"A British Diplomatic Team"

I would imagine there are lots of "diplomatic teams" that we never get to hear about (whether or not they are discovered).

I've always wondered what went in the 'diplomatic bag'. It's curious that HMG though it necessary to go in this way, when the world's TV crews are all over the country.

Of course, it goes the other way too. Remember the Libyan 'diplomatic bag' that carried the AK-47 used to murder WPC Yvonne Fletcher in the early eighties? A country with no discernible law and of significant strategic and economic importance that has in the past orchestrated the mass murder of British citizens in our own country is hardly somewhere to be considered safe as it descends into civil war. Whilst the journalists tell us, the viewers, that it's ok to just walk in, we are unlikely to be in full possession of the reality of the tactical situation on the ground. If an important diplomatic mission is in order in a vicious war zone, it would hardly be reasonable to let Bloggs of the FCO carry on with no protection. There was clearly no intention of an offensive mission here, or else the soldiers would have raised merry hell with a Libyan militia. It seems more likely that they were met by a militia group they had wanted to avoid, rather than the group they intended to meet - it's not like there's a clear command structure among the Libyan rebels at the moment.

The reality is that Libya is a mess of considerable importance and British interests need representation there. We, the general public, have no access to what's really going on and I suspect that the FCO has a better idea. It's only embarrassing because they got caught out, they didn't kill anyone and they are all home safely without anyone being hurt. It's a non-story. It could, quite feasibly be a deliberate diversion too, but we'll never know.

In think in cases like this we should send in our chief northern diplomat,

Gazza with a few can's of John Smiths, a fishing rod and some chicken should sort them out!

Or Prezza!

Problem is he would eat all the peace offer-ing pies!:D

meaning we need to get our snouts into the trough?

Based on the first gulf war I would think that we and our american cousins will be assisting the locals to make sure that the oil fields are kept working and not torched as a mad last resort!

And make sure we have access to the oil - too right! Oil is too important to let Gaddafi hold us all hostage - £5 a litre etc? and that's just the petrol - let alone the just-about-everything-else that needs oil in some form to work. Now, the PROFITS from oil can be a different matter.

We also have to see that they end up with the right kind of "Democracy". We do not want to end up with a Libyan government that thinks the oil belongs to them and will not do as we and our allies tell them.
I supose its OK if the western oil companies hold us hostage, we are used to that.

:D Getting into Charlie Sheen territory now ...

Sorry thats gone right over my head?

SAS + Diplomat , appears to have changed to SBS + MI5 Officer.

No, no, no, Gary, it was always meant to say that, just a simple typing error by a junior assistant, anyone could have made it.
I sense Hague's days may be numbered, starting to look a bigger liability than Jack Straw was!

robo

If people just accepted that no matter what Government or person is in charge is pretty much guaranteed to make a pigs ear of things, they wouldn't be disappointed at the results.

Surely the whole need to get the oil thing is down to the petroleum companies, not the Government? Such companies work in all sorts of risky countries that don't have the support of the UK Government anyway, so why does everyone keep banging on about evil western Governments trying to get the oil? Does David Cameron secretly wear a 10 gallon hat, a grey suit, and smokes cigars? I think we should be told.

Nicely put, Simon. But maybe you are in the thrall of the Global Conspiracy - you know, the one that involves millions of evil people, but no-one actually knows about it etc, etc ...

You never know. I might also be one of those lizard people David Icke keeps going on about ;)

Hardly the Eton image :)

Very true. I find it amazing that Labour have got the bare faced cheek to criticise anything. Think of the Sailors captured by an Iranian gun boat (read tin can) for instance - while a British frigate just let them. I know it's their job to be in opposition but every criticism they make just comes across as hypercritical.....how short do they think our memories are?

Did anyone else see the clip of a British diplomat trying to fob off a Libyan TV reporter with the excuse that it was an advance party looking for hotel accommodation? Hilarious!

HMG does run quite a few logistic operations, ensuring supplies of essentials for use in a crisis. Fuel and food are the main staples held, not just for the military, but for all of us in the event of a crisis. This is a relic of World War mentality, the thought that evil foreigners could cut us off at any point, just on a whim. It's the same sort of reason why YLE's headquarters in Helsinki is half underground and bomb/radiation proof, and why the nearby hospital goes down 7 levels below ground.

I didn't see that. But anyone can spot an SAS person a mile off because of the dead giveaway pixelated face! ;)

Must be the cammo cream they give out!!!