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The world is watching and they are not impressed, if this was happening somewhere else, say Hong Kong, Tehran or Riyadh what would our diplomats be doing?
In public, they’d express “concern” about the unrest in the country– maybe even “deep” concern. They’d call on “all parties” to engage in “dialogue” to resolve disputes. They’d insist the government allow for “peaceful” protests and urge “restraint” by security forces. They’d denounce police attacks on journalists. They might even offer to mediate between the feuding parties.
In classified cables sent back home, they’d question the stability of the government. They’d look for signs of fractures among the ruling elites, and ponder whether the head of state would be willing to accept defeat in the upcoming election. Some would gather information about potential human rights violators. They’d elevate security at their embassy, mull issuing a travel warning and dust off contingency plans for evacuating themselves and other U.S. citizens.
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