Yet more examples of thuggish diplomacy

U.S. officials using back channels to push for U.N. votes By DAFNA LINZER, Associated Press Published 3:22 p.m. PST Monday, February 24, 2003 ... "The order from the White House was to use 'all diplomatic means necessary,'" another U.S. diplomat said. "And that really means everything." The wording of the order is a twist on "all means necessary," - the diplomatic terminology that authorizes going to war. In the past three weeks, U.S. and Mexican officials said, on condition of anonymity, that Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman and Kim Holmes, the assistant secretary of state for international organizations visited Mexico City. Mexican diplomats described the visits as hostile in tone and complained that Washington was demonstrating little concern for the constraints of the Mexican government whose people are overwhelmingly opposed to a war with Iraq. "They actually told us, 'Any country that doesn't go along with us will be paying a very heavy price,'" one Mexican diplomat said. Charles Barclay, spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said neither Grossman nor Holmes had traveled to Mexico. Even so, he said, "we've expressed our opinion to Mexico on how important this issue is and we hope for their support. Certainly there has been no arm twisting," Barclay said. Mexican diplomats stood by their account of the trip and the conversations.

So. Not only are we threatening our allies we are lying about those threats. Welcome to Pax Americana.