US insists on having Palmer as the ambassador to Venezuela

[Bacchus39]

http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/08/09/en_pol_esp_us-insists-on-having_09A4315933.shtml

US insists on having Palmer as the ambassador to Venezuela

The US State Department does think that Larry Palmer is the most appropriate person to be the US chief of mission in Caracas. They regretted that Palmer was “disabled” because of his comments


The US State Department insisted on Monday both on Larry Palmer's assets to face the "challenge" of the US Embassy in Venezuela and the significance of diplomacy and communication to compromise and settle bilateral differences.

The US government replied in this way to the remarks made last Sunday by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who said that he would not accept Palmer as the new US Ambassador to Caracas for having told the US Senate that the morale of the Venezuelan army was low.

The State Department added that the Venezuelan government needed to investigate the alleged deployment of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Venezuelan territory.

The State Department does think that Palmer is the most appropriate person to be the US chief of mission in Caracas and regretted that he had been "disabled" because of his comments, as Chávez said in his Sunday TV and radio show "Aló, Presidente" (Hello, President!).

"President (Barack) Obama has elected Larry Palmer for this challenge precisely for his superb qualifications and outstanding professionalism," Charles Luoma-Overstreet, Press Advisor and Spokesperson, Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US Department of State, told Efe.

[naaman fletcher]

1. I'm with hugo.

This is an issue of basic manners. Even if Palmer was correct on everything, you don't crap all over somebody in public and then insist that you be allowed in their house. It's simply not decent behavior.

[bemildred]

2. Well I agree, it's tacky, but to my mind that is not really the point.

The point is the the US is not actually in a position to ram anybody down Venezuela's throat, and its amateurish to pick fights you will lose. It would be easy enough to find somebody that knows how and when to keep his mouth shut, but no, instead we get this juvenile tantrum in support of this loudmouth "diplomat".

[rabs]

3. It's possible Hil/Obama may try the ramming down

-- For some unexplained reason Palmer was not included on the list of 32 nominated ambassadors that the full Senate will confirm in September after the August recess.

-- During the recess, Obama could appoint Palmer directly, bypassing the Senate.

-- Should that happen, Venezuela would have the options of:

Turning Palmer away as persona non grata if Palmer arrives at the Caracas airport.
Putting Palmer on the next available flight out of Caracas (Bolivia would be nice, lol.)
Allowing Palmer into the country but keeping him cooling his heels indefinitely when he asks to present his creds to Hugo Chavez.
The last U.S. ambassador to Caracas, Duddy, did not have ANY access to official Venezuelan government sources. That is the biggest humiliation for an ambassador. Palmer would face the same in the unlikey event he would be allowed into the country as ambassador.

But then Palmer could take up whittling or something to spend the time in Caracas.

[bemildred]

6. They do seem intent on persisting in their folly.

There are really only two choices, they want him there so he can do something to undermine Chavez (as with Shapiro or Brownfield), or they want to make some sort of media fuss to make Chavez look bad. Or both of course; the media fuss is here, and they might see that as better than nothing, or better than making nice. It seems clear they do not want to have a real functioning ambassador to Chavez government, or they would take appropriate steps to bring that about.

But why should Venezuela care? There is no content, it's like a weekly installment in a soap opera, purile and directionless.

[Bacchus39]

4. but the administration is backing Palmer

so it appears that is the US position. I doubt the administration is going to want someone unwilling to speak the administration's position.

[naaman fletcher]

5. It's not the positions.

They were stated in an aggressive way towards someone. Look at the nice things Chavez and Santos are saying towards each other. That is simply polite behavior. Palmer could have answered the questions along the line of "I have some concerns in that area but hope to establish a good working relationship with the Venezuelan government to resolve them" and other polite ways of disagreeing.