US State Department official to Spain: screw off

[Bluebear]

How diplomatic! I have no problem with our policy --- however, the first words that come to my mouth are "Unfortunately, the US has a policy which makes that impossible; however we would be pleased to assist our friend Spain in this matter and again extend our condolences to the Couso family."

Guess I wouldn't make a good diplomat!
===



The late Jose Couso


MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge wants to question three U.S. soldiers as suspects in the death of a Spanish cameraman who was killed when a U.S. tank fired on a hotel housing foreign journalists during the 2003 assault on Baghdad.

"It would be a very, very cold day in hell before that would ever happen," said a State Department official, who asked not to be named.

The Pentagon has found no fault with the soldiers, but High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz wants to question the three men who were in the tank, a court official said on Tuesday.

Telecinco cameraman Jose Couso and Reuters cameraman Taras Protsiuk died and several other people were injured by a shell fired on the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital on April 8, 2003, in the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein.
more....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050607/ts_nm/crime_spain_iraq_dc

[Jara sang]

1. They will be studying that foreign policy tactic for decades to come.

Seems to be the only one the U.S. employs.

[bryant69]

2. Yeah that's not going to happen.

Even if we weren't pissed at Spain for backing out of Iraq, we still have a policy of not allowing our troops to be tried in foreign courts.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Bluebear]

6. I don't object to the policy whatsoever.......

But the first words that come to my mouth are "Unfortunately, the US has a policy which makes that impossible; however we would be pleased to assist our friend Spain in this matter and again extend our condolences to the Couso family."

Guess i wouldn't make a good diplomat!

[bpilgrim]

3. "a very, very cold day in hell before that would ever happen," - neoCON

diplomacy

peace

[whistle]

4. Ohooo, I see that John Bolton has already been sending out....

...memos directing U.S. diplomats what to say, even though he has not yet been confirmed.

[katinmn]

5. pretty much what they said to Italy n/t

[forgethell]

7. Well, I know

I wouldn't want to be tried in a country where the judge conducts the prosecutor's investigation. Can anyone explain to me why Spain does things this way, and how it works?

That being said, I have no problem with the US policy of not allowing its military to be tried by foreign governments.

[Mistress Quickly]

8. I tend to agree with

not allowing our soldiers to be tried in other countries (in most cases), but wasn't there a more, um, diplomatic way to say it? I mean, who was this John Bolton wannabe?

[Bluebear]

9. Yes I agree and edited the post to clarify my stance

[xchrom]

10. typical wing nut.