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Cables revealed by WikiLeaks show US ‘guilty of catastrophic breach of trust’
Nicholas Cecil and Martin Bentham29 Nov 2010
America was today fighting to limit the damage caused by the WikiLeaks revelations as it was condemned for the “extraordinary laxity” of its diplomatic service for sending secret cables.
Washington was left reeling after 250,000 memos from US embassies were leaked by the whistleblowing website in what was described as a “diplomatic 9/11”.
The US now faces a “whole number of time bombs”, warned Congressman Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House intelligence committee. “The catastrophic issue here is just a breakdown in trust. Can the United States keep a secret?”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is at the centre of the storm, was due to address the diplomatic repercussions today.
The leaks revealed that several Arab leaders, including King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, have urged the US to launch military action against Tehran to end its nuclear weapons ambitions.
This put Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the back foot — he dismissed the revelations as “mischief” aimed at stirring trouble with his neighbours.
He also blamed Israel and western governments for attacks by assassins on motorbikes today which killed an Iranian nuclear scientist and seriously wounded another. Bombs were attached to their cars as they drove to work.
The scale of the threat from Iran is highlighted by one diplomatic cable which said Tehran has obtained advanced missiles from North Korea that could strike European capitals and Moscow.
Mrs Clinton will also have to explain why she apparently authorised an intelligence gathering programme at the United Nations, including instructions to obtain details about Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Prince Andrew also allegedly criticised the Serious Fraud Office over an investigation into a Saudi arms deal. According to the Times, the Duke of York, Britain's special trade representative, is said to have criticised the decision by the SFO to investigate BAE Systems over the multi-billion-pound al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims.
One diplomatic cable allegedly mentioned how Bank of England Governor Mervyn King had described David Cameron and George Osborne, before the election, as having a “lack of depth”. Other revelations reported in the Guardian include:
US commanders criticising British operations in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, particularly in the Sangin area.
Requests for intelligence about individual MPs, before the election, including the international development minister Alan Duncan.
The US embassies in London passing on intelligence about a one-time Labour minister referring to him as “a bit of a hound dog where women are concerned”.
Former Tory foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, now chairman of the intelligence and security committee, said: “It shows an extraordinary laxity.”
Lord Malloch-Brown, a former UN chief, criticised the alleged US intelligence gathering. “It's fundamentally wrong that there should be this level of surveillance,” he said.
The documents are thought to have been leaked by US soldier Bradley Manning, 22, who is awaiting court martial.
Leaders
World leaders from Vladimir Putin to Nicolas Sarkozy are described in derogatory terms in the diplomatic cables.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is “like Hitler”, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is a “flabby old chap” and Afghan president Hamid Karzai is “paranoid and extremely weak”.
President Sarkozy is “thin-skinned and authoritarian”, an “emperor with no clothes”; Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi is “feckless, vain and authoritarian”; Mr Putin is like Batman to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's Robin.
It is also claimed Prince Andrew's “inappropriate behaviour” shocked the US government.
Pakistan
Unsuccessful US efforts to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani reactor to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands and being used to make an illicit nuclear weapon are also revealed.
One cable, sent by the former US ambassador in Islamabad in May last year, reports that Pakistan had refused to allow a visit by a US technical expert because it feared that it would be seen “as the United States taking Pakistan's nuclear weapons”.
Other material reveals that US attempts to remove the uranium began in 2007 amid concerns it could be used in terror attacks.
Another cable outlines similar Russian concerns.
Iran
The behind the scenes support given by Muslim nations to the idea of military action against Iran is one of the most striking revelations in today's leaked documents.
One diplomatic cable records how Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah had told the US “to cut off the head of the snake” and details how he had repeatedly urged Washington to attack Iran and end its nuclear programme.
Officials in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are also revealed to have backed military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Egypt's intelligence chief is quoted describing Iran as a “significant threat”.
Reader views (20)
The US will not cooperate with inquests into the deaths of UK troops killed in "friendly fire", but wanted a UK minister to go to the US to answer questions about the release of the Lockerbie bomber. The US does always want everything its way and will use force to achieve that. I do not spend money at businesses with a US connection as I think they really do not have much respect for us at a national level, although I have met some fantastic individuals.
- Peter, London, 30/11/2010 07:17
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Aren't we always told never to put anything in an e-mail which you wouldn't put on a postcard? Petty comments about those like Prince Andrew or David Cameron could, if really necessary, be put in formal memo and sent by diplomatic courier. Just because e-mail is so swift doesn't mean that it is any improvement on the methods which preceded its availability.
- David Cunard, Palm Springs, CA (ex-pat), 30/11/2010 06:12
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i,ll never forget that old arab saying ayeeda sieeda,,,,,,,havent got a clue what it means, but i wont forget it.....do i get the job??
