“Global diplomatic crisis” sparked by cables: U.N. spied on; Saudis want US to attack Iran; British royalty misbehaves; military incompetence
The Guardian’s coverage of the embassy cables is up: it reports that they’ve already sparked a global diplomatic crisis. Some more juicy revelations: • The U.S. spies on the United Nations, monitoring its telecommunications and IT systems. • Saudi Arabia is lobbying us to attack Iran. Israel is ready to go it alone in such an attack, too, presumably with tacit support from at some Arab states. • There is ‘devastating criticism’ of the British military’s operations in Afghanistan, but Britain is helping keep Iran policy sane. • A British royal did something ‘inappropriate.’ • The U.S. government has ‘serious political criticisms of’ British Prime minister David Cameron, but the two governments are ‘particularly intimate’ in their dealings. • Hamed Karzai is motivated by paranoia, and by payment in cash. • Russia’s government is somewhat in bed with organized crime. • ANC flunkies kept Nelson Mandela on a tight leash after his release. The Guardian also has the data for download so you may explore it yourselves. US embassy cables leak sparks global diplomacy crisis [Graun]
of the leaked cables:
• “9/11
of diplomacy” IDs Putin as Batman and Medvedev as
Robin
• Colonel
Gadaffi uses Botox to maintain own youth, beauty
• “Global
diplomatic crisis” sparked. U.N. spied on; Saudis want Iran
bombed
• Korea
unification plan; Illicit Pakistan nukes; U.S. warns
Germany
• Wikileaks.org
“under attack”
• Wikileaks
under legal assault
• US
will press criminal charges against
Manning