Diplomacy and Confidentiality

One of the priorities of Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is to bring new blood into the relations between the United States and the rest of the world. Through unremitting work, they are strengthening existing alliances and forging new ones in order to deal with common challenges, whether it is fighting against climate change, the threat posed by nuclear weapons or against diseases and poverty throughout the world.

In my capacity as ambassador of the United States of America to France, I am proud to take part in this mission. France is the United States’ oldest ally, and as such, the strength, breadth and depth of the relations between the two countries have never been as great as they are today. Together, we work on all the important issues on the international scene, from peace in the Middle East to terrorism, from Afghanistan to nuclear disarmament.

Of course, even the strongest of alliances have highs and lows. We are in the midst of such a time as documents from the United States Department of State, supposedly obtained from computer servers at the American Department of Defense, are at the center of media reports. Apparently, the documents include our diplomats’ opinions on foreign policies, negotiations and leaders. They also include notes from private conversations with key figures, some of whom are associated with foreign governments.

I cannot guarantee the authenticity of these documents. But what I can say is that the United States deeply regrets the divulgence of information that was supposed to be confidential, and it condemns this action. Diplomats must be able to carry out frank discussions with their colleagues while having the assurance that these discussions will be kept private. The frankness of the dialogue within a government and between governments is at the very heart of international relations; we cannot achieve peace, security and international stability without such a dialogue.

I am certain that any French ambassador would say the same thing as me. He would also want to know that he can have straightforward discussions with his counterparts around the world and then pass on his honest opinion to his government about the leaders, politics and actions of other countries.

Harm Done to the Relations Between Governments

I am convinced that citizens of good will recognize that, in and of themselves, the internal reports written by the diplomats are not representative of the official foreign policy of a nation. In the United States, they are only one of many elements that are used to create our policies, which are ultimately determined by the president and the secretary of state. These policies are documented in archives, which include thousands of pages of speeches, statements, reports and other documents that the American Department of State makes available to the public on the Web and elsewhere.

But the harm done to the relations between the governments is not the only worrisome matter in this affair. American diplomats do not only meet with individuals within the government; they are just as likely to encounter human rights activists, journalists, religious leaders and many other people who might give their honest opinion on this or that situation. These exchanges are also based on confidence and discretion.

If an activist involved in the fight against corruption reveals high-ranking people who are involved in embezzlement, or if a social worker has proof of sexual abuse, there could be serious consequences if the identities of the guilty are revealed. These consequences could include imprisonment, torture or even, in certain countries, death. It is of no one’s interest to reveal this type of information.

The moderators of the Internet website WikiLeaks claim to have some 250,000 secret documents, many of which have been leaked to the media. No matter what their intentions were in publishing these documents, it is clear that this disclosure creates very real risks for real people. It is often those who have dedicated their lives to protecting the lives of others who are at risk. An action destined to provoke those in power will put defenseless individuals in danger.

We support and encourage the debate of ideas on important matters related to public policy. But spreading these documents without thinking and without consideration for the possible consequences is not a good way to engage in this debate.

The author is the current Ambassador of the United States to France