WikiLeaks Round 3 - Who Cares?

I don't follow State Department issues, so maybe I'm in the minority of people who (like Charli) think these relevations really aren't a big shock. Others will disagree as to the potential impact of the released cables. As Henry Farrell notes, diplomats and political leaders pretend to respect and admire other regimes that they dislike and leaders whom they despise. It's not so much the deceit and lies that are the shame, it's that the general public isn't supposed to know about the game. "Gentlemen do not read each others mail," and all that crap.

Having said that, I am somewhat astonished at how so many Arab nations want the United States to do their dirty work and attack Iran. For in-depth analysis on Middle East issues, I turn to Marc Lynch.

I don't think that there's going to be much revision of the American foreign policy debate, because most policy analysts have already heard most of what's in the cables, albeit in sanitized form. The cables still generally confirm the broad contours of what we already knew: many Arab leaders are deeply suspicious of Iran and privately urged the U.S. to attack it, for instance, but are afraid to say so in public. I haven't seen anything yet which makes me change any of my views on things which I study -- the cables show Arab leaders in all their Realpolitik and anti-Iranian scheming. I never thought that Arab leaders didn't hate Iran, only that they wouldn't act on it because of domestic and regional political constraints and out of fear of being the target of retaliation, and that's what the cables show.

I don't understand the Arab world, but let me say that I'm quite annoyed by this Machevelian scheming where the Gulf States all seem to expect the US military to act as their bitches to achieve their political objectives, while they sit back on their billions of dollars in defense systems and do... nothing. Listen, you fat fucks, you oil-bloated family dynasties, if you want Iran's regime toppled, get some skin in the game. Form an Arab military coalition and attack Iran. You'll make Israel really happy. I'm sure the US government will give you all the targeting data you could want. But really. Fuck off with your suggestions to the US government that we act as your bully boys.

About the only conclusion that I reach from the Wikileaks discussions so far is that the State Department is populated largely by incompetent political appointees. The CIA is a bumbling bureaucracy unable to generate actionable intel, and the Treasury is pushed around by Wall Street, which is why the US government grabs its military club every time there is any national security or foreign policy issue to be addressed, regardless of scope or complexity. We are really overdue for some critical reforms.

UPDATE: I may be too harsh on State. Other people tend to think that the release of these memos actually shows that the embassy staffs are doing their jobs as expected. I'll wait for the final verdict out there.

Comments

[Just an Australian]

So, the Arabs fear and despise Iran, but aren't sure what to do about? Sounds just like USA.

[Ray]

Much of the leaks is like gossip between neighbours; some malicious, some authentic, some exploitative. A great many of the "revelations" that excite the media more than the public will merely pass boringly by.
A few- subjectively, will be held up for important discussion, but on the whole, I think (for what that's worth on the world diplomatic stage!) there is too much information to cope with, and the public will generally lose interest. After all, there are chores and shopping to do...

[tammy swofford]

I am already bored, and "Go ugly, early" seems to be the name of the game. I got "this" in my email from the author before my first cup of coffee.

http://truthspring.info/2010/11/30/of-wikileaks-vision-and-bifocals/

Many commenting on the latest round of Wikileak documents do indeed know how the game is played, and they need to just give each other a group "Hawaiian Good Luck Sign" and continue along their day. The false sense of "shock" seems hypocritical at best.

Tammy

[Rick M]

I wish I could be as convinced as some others that this is "much ado about nothing," and that this will blow over as soon as the press loses interest. Unfortunately, it is bigger than that. The information released by Wikileaks is an information attack on our country. It gives actionable intelligence to people who want to do us harm. It hurst US credibility, potentially puts people in danger who are working on behalf of our country, and compromises those who help us or confide in us.

[Ray]

It is true, Rick M that some information is potentially harmful, not jusr for the US but for the UK as well as others, but the public aren't going to maintain the levels of interest with bombardments of information of different kinds.
The media might focus and present some short-term continuity, but variety is what the readers seek.
Just an opinion.

[Ray]

Ps: by "variety I mean not of the persistent political and military or intel.kind. We all need our Casual Fridays! Tha't just my view- I could be shooting myself in the foot, but there it is.