WikiLeaks cables claim first scalp as German minister's aide is sacked

[Joanne98]

Source: Guardian

The WikiLeaks revelations have claimed their first political scalp in Europe with the sacking of the German foreign minister's chief of staff, who acted as a mole for the Americans, keeping the US embassy in Berlin posted last year on the confidential negotiations to form Angela Merkel's new government.

Amid a mood of increasing anger in the German political class at the disparaging observations on the chancellor's cabinet from US officials, a liberal MP today demanded the withdrawal of the American ambassador in Berlin, Philip Murphy.

Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister and leader of the liberal Free Democrats, the junior partner in the Merkel coalition, is described unflatteringly in the US cables from Berlin as inexperienced, "exuberant" and "wild".

The cables relate how an FDP insider – "a fly on the wall, a young, up-and-coming party loyalist who was taking notes during the marathon talks" – delivered documents to the US embassy and kept US diplomats informed on the new government formation in October last year. On Monday Westerwelle dismissed the reports as false and insisted there was no mole.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/03/wikileaks-first-scalp-german-aide

[formercia]

1. He doth protest too much, methinks.

Never get branded as a snitch.

[Iterate]

2. Yes, and Westerwelle's sin has been to advocate the removal of nuclear weapons

form German soil. It was referred to euphemistically as a "tangent", with the suggestion that he was being naive and distracted by a pet project -even though he had run for office on the pledge.

Granted, Westerwelle's portfolio was not in foreign affairs, but the sense I got was that, rather than welcoming new talent, they were irritated he was playing in their sandbox.

Don't muster any sympathy for Westerwelle though, as he's a member of the Free Democrats and also advocates tax cuts, smaller government, and is anti-labor pro-business. Sound familiar?

[No Elephants]

3. Well, we're glimpsing how much money is being wasted on sophomoric chit masquerading as foreign

relations, diplomacy and/or intel, let alone "EYES ONLY" stamps stamp pads.

Geez, my son was more mature at 7--and no one was paying him.

[karynnj]

5. True

This is not something likely from a career diplomat - and looking at google results, the US ambassador heading that delegation is a political donor, rewarded for raising money - http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/07/phillip-murphy-new-ambassador.html I would guess that neither Hillary or Obama found much use for reports like these - I would bet the publicly available analysis of the German press was more insightful and better.

[saigon68]

6. Just look at the "Embassy" in Iraq

Theft, greed and infantile game playing

[karynnj]

4. The fact that we had a mole insie a friendly government is troubling

and it is completely understandable that they have fired him. (I am not naive enough to think this is an exception both for the US and for other governments against us.) Here, the bad feelings from the disclosure are likely such that any insight gained was not worth it.

FWIW, here is a bio of the ambassador - http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/07/phillip-murphy-new-ambassador.html Replacing him, if needed, will likely not be a diplomatic loss - he is one of those rewarded for raising big money for Democrats.

[Tempest]

7. We've been bugging allies and using spies in their governments for decades

It's modus operandi in spook circles.