Assange Watch: U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual Resigns Due To WikiLeaks Published U.S. Diplomatic Cables

By Jerry Smith Mar 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has resigned after the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, expressed his lack of trust in the diplomat and demanded his removal because of his comments in the leaked U.S. diplomatic cables that were published by WikiLeaks.

The cables written by Pascual and sent to Washington criticized the Mexican government’s anti-drug fight, criticised the Mexican authorities’ ability to tackle the country’s organised crime problem and angered President Calderon.

President Calderon felt that the ambassador's reports caused "serious damage" to the bilateral relationship between the United States and Mexico and said:

"I do not have to tell the US ambassador how many times I meet with my security Cabinet. It is none of his business. I will not accept or tolerate any type of intervention."

"But that man’s ignorance translates into a distortion of what is happening in Mexico and affects things and creates ill-feeling within our own team."

According to reports, Calderon discussed the Pascual situation with U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Washington earlier this month.

When asked if he has lost confidence in Pascual, President Calderon responded:

"It's difficult to build and it's easy to lose."

President Calderon said in an interview that the cables:

"have done a lot of damage with the stories they tell that are, in truth, distorted."

President Calderon also said that the cables exposed the attempts by the United States to pit Mexican agencies against each other in the fight against drugs.

President Calderon's office said in a statement:

"Institutional contacts between both countries are solid, as it should be between the neighboring and friendly countries with common goals."

"The Mexican government reiterates its commitment to consolidating the principles of shared responsibility, trust and mutual respect as the basis of bilateral ties with the United States."

The Mexican government said it gave:

“Its best wishes to Ambassador Carlos Pascual in the duties he will undertake after concluding his post in our country.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted Pascual’s resignation and said:

"It is with great reluctance that President Obama and I have acceded to Carlos' request."

“Carlos has relayed his decision to return to Washington based upon his personal desire to ensure the strong relationship between our two countries and to avert issues raised by President Calderon that could distract from the important business of advancing our bilateral interests."

Clinton described Pascual as:

“an architect and advocate for the US-Mexico relationship, effectively advancing the policies of the United States."

She also praised Pascual for working with his Mexican counterparts to "build a new border strategy to advance trade while staunching illicit flows" of drugs and weapons and for working "with the Mexican government to integrate human rights into our respective policies and engagement".

Clinton also said that Pascual worked hard "to enhance the human and cultural connections" at the foundation of the US-Mexican relationship.

According to Clinton, before Pascual returns to the State Department he will stay in Mexico "to help us organise an orderly transition".

The United States provides over $1billion in equipment and training to Mexico to support and help their war on drugs. The two countries have also been sharing intelligence in an attempt to stop the drugs, gangs and violence.

Mexico admitted earlier this month that it has been allowing the United States to send unarmed surveillance drones over Mexico to collect information on the major drug traffickers.

National Security chief Alejandro Poire said in a statement about the surveillance drones:

"When these operations occur, they always come with the authorization, oversight and supervision of national agencies, including the Mexican air force."

It has been reported that Global Hawk drones, which can fly at heights of up to 60,000 feet, are in regular use over Mexico right now, and that President Calderon approved their continued use over Mexico while he was in Washington earlier this month.

Jeffrey Davidow, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico from 1998 to 2002 who now heads the Institute of the Americas said:

"Pascual is the consummate professional. He is a very cool hand on the rudder of the relationship."

Vanda Felbab-Brown, a security expert at the Brookings Institution, which is a Washington research group Pascual has ties to said:

"On top of that to do so in such a public manner, speaking to media in Mexico and in the United States, virtually asking for Ambassador Pascual's removal, was more extraordinary yet."

"It is hard to see how such a move could serve U.S.-Mexican relations and even Mexican interests."

There is also speculation that Pascual is resigning because he may have angered some people in Calderon's National Action Party when he started dating Gabriela Rojas Jimenez, the daughter of Francisco Rojas, the congressional leader of Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which is the main opposition party and the former ruling party.

Mark Toner, the State Department's spokesperson said on Thursday that they were not contemplating any changes because Pascual was doing "stellar work" and:

"We have full confidence in our ambassador."

Philip J. Crowley (PJ), the State Department's spokesperson who would be forced to resign just weeks after this statement because of remarks he made about the treatment of U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, said on March 4th about Pascual:

"Ambassador Pascual is, in our view, doing tremendous work on behalf of the U.S.-Mexican bilateral relationship, and I know of no plans to adjust his status."