- les, what was england, 29/11/2010 22:04
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National Security....Danger to lives.......Traitors....Sensitive and covert operations put in peril.Throw in some other spin worthy political nonsense and the majority of the public now fully realise that 'our betters ' are not really that special, but gossip the obvious.Meanwhile the right wing press will announce the end of secrecy.
- jonnieof brixton, brixton,london,england, 29/11/2010 21:02
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Thank Wikileaks. Or else the Iranian president might kneel down in prayer wondering if the missiles sent down from Saudi are yet another set of holy scriptures from heaven.
- Vegetarian Dinosaur, London, 29/11/2010 17:25
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I hope someone finally kicks airmiles Andy out of his £250,000 p.a. non job. To describe this sponger as an "ambassador for trade and development" is an insult to every tax payer in this country. He and his vulgar ex wife are an embarrassment wherever they go in the world.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 29/11/2010 16:51
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If we all knew what every one said about us, no one would have a friend in the world.
- Lionel, Shanklin,I.O.W., 29/11/2010 15:59
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Why all the fuss about these revelations?. Anyone running a business, or who works in a competetive office based environment, knows only too well that what is said to one person may be completely different to what is said to the next. It's called personal interaction and advancement. It appears that most of the revelations come from career Diplomats and Ambassadors who are simply passing on information, along with their personal opinion, about sensitive political issues for which they have been trained and are employed to do. Just because the subject matter of their diplomatic correspondence may make uncomfortable reading does not detract from their value as useful intelligence for elected politicians to plan international strategies. Every country in the world does exactly the same thing but it is only in the West, and America in particular, that such revelations are treated, by some newspapers at least, with shock and horror.
- Pete, Croydon, 29/11/2010 14:47
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I always tell my kids and my friends; never say anything behind someone’s back, that you would not say to their face?
If our leaders did the same, there would be no leaks to leak.
Honesty is always the best policy; liars are often found out, even with all their official secrets acts designed to suppress the truth, which those liars and cheats constantly use to hide their deceit from the public at large.
If they are now afraid of the consequences of their big mouths; then this can easily be remedied, stop lying and start telling the truth?
- mickinlondon., london, 29/11/2010 14:33
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250,000 memos. That's beaten the largest ever free minutes package by any calling card phone company in the UK.
- Call Mars for FREE, London, 29/11/2010 13:46
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No surpise that Prince Andrew has put his big foot in it again; takes after his father. Perhaps he should get a real job rather thanh live off welfare.
- Alan J, London, 29/11/2010 13:28
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I fully support our monarchy's right to make inappropriate remarks. Sometimes they are amusing, and sometimes they are spot-on. It is one of the great traditions of this country. It is never our Queen, who has worked faultlessly for Britain.
- bowreport, London, 29/11/2010 13:08
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Don't attack Iran or the Iranian people but get that little president out of office. He's an evil little weasel.
- jb, sussex, 29/11/2010 12:16
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Shed no tears for the diplomats, whose job is made a bit more difficult by these sorts of leaks. Make that Truth 1, Hypocrisy nil.
- Bloke, Lambeth, 29/11/2010 11:36
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The Iranian president is someone who claims he could 'bark' as far as the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West but fails to see his own brothers digging the ground under his feet. Hamza of 'iERA' has claimed (not long ago) that Muslims saved a million Jews from persecution by Christians for many centuries. Wonder if his research was pre-Wikileaks or post-Wikileaks.
- Grapevine, London, 29/11/2010 11:34
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Watch out Sunni - the Shiite's about to hit the fan !!!!!
- Nigel, St Albans, UK, 29/11/2010 10:39
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When will the peoples of the west wake up?
The Saudis are the biggest funders of jihadist terror groups,yet our queen has just paid them a courtesy visit,on top of all this our troops die in Afganistan.
Now we hear they wont the west to attack Iran!!
A much better option it seems to me would be to Attack the Saudi regime that funds all these so called jihadist groups,After all, all bar one of the twin tower bombers where of Saudi extraction.
- Kev, London-UK, 29/11/2010 10:15
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And you can just predict the "outrage" that would emanate from these brothers in Allah if the US did attack. So often the word hypocracy comes to mind with the Islamic world.
- Alan J, London, 29/11/2010 10:08
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Hilarious ! Who said 'Muslim brothers' always stick together ?
- Spotter, london, 29/11/2010 09:37
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Just shows what a bunch of hypocritical cowards the Arabs are.
It's ok for Americans to spill their own blood ridding the world of the Islamic Third Reich, but God forbid they should do it themselves.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 29/11/2010 08:46
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