'Attempted' annexation of Crimea latest in US 'diplospeak' euphemisms
By now, most people know that Russian President Vladimir Putin took over the neighboring Crimea region of Ukraine and formally annexed it after a hastily called referendum there that drew outrage from across the globe.
U.S. officials dont dispute what happened they saw the Russian celebration of the return of Crimea and heard the challenge to Western domination in Putins speech but the official government lexicon hasnt caught up to the facts on the ground. The State Departments latest verbal twist is to refer to Putins land grab as an attempt at annexation, to underline U.S. opposition to a move it considers illegitimate.
Such language causes eye rolling among foreign policy specialists, some of whom harbor more serious concerns that the empty wording also signals a lack of policies that factor in the uncomfortable realities of places such as Ukraine, Syria, Egypt and China.
Isnt this already a fait accompli? Its already taken, a reporter pointed out at a recent State Department briefing where spokeswoman Marie Harf defended the use of attempted annexation for the Crimea crisis.
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/attempted-annexation-of-crimea-latest-in-us-diplospeak-euphemisms-1.277418