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Book Review: "DC Confidential" |
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Wednesday, 29 November 2006 |
 Book Review:
Meyer, Christopher: "DC Confidential". Phoenix (2006)
Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to Washington 1997-2003.
Former diplomat reveals Blair’s slavish following of America into war on Iraq
Despite the presence of juicy details on the dynamics of Anglo-American relations or perhaps a smoking gun regarding Britain's decision to go to war with Iraq, DC Confidential is more than just a former ambassadors diplomatic thoughts on life in the USA. It remains a gripping read covering a disparate assortment of ideas ranging from Meyer's love life to more substantive political issues.
As for the more serious aspects of the book one gains a greater appreciation of the reality of the special relationship: Blair's chief of staff briefs Meyer stating 'We want you to get up the axxx of the White House and stay there.' If ever one needed a graphic example of the extent of the one-sided nature of the "special relationship" then surely this is one. Meyer correctly notes that, "British influence [over America] has rarely been in this [lofty] category" although he proceeds to proportion this, incorrectly, to a lack of will "to exploit the leverage." What exactly Britain has to exact leverage over America has never convincingly been argued. Specifically regarding Iraq, Meyer argues that "the ace up our sleeve was that America did not want to go it alone." Much has been made of Britain's "leverage" in the run up to Iraq. In a forceful rebuttal of this notion, Simon Jenkins argued that, "The idea that Blair could somehow have nudged this war on to a wholly different course is a folly of diplomatic grandeur …If Colin Powell could get nowhere against the White House, what hope had Blair? Rumsfeld even told him that if he disliked the war, he could leave his army in Kuwait. It was not needed."
Meyer provides a fascinating insight into Blair's megalomanic nature lapping up every last drop of American grandeur and glitz during his first visit to America and how the No.10 team "pulsed with ill-suppressed excitement…this was the Big One". Meyer's description of Blair's fascination with the trappings of power appears to corroborate other insiders' views such as former No. 10 aide, Lance Price's when he stated, "I couldn’t help feeling TB [Tony Blair] was rather relishing his first blooding as PM, sending the boys into action. Despite all the stuff about taking action ‘with a heavy heart’, I think he feels it is part of his coming of age as a leader.” The implications of this are dire for Britain and the world at large and go a large way in Blair's erosion of centuries old civil liberties that were once seen as sacrosanct and indispensable. (uncensored version of The Spin Doctor’s Diary)
DC confidential graphically illustrates how the Foreign Office under Blair, has become increasingly marginalized with Foreign Policy being very much the preserve of Number 10. There was even one bizarre account of Ambassador Meyer being excluded from talks with Bush in favour of Alistair Campbell! Out of sheer desperation, Condaleeza Rice had to lobby Bush to lobby Blair to allow Meyer into the talks! Exasperated, Meyer commented, "What have things come to…when the British ambassador has to depend on the Americans and not his own Prime Minister to do the right thing?"
So what about Iraq? Well, a chapter is dedicated to the issue. Meyer very much adopts the loyal civil servant's stance in regurgitating British Propaganda that this was a noble and genuine decision taken in the interests of humanity. Scant attention is afforded to the plagiarized dossier (a 10-year-old document ripped off of the net and passed off as cutting-edge intelligence). Scant attention is given to persistent British propaganda moves to manufacture a casus belli for war. Meyer's account can hardly be taken as credible when faced with the facts. Compare Meyer's rosy assessment with the following leaked document from 2002:
1) Meyer's version: "on the central accusation – that together [Bush and Blair] they conspired from early 2002 deliberately to mislead their publics as to their true, bellicose [i.e. eager to fight] intentions – they are, in my view, innocent."
2) Secret Downing Street Memo
From: Matthew Rycroft
Date: 23 July 2002
S 195 /02
"There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable…
Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy…
the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran…
Conclusions:
(a) We should work on the assumption that the UK would take part in any military action"
It is difficult to reconcile Meyer's view with the above leaked Downing Street memo.
On a lighter note, the book presents hilarious caricatures of various New Labour heavyweights. John Prescott "was like a mastiff [i.e. dog] with his hackles up, just waiting to be 'dissed'"! Furthermore, Prescott "never appeared to be sufficiently up on these issues [foreign policy] and he always seemed nervous." We learn of Prescott leaving a Senator baffled speaking about war in the "Balklands" and "Kovosa", not to mention that British Harriers were bombing from 15 feet! Not-so-heavy weight Jack Straw, "someone more to be liked than admired", took "a long time to find his feet…on a visit in 1999, as Home Secretary, he was mystifyingly tongue-tied…" Tongue-tied? Does that constitute a barrier to communication?
DC Confidential is a riveting read. For those seeking a smoking gun, this book will disappoint but for those after a useful window into the world of diplomacy and contemporary Anglo-American relations, this book is indispensable
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