Diplomatic Leak - ambassador to US about Trump

Soldato
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Absolutely staggering that the UK, whose diplomacy was pretty much the only remaining undisputed area of excellence we had left, has been so damaged in this field.

On the back of of the first ever sacking of a Defence Secretary for personally leaking sensitive security council details, now we have the memos of our most senior Ambassador making their way to the press.

Whats of note is that it was Isabelle Oakeshott who "got the scoop".

It's interesting to wonder how a journalist who *never* gets scoops unless they are about things Wigmore and Banks want out in the public to serve their ends, has got hold of these intensely confidential papers...

 
Soldato
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The content is not particularly surprising. Ambassadors who may be diplomatic to their hosts should be quite frank in their comments back to the home country. I just hope that whoever leaked gets their trousers taken down.
 
Associate
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How petulant of President Trump to uninvite the UK Ambassador to the dinner yesterday evening.


Some are suggesting that he might be denied access to The White House and The President himself.


I can’t for one moment believe that the USA's Ambassador in London (Ambassador Johnson?) only sends positive reports back to President Trump especially considering the present state of British politics.

Gavin Williamson aka Private Pike could only be described as innept. I'd have liked to have read Ambassador Johnson's regarding him.
 
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Man of Honour
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The thing that gets me is.... what a *****, **** stirring thing to report. It benefited absolutely nobody. Well, not the public anyway...

Unfortunately the ambassador is probably going to have to stand down. What a ‘scoop’. Bunch of ****s.
 
Caporegime
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The thing that gets me is.... what a *****, **** stirring thing to report. It benefited absolutely nobody. Well, not the public anyway...

Unfortunately the ambassador is probably going to have to stand down. What a ‘scoop’. Bunch of ****s.

Paid lobbyist and stooge Oakeshott takes what ever she can from Ashcroft, Tice, Banks, Farage, Wigmore and puts it into the media how ever way she can regardless of it's consequences. They only care about themselves and how their actions can make them more money.
 
Associate
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When something is written down you have to accept there's a potential for it to be made public. The whole sordid affair is an embarrassment from Sir Kim putting it down in writing to Oakeshott publishing it knowing the damage it will do.

The whole point of a diplomat is to be diplomatic, to infer things without writing or saying anything incriminating. He should have known better.

I mean it's not difficult, all he needed to say was the Trump administration was unorthodox which has proved a challenge to deal with using traditional diplomatic routes.
 
Soldato
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The content is not particularly surprising. Ambassadors who may be diplomatic to their hosts should be quite frank in their comments back to the home country. I just hope that whoever leaked gets their trousers taken down.
When you think what national harm its done, Treason doesn't seem an unreasonable description, so I agree - if they can catch the culprit, there needs to be (and, I suspect, will be) serious consequences.

But... If they can't catch the culprit, then I think heads also need to roll.

How can the UK tolerate a situation where our system can't identify who has leaked the most sensitive of documents?

The architects of the system must be accountable.
 
Caporegime
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The content is not particularly surprising. Ambassadors who may be diplomatic to their hosts should be quite frank in their comments back to the home country. I just hope that whoever leaked gets their trousers taken down.

I agree but his position as US ambassador is untenable now, you can criticise/insult anyone you want behind their back but if they ever find out don't expect them to talk to you. The main role of ambassador is to foster good relations which he cannot do now.

Listening to the BBC try to defend his position is lol.

It's also funny him criticising the Trump government when he's been part of a government that has set the bar for incompetency under Theresa May.
 
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Soldato
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The thing that gets me is.... what a *****, **** stirring thing to report. It benefited absolutely nobody. Well, not the public anyway...

Unfortunately the ambassador is probably going to have to stand down. What a ‘scoop’. Bunch of ****s.

It is obviously been done on purpose because someone is trying to get the ambassador removed. This could be because they don't like him or they want someone else there. They've completely undermined his position so he will have to leave and probably make it difficult in any other role. It will make the job of other ambassadors more difficult because they may hesitate to be so frank with their views knowing things could be leaked. You can see from the reaction of certain people who may be behind it, doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

Hopefully the person who did this is found and made an example of. No doubt whoever has got him/her to do this will have promised to look after them.
 
Caporegime
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When something is written down you have to accept there's a potential for it to be made public. The whole sordid affair is an embarrassment from Sir Kim putting it down in writing to Oakeshott publishing it knowing the damage it will do.

The whole point of a diplomat is to be diplomatic, to infer things without writing or saying anything incriminating. He should have known better.

Ambassadors send daily reports to the government about what they really think is going on in the countries they operate.

You can't demonise him for doing his job and giving his honest opinion. These things aren't supposed to leak.
 
Soldato
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Someone's a treasonous rat out there.

Destroys the US ambassador and the Trump - UK relationship and for what.

Is anyone actually surprised at what the ambassador is saying in officially private messages to the UK?

The only shocking thing is someone stole his correspondence and sent it to a rag for ??? gain and substantial UK loss.
 
Associate
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Ambassadors send daily reports to the government about what they really think is going on in the countries they operate.

You can't demonise him for doing his job and giving his honest opinion. These things aren't supposed to leak.

What they discuss in face to face meetings or calls is one thing, but it's basics 101 to never write down anything that you would consider damaging to international relations. It's not just leaks, it's risk of interception, accidental loss, bugging etc.

There seems to be a new culture where people send emails and electronic memos with things they would be horrified to disclose in public. I see it all the time in the legal field. When you're operating at the level he was you take zero risks.
 
Soldato
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Ambassadors send daily reports to the government about what they really think is going on in the countries they operate.

You can't demonise him for doing his job and giving his honest opinion. These things aren't supposed to leak.
Youre right that it's the leak not the content, Ambassadors are plenipotentiary and what they do and say has lasting implications, whoever's leaked it should be charged with treason. What they say is absolutely not for public consumption.
 
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Trump: "uk ambassador shouldn't comment on others governments"

Trump: "uk government is a failure"

Trump "actually it's just my government you can't comment on if it's negative. If it's ass kissing then comment away"
 
Man of Honour
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It is obviously been done on purpose because someone is trying to get the ambassador removed. This could be because they don't like him or they want someone else there. They've completely undermined his position so he will have to leave and probably make it difficult in any other role. It will make the job of other ambassadors more difficult because they may hesitate to be so frank with their views knowing things could be leaked. You can see from the reaction of certain people who may be behind it, doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

Hopefully the person who did this is found and made an example of. No doubt whoever has got him/her to do this will have promised to look after them.
Yes, when I said ‘it benefitted absolutely nobody’ I really meant that no ‘good’ has come of it and only dubious people have benefitted.
 
Caporegime
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At the rate we're going, surprising - no but definitely damaging. However whenever our special relationship is brought up, I wonder what exactly makes it special? We share intelligence and military operations right? Kind of feels like 'it puts the lotion on the skin' situation :p.
 
Permabanned
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When you think what national harm its done, Treason doesn't seem an unreasonable description, so I agree - if they can catch the culprit, there needs to be (and, I suspect, will be) serious consequences.

But... If they can't catch the culprit, then I think heads also need to roll.

How can the UK tolerate a situation where our system can't identify who has leaked the most sensitive of documents?

The architects of the system must be accountable.


I need to lie down, I must be ill, I am in total agreement with you, has the sky fallen...?

This is a serious and treasonous breach of protocol and someone must face prison. The ambassador is free of course to make his opinions known within the correct and limited circles of his remit, but not to have them published in the media by a third party. The very role of ambassador is one of discretion, to have it undermined by mischievous agents is quite intolerable in a civilised society.
 
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