were also charged with acting as illegal agents of the Cuban government and with wire fraud.-—— “Former State Department Official and Wife Plead Guilty in 30-Year Espionage Conspiracy; Former Official Agrees to Serve Life Prison Sentence,” PRESS RELEASE, Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Friday, November 20, 2009
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-nsd-1262.html
NOVEMBER 20, 2009 FRI : (SPIES FOR CUBA WALTER KENDALL MYERS aka AGENT 202 & HIS WIFE GWENDOLYN STEINGRABER MYERS aka AGENT 123 / AGENT E-634 PLEAD GUILTY)
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