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After British ambassador's downfall, diplomats fear putting Trump criticisms in writing
Source: Washington Post
After British ambassador’s downfall, diplomats fear putting Trump criticisms in writing
By John Hudson and Karen DeYoung July 10 at 6:27 PM
The lightning-fast resignation of Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday following a leak of his correspondence criticizing the Trump administration has sent shivers down the spines of foreign diplomats in Washington who are paid to send frank assessments to their home countries.
In the leaked diplomatic cables, British Ambassador Kim Darroch described the Trump administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional,” prompting tweets from President Trump in which he called the ambassador a “pompous fool” whom the United States would no longer work with.
Darroch’s resignation has already prompted discussions in embassies about scaling back access to diplomatic cables and moderating the tone of assessments about the Trump administration’s handling of global and domestic affairs. Powerful colleagues and friends of Darroch have also sought to keep their expressions of solidarity for the envoy private to avoid angering the U.S. president, though many admitted to sending similarly disparaging cables to their own capitals.
“I think we’re all shocked frankly by what happened to Kim,” said one European diplomat, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering Trump. “It shows we have to remain careful in how we explain things to our capitals and how we share information within our own system. I know I’ve sent cables of a similar nature.”
In Washington, foreign diplomats are tasked with keeping a polite and respectful exterior while passing along classified cables that reveal a candid, warts-and-all view of the U.S. government. Senior British officials have said that job has become much harder in the aftermath of Darroch’s resignation.
-snip-
By John Hudson and Karen DeYoung July 10 at 6:27 PM
The lightning-fast resignation of Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday following a leak of his correspondence criticizing the Trump administration has sent shivers down the spines of foreign diplomats in Washington who are paid to send frank assessments to their home countries.
In the leaked diplomatic cables, British Ambassador Kim Darroch described the Trump administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional,” prompting tweets from President Trump in which he called the ambassador a “pompous fool” whom the United States would no longer work with.
Darroch’s resignation has already prompted discussions in embassies about scaling back access to diplomatic cables and moderating the tone of assessments about the Trump administration’s handling of global and domestic affairs. Powerful colleagues and friends of Darroch have also sought to keep their expressions of solidarity for the envoy private to avoid angering the U.S. president, though many admitted to sending similarly disparaging cables to their own capitals.
“I think we’re all shocked frankly by what happened to Kim,” said one European diplomat, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid angering Trump. “It shows we have to remain careful in how we explain things to our capitals and how we share information within our own system. I know I’ve sent cables of a similar nature.”
In Washington, foreign diplomats are tasked with keeping a polite and respectful exterior while passing along classified cables that reveal a candid, warts-and-all view of the U.S. government. Senior British officials have said that job has become much harder in the aftermath of Darroch’s resignation.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/after-british-ambassadors-downfall-diplomats-fear-putting-trump-criticisms-in-writing/2019/07/10/ae6d3e8e-daa2-4652-9ffd-d52a99bc9bca_story.html
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Source: New York Times
‘It Could Have Been Any of Us’: Disdain for Trump Runs Among Ambassadors
By David E. Sanger
July 10, 2019
WASHINGTON — Ask members of the Washington diplomatic corps about the cables that Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador who resigned Wednesday, wrote to London describing the dysfunction and chaos of the Trump administration, and their response is uniform: We wrote the same stuff.
“Yes, yes, everyone does,” Gérard Araud, who retired this spring as the French ambassador, said on Wednesday morning of his own missives from Washington. “But fortunately I knew that nothing would remain secret, so I sent them in a most confidential manner.”
So did Mr. Darroch, who, alone and with Mr. Araud, tried to navigate the minefield of serving as the chief representative of a longtime American ally to a president who does not think much of the value of alliances.
Mr. Darroch submitted his resignation the morning after Boris Johnson, who this month is likely to become Britain’s next prime minister, notably declined during a televised debate to defend the diplomat and also refused to criticize President Trump.
-snip-
By David E. Sanger
July 10, 2019
WASHINGTON — Ask members of the Washington diplomatic corps about the cables that Sir Kim Darroch, the British ambassador who resigned Wednesday, wrote to London describing the dysfunction and chaos of the Trump administration, and their response is uniform: We wrote the same stuff.
“Yes, yes, everyone does,” Gérard Araud, who retired this spring as the French ambassador, said on Wednesday morning of his own missives from Washington. “But fortunately I knew that nothing would remain secret, so I sent them in a most confidential manner.”
So did Mr. Darroch, who, alone and with Mr. Araud, tried to navigate the minefield of serving as the chief representative of a longtime American ally to a president who does not think much of the value of alliances.
Mr. Darroch submitted his resignation the morning after Boris Johnson, who this month is likely to become Britain’s next prime minister, notably declined during a televised debate to defend the diplomat and also refused to criticize President Trump.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/world/europe/kim-darroch-trump.html