In the eyes of the public, diplomacy conjures up the image of dignitaries offering polite handshakes accompanied by kind words and smiles at fancy photo-ops. Once diplomats go behind closed doors the discussions can be quite candid, and at times downright nasty, especially when it comes to some of the most contentious areas of disagreement among nations.
Sometimes these discussions leak into the public domain, but rarely are outsiders privy to how these diplomats assess the personalities and leadership skills of their subjects. This unusual and private insight was contained in the more than 250,000 secret US documents released by the self-proclaimed whistleblower WikiLeaks on Sunday.
While many of the cables dealt with substantive foreign policy issues or routine communications, other documents provided a glimpse into how one country - in this case the United States - views some of its allies and adversaries beyond the policies and disputes of the day. Most of the cables were dispatched in the last few years.
One such example came from a cable from the US embassy in Paris, and as reported by the Guardian, describes French President Nicolas Sarkozy as "thin-skinned" and employing an "authoritarian personal style."
The documents were distributed by WikiLeaks to a handful of news organisations, including The New York Times, the Guardian and Der Spiegel, weeks in advance of the release. They were published despite the strongest objections from the White House and State Department, who expressed concerns the content could prove embarrassing and create tension. The White House called the release "reckless."
"By its very nature, field reporting to Washington is candid and often incomplete information," spokesman Robert Gibbs said. "It is not an expression of policy, nor does it always shape final policy decisions." Some of the cables were written with a degree of wit and humour one might find in the salacious gossip that takes place about friends or colleagues absent from the latest pub outing. The only difference is that it took place at the highest levels of government.
One example was a dispatch sent from Rome that described Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as "feckless, vain, and ineffective," the Guardian reported. Another cable said Berlusconi was "physically and politically weak," in part because his "frequent late nights and penchant for partying hard mean he does not get sufficient rest."
Before Libyan leader Moammer Gaddafi's September 2009 visit to the United Nations, embassy officials in Tripoli were fretting over his picky travel habits. A cable discloses how he doesn't like flying - especially over water - or sleeping above the first floor in any building. It also discussed how Gaddafi had become dependent on his "voluptuous blonde" Ukrainian nurse.
US diplomats in Berlin had some unflattering things to say about German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She "avoids risk" and is "not very creative," one cable said. On the positive side, she was referred to as Angela "Teflon" Merkel because of her ability to ride out criticism, reported Der Spiegel.
US diplomats in Moscow made a Hollywood reference in trying to assess the relationship between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Medvedev holds a more authoritative office but the US embassy in Moscow viewed him more as playing "Robin to Putin's Batman" according to the Guardian. Another cable about Putin, known for his machismo personality, referred to him as an "alpha dog."
Some of the cables described leaders assessing other leaders. Notable was Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah blaming Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari for stifling progress in his country. When the head is rotten," Abdullah reportedly said, "it affects the whole body."