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Brexiters Blamed For Embarrassing Diplomatic Cables

Jamie Dettmer

   Brexiters are being blamed for the leaking of cables written by
   Britain's former ambassador to the U.S. in which the envoy branded
   President Donald Trump "clumsy and inept." It emerged Sunday, as a
   second set of diplomatically embarrassing cables were published in
   London by a tabloid newspaper, that the journalist behind the stories
   is in a relationship with the chairman of Britain's newly-formed Brexit
   party.

   The disclosure is adding to accusations that the leaks, which forced
   Kim Darroch to quit as Britain's envoy in Washington last week after
   President Trump said he'd no longer have dealings with him, are part of
   a conspiracy by hardline Brexiters to target top British civil servants
   viewed as not supportive enough of Britain leaving the European Union.

   In Darroch's case the aim appears to be to maneuver a populist-inclined
   pro-Brexit politician or businessman into being appointed the new U.S.
   ambassador.

   But the apparent conspiracy is straining Anglo-American ties and risks
   complicating relations between the two countries, fear analysts and
   British lawmakers.

   They note that Trump administration officials have in recent days
   hardened their position when it comes to negotiating a post-Brexit free
   trade deal between the U.S. and Britain. Some American officials say a
   deal would be contingent on London unequivocally backing Washington in
   the current nuclear stand-off with Iran and blocking a Chinese tech
   giant from helping to develop Britain's 5G mobile phone system.

   Done for 'personality reasons'

   In the latest leaked cables published by Britain's Mail on Sunday,
   Darroch dubs Trump's decision last year to withdraw the U.S. from the
   Iran nuclear deal as "diplomatic vandalism." And in his reports back to
   Downing Street and Britain's foreign office he claimed the president
   had only done so for "personality reasons" out of spite as the
   agreement had been co-signed by his predecessor in the White House,
   Barack Obama.

   "On the substance, the [U.S.] administration is set upon an act of
   diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons
   it was Obama's deal."

   Darroch's claim, the latest disclosure from an explosive cache of
   cables and briefing notes leaked to journalist Isabel Oakeshott, which
   forced the ambassador's resignation, is prompting rising alarm in
   London among officials. They braced themselves for swift reaction from
   President Trump.

   Richard Tice, the chairman of Nigel Farage's Brexit party, who is
   dating Oakeshott denied Sunday he had played any part in arranging the
   leaks or that he had seen the cables before publication. According to
   the Sunday Times, news of the secret relationship between the pair is
   fueling the belief of civil servants and pro-EU lawmakers that Darroch
   "was brought down by conspirators keen to replace him with a pro-Brexit
   businessman.'"

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