US blames Russia for leak of undiplomatic language from top official

[Maestro]

US blames Russia for leak of undiplomatic language from top official

State department's diplomat for Europe, Victoria Nuland, apparently said '<deleted> the EU' in conversation over Ukraine crisis

The Guardian , Thursday 6 February 2014 20.12 GMT

America's new top diplomat for Europe seems to have been caught being decidedly undiplomatic about her EU allies in a phone call apparently intercepted and leaked by Russia.

"<deleted> the EU," Victoria Nuland apparently says in a recent phone call with the US ambassador to Kiev, Geoff Pyatt, as they discuss the next moves to try to resolve the crisis in Ukraine amid weeks of pro-democracy protests which have rocked the country. The call appears to have been intercepted and released on YouTube, accompanied by Russian captions of the private and candid conversation.

Although the US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, White House spokesman Jay Carney alleged that because it had been "tweeted out by the Russian government, it says something about Russia's role".

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/06/us-russia-eu-victoria-nuland

-- The Guardian 2014-02-06

[Maestro]

Soundtrack of the phone conversation is in this video uploaded to YouTube by a Russian. The F-word is at 3:00

[Maestro]

7 February 2014 Last updated at 11:39 GMT

Ukraine crisis: Transcript of leaked Nuland-Pyatt call

An apparently bugged phone conversation in which a senior US diplomat disparages the EU over the Ukraine crisis has been posted online. The alleged conversation between Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, appeared on YouTube on Thursday. It is not clearly when the alleged conversation took place.

Here is a transcript, with analysis by BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus:

Warning: This transcript contains a graphic swear word.

...

Nuland: OK. He's now gotten both Serry and [uN Secretary General] Ban Ki-moon to agree that Serry could come in Monday or Tuesday. So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and to have the UN help glue it and, you know, <deleted> the EU.

...

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26079957

-- BBC 2014-02-07

[chuckd]

Typical administration tactic. Blaming the Russians for airing somethng a State Department employee should never have said in the first place.

She should be fired, but won't be. Lilke nearly every civil servant, she is bullet proof.

[Jay Sata]

Typical administration tactic. Blaming the Russians for airing somethng a State Department employee should never have said in the first place.

She should be fired, but won't be. Lilke nearly every civil servant, she is bullet proof.

With an attitude like that she should not be in the job. Blundering around like that awful EU woman Catherine Ashton who is just about up to chairing a parish council but got the job because of her friendship with Gordon Brown.

[ABCer]

Being neither from EU nor from US I think it would be only proper if I add my impression of "<deleted> the EU" comment.

During my extensive travels across many European countries I was stunned by a universal sentiment often and clearly expressed by many chance met Europeans of many nationalities. Surprised be not, - it was clear and loud "<deleted> Americans".

Apologies for being politically incorrect (?). But this is the true observation.

[Scott]

Off-topic post deleted.

[robblok]

Typical administration tactic. Blaming the Russians for airing somethng a State Department employee should never have said in the first place.

She should be fired, but won't be. Lilke nearly every civil servant, she is bullet proof.

With an attitude like that she should not be in the job. Blundering around like that awful EU woman Catherine Ashton who is just about up to chairing a parish council but got the job because of her friendship with Gordon Brown.

Typical US, they could be Thai.. instead of doing a mea culpa they shift the blame to Russia.

They were stupid and undiplomatic.. she should not have a job like that even if it was right to say f.. the EU. Someone in that position should not do that.

[boomerangutang]

Wow, she's human. Anyone who say they don't cuss, I'd like to take them out to my car. I'll slam the door on their finger and see what words eminate. Sure it's an inappropriate word, but (to me) it's no biggum dealum. Now, let's wait for Roger Ailes and Fox News and the other right wingers to have a shouting party for the next 3 months with this little faux pas.

[robblok]

Wow, she's human. Anyone who say they don't cuss, I'd like to take them out to my car. I'll slam the door on their finger and see what words eminate. Sure it's an inappropriate word, but (to me) it's no biggum dealum. Now, let's wait for Roger Ailes and Fox News and the other right wingers to have a shouting party for the next 3 months with this little faux pas.

Yes everyone curses but a potty mouth like that should not be in that position or talk disrespectful about a partner country. Low class like you and me can do so.

[puck2]

....Although the US state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, White House spokesman Jay Carney alleged that because it had been "tweeted out by the Russian government, it says something about Russia's role".

The US government seems not to be as much vexed about the "undiplomatic language" of madame N. and the content of her call as about Russian spying. Oh, these ugly Russians, that's really annoying

[Ulysses G.]

My guess is that pretty much every diplomat talks like this in private. To me, it is silly that anyone thinks otherwise.

[jamhar]

Who leaked the info is just misdirection.

The real issue is that this diplomat is no diplomat. (aside from being an absolute dumbsh*t)

You cannot have a person making mistakes like this in the diplomatic corps.

And she should be removed from her post.

Just my 2 cents.

[Jingthing]

My guess is that pretty much every diplomat talks like this in private. To me, it is silly that anyone thinks otherwise.

