An apt heading for today's Independent newspaper. It is as you've probably guessed all about the infamous latest Wikileaks publication, or Cablegate as it has come to be known. Apparently America really doesn't care about injustice in the Middle East.
What a revelation.
The argument that the publication of these cables could actually pose a threat to the lives of civilians (which ones?) is rather an overstatement. Simply put this affair is very embarrassing. Very simply put it is like OMG embarrassing!
The first cable I read was entitled "Tales Of A Prince: CG meets with Governor of Asir's Fixer" (CG being Consul General) This particular cable read like a gossip column and contained themes remarkably resonating Alexander McCall Smith's Portuguese Irregular Verbs. It contained no top secret or groundbreaking news. I was rather amused at the the whole affair of Prince Khalid bin Faisal who at the time had been living with mum dearest in "an aged palace, in dire need of renovation" and decided to invite the Prince of Wales over for a dinner party! This juicy tidbit had been classified as "secret" by Consular General Tatiana Gfoeller for two reasons
1) foreign government information
2) foreign relations or foreign activities of the United States, including confidential sources.
Tatiana Gfoeller extracted this information from a willing "prominent western business man" with close links to The Governor of Asir aka Prince Khalid bin Faisal also known for being that "extremely cheap" bloke.
The nature of the relationship between the Prince and the businessman has been boiled down to one word in the cable, the businessman is the Prince's "fixer". Sounds dangerously exciting doesn't it? This privilege apparently also extends to an impromptu transformation into a makeover guru! How fab!
So this is what happened, The Prince rings The Fixer. The Prince tell The Fixer he's got a job that needs completing in three weeks from the time of the phone call and The Fixer is to take care of it. The Fixer bravely asks whether he has a choice in the matter and is emphatically told "no". The Fixer bravely agrees to take on the job.
Fast forward three weeks and The Prince of Wales is enjoying himself at a dinner party and remarks on the "luxury and beauty of the palace". Completely oblivious to the fact that all the electricity was cut off and holes in walls were filled with Styrofoam. The Fixer (who we find out is somewhat of a genius) had set up projectors to project colours and designs onto the walls, and used candles as the only source of light throughout the house, no electricity had meant that a busybody could flick a light switch, if they were so inclined, and not ruin the illusion The Fixer had put into play. The plan was successful, everybody was happy, and the affair of the "phony dinner" cemented" the relationship between The Fixer and The Prince. I cannot say I agree with the cheapo label as the Prince is reported to have generously given The Fixer a painting and $13,333 as a "tip", if you really think about it, this little bit of cash could cement the most arduous of relationships.
As I mentioned earlier, this "secret" information was gathered by the CG, Tatiana Gfoeller from The Fixer, no other source was identified in the cable. So really for all we know, they were having cocktails, at a swish Embassy party and this could have been an attempt by a business man in a visually unstimulating and rather conservative country to impress a powerful attractive female (I'm taking a wild guess) and cable is actually exactly what it says in the subject heading "Tales of a Prince"
Don't think we'll find out anyhow, but it is a funny story nonetheless.
NB. To be fair to the subject of this cable the old palace is now a university and the Prince is reported to have built a new palace probably to avoid any other embarrassing decor faux pas.
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