The Rooty Rooters have greatly distorted when Rooty threw Arafat out of the Lincoln Center.
Arafat was an official INVITED GUEST of the United States. I do not like that fact and I think the Clintons were wrong to invite him, but the fact remains that foreign policy is the domain of the State Department NOT A MAYOR. International diplomatic protocol is very specific about treatment of official diplomats and Rooty violated it. The potential repercussions could have been a disaster, what if unfriendly governments or Islamofascist warlords had begun arresting American diplomats and using this a precedent-setting justification?
Very true.
I do not like that fact and I think the Clintons were wrong to invite him...
Agreed.
...but the fact remains that foreign policy is the domain of the State Department NOT A MAYOR. International diplomatic protocol is very specific about treatment of official diplomats and Rooty violated it. The potential repercussions could have been a disaster...
They were a disaster! If you go back and read the news from the days and weeks following Rudy's little publicity stunt, you find a slew of government officials scurrying around trying to clean up after the damage he did. Rudy exercised extremely poor judgment and didn't bother to think of repercussions. It was just another example of why Rudy should never be considered presidential material.
When the president of the US does not support the laws of this land then it is up to the individual to take a stand. Arafat was the head of an officially identified terrorist organization. Clinton was just a slimy liberal who wanted to play nice-nice to the PC crowd.
Arafat was invited to speak at the UN. That was the end of the “Official” role he had in NYC. The Lincoln center thing was a private event and not an official state function. Rudy showed courage to have him escorted back to the embassy. It is your type of thinking and whining that makes Rudy’s actions all the more meaningful.
As a matter of the violation of our diplomats, need I remind you of the Iran embassy takeover? Face it. Rudy was 100% correct in his actions. If there were a shadow of a doubt that he screwed up, the screaming liberals would not have shut up as soon as he showed that he was not going to back down. Additionally, why do you think that none of Rudy’s opponents are using this as an issue? I’ll tell you why. Rudy was correct and he violated no laws nor diplomatic protocols. If he had, all of his opponents would be all over him like stink on sh _ _. If they bring it up it will only make Rudy look stronger than they could ever hope to be.