Despicable Boris threw ambassador under a bus now Trump is the winner
DURING my four years as Minister for Foreign Affairs, on a weekly basis I received a bundle of briefing documents from Irish ambassadors, based around the globe. The purpose of these documents was to alert us back home to important issues from an Irish point of view arising in the respective countries, on a ‘need-to-know basis’.
In effect, ambassadors were expected to be the ‘eyes and ears’, on behalf of the Irish governmental system. They would do this by having one-to-one meetings with local politicians, and opinion formers.
Equally, the much derided Ferrero Rocher-type social gatherings held in Irish embassies were a great source of interesting information. Also, the ambassadors were pivotal in representing Irish interests in their resident country. Obviously, some embassies were more important than others. Top of our list were the US and the UK.
For example, throughout the years of the peace process, the Irish ambassador in London was a vital source of information as to what was going on in Westminster. That ambassadorial posting was crucial in order to help the system back in Dublin know what was the latest thinking on the ground in London. At all times, the ambassador had to be frank in the memo. The document would be circulated to selected people within the government system.
Serious leak
During my time, I can’t recall any of these briefing documents being leaked. Safe to say, that if any of them had got into the public domain, it would have caused huge difficulties in relations between London and Dublin, during those crucial times.
The only time I can remember there being a serious leak from the Department of Foreign Affairs was in 1997, when an internal memo from the Anglo Irish division of the Department found its way into the media. It related to a conversation which former President Mary McAleese had, well before she became President, with a DFA official regarding the electoral rise of Sinn Féin.
In her discussion, it was reported that she had given the view that Sinn Féin would gain electoral ground over the SDLP.
The leak occurred at the very start of her presidential election campaign, and was clearly orchestrated by political opponents to damage her chances. I do recall at the time that the leak caused huge distress to Mrs McAleese, who thankfully was not ultimately damaged, and went on to be elected President.
Similarly, the leaking of diploous matic cables sent by the former British ambassador in the US was clearly designed to embarrass the British government.
In these documents, ambassador Kim Darroch described Donald Trump as being insecure and that his government was ‘uniquely dysfunctional’. He added that the Trump administration would collapse in disgrace. The leaking, in itself, is a major blow to the British government’s reputation of having one of the most sophisticated diplomatic systems in the world.
Not only did it severely embarrass the outgoing Theresa May and her government, but it also left the ambassador in an invidiposition. People, who would normally deal with the ambassador, would be much more circumspect in the future in being open with him and his officials, for fear that their words could ultimately end up in the media.
But what really made the ambassador’s position untenable was a combination of Trump’s over the top reaction to the ambassador’s words, and the less than fulsome support given to him by the favourite to be the next British prime minister, Boris Johnson. Once Trump came out saying he would ‘no longer deal’ with the British ambassador, it put the British government in an extremely difficult situation.
May correctly backed ambassador Darroch, but obviously he, himself, being a seasoned diplomat, knew that his time was up. However, the straw that broke the camel’s back for him was Boris Johnson’s despicable reaction whereby he did not unequivocally support ambassador Darroch’s position. Johnson would have worked very closely with Darroch, as a former foreign secretary. But, he was more interested in currying favour with the American president, than backing the ambassador.
Bully tactics
These days, schoolyard bullyboy tactics seem to be the basis for determining US foreign policy and how America deals with foreign states and entities. Trump clearly regards international organisations such as the UN and the EU with disdain. Despite painstaking negotiations involving many players, especially the EU, on the Iranian nuclear deal, Trump decided to go it alone.
Indeed, the publication of further internal memos from former ambassador Darroch by the Irish Mail On Sunday yesterday, reveal that Trump probably decided to renege on that vital deal merely because it was ‘Obama’s deal’!
His response to the leaked memo from the British ambassador should have been silence. But, no, in typical fashion, he had to come out swinging. The way in which he has commented about Brexit, something he clearly knows nothing about, has also been despicable.
The British were looking forward to life after Brexit, by pinning their hopes on a mega trade deal with the US. The recent events involving their ambassador must be a huge rebuff to any possibilities in this regard. Over the years, we have heard much talk about the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and the US. But these days, it doesn’t appear to be anything ‘special’ .
For me, the row over the ambassador shows that dealing with Trump, who may very well be re-elected, will be very one sided. The British Brexiteers, in time, may come to realise that the halcyon world, which they portrayed post-Brexit, may not come to pass.