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Why it hurts
Foreign diplomats already have a hard enough time gathering
information. In many cities there are two diplomatic
communities: the Americans and everyone else.
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22. I’ve seen this play out countless times from Baghdad to
Kabul, Beirut to Cairo. If a French, Spanish or Polish diplomat
for example wants to meet a politician or author, the two go to a
restaurant or a private home, have a few drinks, and discuss
whatever the subject may be.
23. America embassies, however, these days are generally like
little (or sometimes really big) fortresses. Security restrictions
on American diplomats often make it difficult for them to
mingle, especially in cities where the threat of terrorism or
kidnapping is considered high.
24. To travel, American diplomats often have to fill out travel
requests, sometimes days in advance, to schedule a meeting and
set up a security escort. To make it easier, American diplomats
often ask sources to visit them at embassies, which can be
inconvenient (going through checkpoints, metal detectors,
leaving mobile phones outside) and demeaning, if officials feel
they are being summoned.
25. Now, however, there may be a major change. Sources
might ask themselves, why bother? Why go through all the
effort to meet with the Americans if they can’t keep a secret?
26. In many counties, officials and analysts don’t want their
peers, and certainly not the general public, to know they meet
with American embassy officials. People who were on the fence
already, not sure if they should go in and advise an American
diplomat, could determine that it’s simply not worth the risk.