USA WikiLeaks: Hillary Called India Self-appointed Front-runner For UNSC Seat

[Archived_Member16]

WikiLeaks: Hillary called India self-appointed front-runner for UNSC seat​

PTI, Nov 29, 2010, 07.07pm IST​

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described India as a "self-appointed front-runner" for a permanent UNSC seat and directed US envoys to seek minute details about Indian diplomats stationed at the United Nations headquarters, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks today. ​

In a potentially damaging disclosure, the whistle-blower website released a "secret" cable issued by Clinton on July 31, 2009, as part of its massive leak of a quarter million classified documents of the American government. ​

The cable posted by The New York Times gave directions to US diplomats to collect information on key issues like reform of the UN Security Council and Indo-US civilian nuclear deal and pass it on to the intelligence agencies, including on foreign associates' credit card and frequent-flier numbers that could be used to track a person's movements. ​

It asked US diplomats to ascertain deliberations regarding the UNSC expansion among key groups of countries like "self-appointed front-runners" for permanent UNSC seats -- India, Brazil, Germany and Japan (Group of Four or G-4); Uniting for Consensus group -- especially Mexico, Italy and Pakistan -- that opposes additional permanent UNSC seats; African Group; and European Union, as well as key UN officials within the Secretariat and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Presidency. ​

It also sought biographical and biometric information on key NAM/G-77/OIC (Organisation of Islamic Countries) permanent representatives, particularly China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Senegal and Syria; and information on their relationships with their capitals. ​

The cable also wanted to know about members' plans for plenary meetings of the Nuclear Suppliers Group; views on the US-India civil nuclear cooperation initiative; besides members' views on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); prospects for country ratifications and entry into force. ​

The New York Times said the leaked cable gave a laundry list of instructions for how State Department employees can fulfil the demands of a "National Humint Collection Directive" in specific countries. Humint being the spy-world jargon for human intelligence collection. ​

One cable asks officers overseas to gather information about "office and organisational titles; names, position titles and other information on business cards; numbers of telephones, cellphones, pagers and faxes," as well as "internet and intranet handles, internet e-mail addresses, web site identification-URLs; credit card account numbers; frequent-flier account numbers; work schedules, and other relevant biographical information," it said. ​

source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/7010909.cms