I did. Thanks for the link you provided.
And I do not see why the esteemed ambassador got her knickers in a twist.
It this is the tolerance level of our diplos.....well, that’s fairly thin skinned.
Well, if you read the cable, you see that she didn't get her "knickers in a twist," but she was reporting what she observed at the meeting being the only non-Brit or Canadian. There were a number of comments in the cable that Prince Andrew made that were bordering on being both rude and uninformed. Someone like Tatiana with her estensive expertise in the region as well as her Soviet background picked them up where someone else might not have.
The Great Game comment was particularly grating to her. The Great Game is a term used for the strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia.
"Addressing the Ambassador directly, Prince Andrew then turned to regional politics. He stated baldly that "the United Kingdom, Western Europe (and by extension you Americans too") were now back in the thick of playing the Great Game. More animated than ever, he stated cockily: "And this time we aim to win!" Without contradicting him, the Ambassador gently reminded him that the United States does not see its presence in the region as a continuation of the Great Game. We support Kyrgyzstan's independence and sovereignty but also welcome good relations between it and all of its neighbors, including Russia."
The Prince was a little too cavalier with his comments in a public place. "In an astonishing display of candor in a public hotel where the brunch was taking place.".."Prince Andrew took up the topic with gusto, saying that he keeps hearing Maxim's name "over and over again" whenever he discusses doing business in this country." At this point the Duke of York laughed uproariously, saying that: "All of this sounds exactly like France."
Given the venue, I find the Prince's comments unwise and counterproductive to not only the UK's interests in the country, but also ours. Everything he said will go back to the government, which is corrupt and vindictive. We were fortunate to keep Manas open. It is the last airbase we have left in the region. Over 50,000 troops transited there in March this year.
America is not in the Kyrgyz Republic as part of the "Great Game" or the revival of the Great Game. Sending that kind of message to the Kyrgyz government, which has broken away from the Soviets, is not helpful. Prince Andrew made a number of diplomatic gaffes that will have future repercussions.
But notice that our Ambassador said that, "Prince Andrew reached out to the Ambassador with cordiality and respect, evidently valuing her insights."