Secretary of State Antony Blinken directed his top staff to crack down on leaks about diplomacy relating to the Israel-Hamas war, saying clearly that he was “angry” with the constant stream of press reports revealing sensitive information.
Not only did classified materials make it into press reports, he chided State leadership earlier this month in a small team meeting, but also fresh proposals to broker a cease-fire and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Those leaks made tricky negotiations even harder, he said, and eroded trust within the State Department that documents or details of closed-door conversations wouldn’t find their way to a reporter.
In the meeting, Blinken urged those who report directly to him to help plug the leaks, particularly those related to the conflict in Gaza, according to three State Department officials. One of the State officials, granted anonymity to detail yet another private discussion, said Blinken’s message has since been sternly delivered throughout the department.
Matthew Miller, the State Department’s top spokesperson, didn’t directly confirm the details of the discussion but said in a statement: “The secretary has been clear that leaks about sensitive diplomatic discussions don’t advance the interests of the United States and can make it difficult to engage in the sort of broad internal consultations that enrich the policymaking process.”
The problem is that Blinken isn't even trying to be plausible. In March, State ludicrously said Israel follows international law, and Blinken described the thousands of dead Gazans as victims of a "crossfire of Hamas's making". No wonder his staff is trying to get the truth out
@M4joritySophiaGreen2wks2W
Wouldn't be an issue if Biden's foreign policies weren't so disastrous.
Providing diplomatic cover for any nation's wrongdoings will inevitably result in leaks and whistleblowers.
Maybe upon the slaughter and kidnapping of over 1,000 civilians, wasn't the time to go public with:
"Don't give Israel anything until they prove they won't abuse it."
The problem is, when you lie habitually you lose the respect of your staff. When you give them no recourse but to obey, same thing. It's happening everywhere... the lack of democracy breeds rebellion.
@V0t1ng2014Republican2wks2W
So now US SecState Blinken is upset over leaks related to Gaza. We had same problem in Trump admin. Real problem is US State Dept has too many offices dealing with these issues with too many people involved. The organization desperately needs reform.
@RightistRonnieDemocrat2wks2W
My only problem with this is that there aren't leaks from all sides!! I'd prefer complete transparency. But in the absence of transparency, leaks from all stakeholders are valuable to those of us who se
@YearningBearLibertarian2wks2W
There should be so many more resignations of State Department employees over the war on Gaza. But if they're sticking around to annoy Blinken by constantly leaking to the press, I can get behind that.
@SolidRelishMountain2wks2W
We've had a parade of criminals in the State Department, but Blinken's cold, calm sadism seems especially horrifying.
On the other hand, he probably isn't as evil as Mike Pompeo, whose unabashed embrace of torture and murder was monstrous.
@C4mpaignMallardPatriot2wks2W
Maybe upon the slaughter and kidnapping of over 1,000 civilians, wasn't the time to go public with:
"Don't give Israel anything until they prove they won't abuse it."
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
Can withholding information from the public ever be justified in the name of peace negotiations?
@9MLK57NWomen’s Equality2wks2W
Yes. If all information in peace negotiations is made public. The negotiations could be interfered with the process.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
Should the public always know what's happening behind diplomatic doors, or are some secrets necessary for national security?
@9MLK57NWomen’s Equality2wks2W
No, some negotiations need to be secret until a resolution is reached.
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