Yeah, the problem was getting caught.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts have been deleted.

[jamhar]

Being neither from EU nor from US I think it would be only proper if I add my impression of "fuc_k the EU" comment.

During my extensive travels across many European countries I was stunned by a universal sentiment often and clearly expressed by many chance met Europeans of many nationalities. Surprised be not, - it was clear and loud "fuc_k Americans".

Apologies for being politically incorrect (?). But this is the true observation.

Yep, heard a lot of <deleted>'s, at least in print. I, as an American, don't mind the sentiment.

And we reciprocate your feelings.

Heard that from the Philippians a while back. Not so much now.

Heard that from Okinawan, event that's changing now a bit. From the EU'ians, (yep just made that up)

What I've heard was "F-U", "but please keep your military bases here a little longer"

I believe Americans would be glad to see the EU politically and militarily dominant in the region. At least I would. Its encouraging to see France take a leadership role in Chad. Saudi's take some actions (even if was in their own way) in the Middle East.

As in life, Its easy to complain and whine,

Much harder to make a decision, take action when needed,

and face the criticisms, and the consequences when you f-up.

So yes, <deleted> back!

But i as an average person can say these things. The people in the diplomatic corps are supposed to be professional and handle these situation in a diplomatic way. She clearly missed the mark.

And if she thought this "private" conversation (as someone pointed out) was confidential, the she should be removed from her post for being incompetent, and well as making a dumbsh*t mistake.

Just my 2 cents

[iancnx]

My views on (failed) American foreign policy have been widely aired before. But this story is a nonsense. It was a private conversation... Not for the public domain. I imagine there is an IT/security manager somewhere getting his delicate bits chewed off. Poor buggah.

[GentlemanJim]

Hey US, its a real bummer when people are tapping your phone calls eh

Maybe Snowden is giving them lessons on phone tapping.

Edited February 10, 2014 by GentlemanJim

[Credo]

A typical and not unexpected dig at the US. The lesson is not about phone tapping, because we all know it happens and it happens a lot. The discussion is about leaking the information from the phone tap. In this case, what was leaked was for the purpose of only causing problems. Was there something in the conversation worth listing to, other than F*** the EU?

Putin has his knickers in a knot because of the Sochi snub by the gov't over the gay propaganda law in Russia.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Credo

[geriatrickid]

So, let me get this straight, US diplomats are having a discussion as to how to support democracy and avoid violence in the Ukraine, one of them offers a candid statement about the EU's failure to act on the Ukraine, and the diplomat gets blasted? The EU has done nothing to help the people in the Ukraine, and as such has lost its position from which to act. The reality is that several EU countries are dependent upon Russian energy and the EU does not want to get stuck with the financial burden of supporting the Ukraine, so it has essentially abandoned the Ukraine.

In respect to the leak of the conversation, the Russians have sent a wonderful message to the world. They eavesdrop on diplomatic telephone calls. When the USA does this, the USA gets blasted, but when Russia does it, the Russians are ok. Typical weak kneed hypocrisy of the EU. The USA, should excuse itself from this mess and dump it on the Europeans. Let the EU with its top heavy expensive bureaucracy play footsie with the Russians.

[Steely Dan]

So, let me get this straight, US diplomats are having a discussion as to how to support democracy and avoid violence in the Ukraine, one of them offers a candid statement about the EU's failure to act on the Ukraine, and the diplomat gets blasted? The EU has done nothing to help the people in the Ukraine, and as such has lost its position from which to act. The reality is that several EU countries are dependent upon Russian energy and the EU does not want to get stuck with the financial burden of supporting the Ukraine, so it has essentially abandoned the Ukraine.

In respect to the leak of the conversation, the Russians have sent a wonderful message to the world. They eavesdrop on diplomatic telephone calls. When the USA does this, the USA gets blasted, but when Russia does it, the Russians are ok. Typical weak kneed hypocrisy of the EU. The USA, should excuse itself from this mess and dump it on the Europeans. Let the EU with its top heavy expensive bureaucracy play footsie with the Russians.

That's why she needs sacking, for making the EU seem like the injured party, which is a feat in it's own right.

[I Like Thai]

Being neither from EU nor from US I think it would be only proper if I add my impression of "fuc_k the EU" comment.

During my extensive travels across many European countries I was stunned by a universal sentiment often and clearly expressed by many chance met Europeans of many nationalities. Surprised be not, - it was clear and loud "fuc_k Americans".

Apologies for being politically incorrect (?). But this is the true observation.

All these people you met in your extensive travels across Europe, did they all speak English ?

Are you a linguist, with an extensive knowledge of European languages.

[bendejo]

Maybe she said it because she thought it was the EU doing the wire tap and she was trying for something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVHanarB650

[EyesWideOpen]

True irony...... Wonder what the NSA thinks about this...

1. Man that is some great wire tapping, wonder how they did it.

2. That is highly illegal and we want to be the first to register our disapproval.

[Credo]

The big complaint is that it was intercepted, it was that it was leaked.