Press Intimidation.
By blogglegook
No, not by the Bush Administration. By the Sudanese government:
As Rice's motorcade arrived at the residence, armed guards slammed the gate shut before three vehicles could get in, including those carrying Rice's interpreter and other aides who were supposed to attend her meeting with el-Bashir.
When the officials were finally allowed through the gate, some found themselves barred from entering the building for the meeting. As Rice senior adviser Jim Wilkinson tried to get in, guards repeatedly pushed and pulled him, and at one point he was shoved into a wall.
"Diplomacy 101 says you don't rough your guests up," Wilkinson said.
Ambassador Khidair Haroun Ahmed, head of the Sudanese mission in Washington, attempted to smooth over the situation on the spot. "Please accept our apologies," he told the reporters and aides. "This is not our policy."
But there was another scuffle moments later.
Reporters, whom guards reluctantly allowed into the meeting for a planned photo session, were harassed and elbowed, and guards repeatedly tried to rip a microphone away from a U.S. reporter. The reporters were told not to ask questions, over State Department objections.
When NBC diplomatic reporter Andrea Mitchell tried to ask el-Bashir about his involvement with alleged atrocities, guards grabbed her and muscled her toward the rear of the room. State Department officials shouted at the guards. "Get your hands off her!" Wilkinson demanded. But all the reporters and a camera crew were physically forced out as Rice and el-Bashir watched.
Later, describing Rice's meeting with el-Bashir, Wilkinson said, "She was very direct about the skepticism of the international community about their ability to improve Darfur."
Rice put it this way: "I said action, not words."
Sometimes we forget (at least I do) that our diplomatic corps are not all supping in cushy embassies around the globe, but actually doing important--and sometimes dangerous--work. I don't think anybody's life was at risk here, but if they're roughing up diplomats and journalists while the US Secratary of State is watching, what the hell goes on the rest of the time? |
