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The stopped clock phenomenon
Oct. 4th, 2017 11:10 amFor only the second time since its start I find myself agreeing with the Trump Administration in something it has done. Specifically the decision to expel Cuban diplomats.
If you've missed the story (and I wouldn't blame you) there have been a series of strange and harmful attacks on US personnel in Cuba. This has resulted in hospitalizations, hearing loss (maybe permanent), and other injuries to embassy staff. As a result, the US has evacuated about half the staff and all families and non-essential personnel. The Cuban government's response has been to throw up its hands and say "not us, we know nothing."
Fine. Maybe that's true; maybe it's the Russians f'ing with us and trying to cause a row. But lost in the war of words is a fundamental principle of diplomacy, called a "duty to protect". Embassies have their own security, and embassy grounds are considered the territory of the occupying nation. But outside those grounds, the host country has a duty to protect the people in the embassy. When that duty is not upheld, things can go disastrously wrong (e.g. Libya, Iran).
Most of the embassy staff are career diplomats. They are the ones who will have to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild once this "moron" (to quote Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who apparently did call Trump that) is gone. If the US does not pressure Cuba to live up to its duty to protect then we put all our diplomatic personnel worldwide at higher risk, make their jobs harder, and endanger the longterm future of US foreign relations.
So, yeah, count me for a second time as supporting a Trump administration action.
If you've missed the story (and I wouldn't blame you) there have been a series of strange and harmful attacks on US personnel in Cuba. This has resulted in hospitalizations, hearing loss (maybe permanent), and other injuries to embassy staff. As a result, the US has evacuated about half the staff and all families and non-essential personnel. The Cuban government's response has been to throw up its hands and say "not us, we know nothing."
Fine. Maybe that's true; maybe it's the Russians f'ing with us and trying to cause a row. But lost in the war of words is a fundamental principle of diplomacy, called a "duty to protect". Embassies have their own security, and embassy grounds are considered the territory of the occupying nation. But outside those grounds, the host country has a duty to protect the people in the embassy. When that duty is not upheld, things can go disastrously wrong (e.g. Libya, Iran).
Most of the embassy staff are career diplomats. They are the ones who will have to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild once this "moron" (to quote Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who apparently did call Trump that) is gone. If the US does not pressure Cuba to live up to its duty to protect then we put all our diplomatic personnel worldwide at higher risk, make their jobs harder, and endanger the longterm future of US foreign relations.
So, yeah, count me for a second time as supporting a Trump administration action.
