Foggy Bottom and Mr Trump

For John, BLUF:  If you treat someone like a fool, why would they work with you?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why the ‘Resistance’ in the State Department is a Gift to Trump

From PJ Media, Mr Ishmael Jones,♠  16 July 2018.

Here is a key paragraph:

And so their opposition to the President is a gift.  They do not wish to support him, and he can simply ignore them.

This is an unfortunate turn of events, but the underlying malady didn't happen overnight.

The current era of State Department dysfunction began in 1990 when we sent senior diplomat April Glaspie to talk to Saddam Hussein.  She spoke softly and respectfully to him.  Saddam smelled weakness and was emboldened.  It led to decades of tragedy that might have been avoided.

April should have instead spoken the blunt truth: “Saddam, you will do as we order.  If you disobey us, the deadliest army in the history of the world will arrive.  We will destroy your air force on the ground and neutralize your communications.  Then we will destroy your static armies at will.  We will take your power and your wealth.  We will kill your sons.  You will flee and hide in a hole in the ground, but we will find you and we will kill you.”

As extreme as that sounds, that is of course what happened.  Unfortunately, no State Department diplomat would have spoken these words.  Their protocols and sensitivities forbid it.  Even after all that has happened, my diplomat friends continue to defend April’s statements to Saddam.

I would like to suggest that this is a long time in coming.  The Department of State used to play a strong hand, and there have been Diplomats even today who play a strong hand.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  "Ishmael Jones is the pen name of a former CIA case officer, and the author of The Human Factor: Inside the CIA's Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture."