The More Things Change...

I'm presently reading MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BLUNDERS AND COVER-UPS, by Colonel John Hughes-Wilson. At the end of the chapter covering the Falklands War (which occured entirely during the time I was in basic infantry training at Fort Benning) there was this passage about the attitude of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

The final word on the Falklands deserves to be given to the FCO, a much-maligned body of men and women among their euphoric colleagues in the British armed services after the war. As the Royal Marines and the Paras of the victory parade marched through the City of London in October 1982, an aspiring FOC mandarin leaned across to a member of the Defence Intelligence Staff on the balcony overlooking the pageant.

"You know, Harry, this all shows the results of letting some desperately unpopular tinpot autocrat use a crazy foreign military adventure to court popularity and get off the hook at home."

The DIS man nodded knowingly, "Charles, you're absolutely right. Yes, Galtieri and the junta really blew it."

The FCO man snorted in disgust. "Galtieri? Harry, I'm talking about Margaret Thatcher!"

I certainly hope that Dr. Rice can make some progress toward cleaning up the mess at the Department of Treason State.