Posted on 11/21/2014 2:29:40 PM PST by naturalman1975
BARACK Obama defied the advice of his embassy in Canberra to deliver a stinging attack on the Abbott government’s climate policies in Brisbane last weekend.
The US embassy, under the leadership of ambassador John Berry, advised the President, through his senior staff, not to couch his climate change comments in a way that would be seen as disobliging to the Abbott government, sources have revealed.
When The Weekend Australian put this information to the US embassy, a spokesman said: “As is the case with all presidential speeches, President Obama’s remarks at the University of Queensland in Brisbane were prepared by the White House.”
It is normal practice when the US President makes an overseas visit that the ambassador in the country he is visiting is consulted about the contents of major speeches. It is unusual, though not unprecedented, for an embassy’s advice to be ignored.
The Obama speech in Brisbane was added to the President’s program at the last minute. During his extensive talks with Tony Abbott in Beijing at APEC, Mr Obama did not make any mention of a desire to make a speech, or of any of the contentious climate change content of the speech.
Only in Naypyidaw, in Myanmar, immediately prior to the leaders travelling to Brisbane for the G20 summit, did the US party demand that the President make a speech and that it be to an audience of young people. At the speech, the President did not acknowledge the presence of Governor-General Peter Cosgrove.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.com.au ...
I am always very hesitant to criticise the leader of another country, who was democratically elected by that country. I don't think that it's generally helpful for foreigners to do that.
But as somebody who used to be a protocol officer within the Australian Defence Force, working with Australia's Diplomatic Corps - this is amateur hour. It's a major and fundamental diplomatic gaffe. It is, diplomatically speaking, a profound insult to the Commonwealth of Australia.
President Obama was visiting Australia as a guest - as a foreign Head of State. He was treated at all times with the respect and dignity that is properly afforded to that office.
The Governor-General of Australia is our Head of State (technically, the Queen is, but the Governor General is her representative in Australia, and is diplomatically treated as Head of State in all cases where the Queen is not present - which is, of course, most of the time). For the President to fail to acknowledge the presence of the Governor General at an official function in the Governor General's own country is profoundly insulting diplomatically - if you ever listen to one of these speeches, they always quite deliberately open with phrasing that expressly and explicitly acknowledges the presence of the people who need to be recognised as present - just as two examples, if you check my profile page, you will find speeches made by President George W. Bush to Australia's Parliament, and Prime Minister John Howard to the US Congress, that show the form:
Mr Speaker, Mr President, distinguished members of the Senate and House, Ladies and Gentlemen,
.....
Governor General Michael Jeffery, Prime Minister John Howard, Speaker of the House, Leader of the Senate, Leader of the Opposition Simon Crean, distinguished members of the House and the Senate, Premiers, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, ladies and gentlemen
.....
It's not difficult. It's not complicated. It's basic protocol. It's fundamental.
For the President not to do this is either incompetent or insulting.
And unless he did it himself, completely by himself, it's incompetent or insulting on the part of his staff as well. Part of what protocol people do is make sure to remind the person they are staffing of the need to do this. Speechwriters make sure it's at the start of the speech, so do the protocol people.
And then, if the person making the speech is any good at their job, they also check and add in somebody who needs to be added in.
It's made worse, in my view, by the fact that Australia's Governor General is a man who I believe is profoundly worthy of respect as a man - never mind the office. His Excellency General The Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, MC is a decorated war hero - the MC after his name refers to the Military Cross he earned as a junior officer in Vietnam. He went on to serve in the Australian Army for over forty years rising to command first the Army, then the entire Australian Defence Force (and as Governor General is Commander-in-Chief of all Australian forces) at times when Australian troops were serving in theatres in support of the United States. In addition to his Australian honours, he's also a Commander of the (United States) Legion of Merit.
It's an insult - and that matters, diplomatically a lot. Australia isn't petty - so it won't do any real harm to our relationship - but it also shouldn't be ignored.
So what else is new...
Never miss a chance to publicly insult or damage an ally.
I appreciate your home page.
Loose canon. Will the dems rein him in?
Loose canon. Will the dems rein him in?
Poor Mr. Obama has become inconsequential after the trouncing at the polls. In order to maintain his noteriety, he is compelled to outlandish actions even to the detriment of the office of the Presidency. We need a new clown.
Especially an ally in the Anglosphere.
Out of pure instinct for self preservation Australia should reject 0bama in the harshest of terms. So should every other country. So should the U.S. but that’s kind of like telling the guy wearing the bomb vest to run for his life.
I am so sorry....
That’s what it looks like to me too. A political temper tantrum. The Republicans are missing a golden opportunity to point out the difference between the Democrats and Republicans.
They should paint all Democrats with the Zeros Brush. Quit referring to Obama and just refer Democrats.
You are asking protocol from a pos.
My apologies for the narcissistic Jackass.
I'm not at all surprised that bunch ignored the Embassy.
Please understand, Americans overwhelming have warm feelings for our mates down under and are very grateful for your friendship.
Like a 3-year-old, he now has to “act out”, in front of the grown-ups, to try an get his way.
Obama will leave office without a friend in the world, & very few people that respect him.
He pisses on ANYONE who desires freedom. Don’t take it personally.
Yes, I’m deeply ashamed that America voted that bastard in, and then repeated the stupidity 4 years later.
Vietnam, 1967. Some of the best guys I ever quaffed a brew with. On behalf of my countrymen, apologies for the despicable behavior of our Asshat-in-Chief.
“For the President not to do this is either incompetent or insulting.”
He knows the protocol, it was meant to be insulting. My apologies to the country and people of Australia.
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