Excerpted from CTV News Thursday Dec. 2, 2010
Canadian envoy reportedly offers to resign over leak
A report in Thursday’s Globe and Mail indicates that William Crosbie, Canada’s ambassador to Afghanistan, has written to Ottawa to say he is concerned about what may come out on the WikiLeaks website.
The newspaper reports that Crosbie has seen a copy of a memo that will appear on WikiLeaks that quotes him criticizing Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Crosbie has reportedly offered to resign his position in order to preserve the delicate relationship Ottawa holds with the Kabul government, according to the Globe report.
Former diplomat Colin Robertson said it is the right move for Crosbie to step down if the memo will be as damaging as he predicts.
“He’s the senior diplomat who presumably has had the respect of President Karzai and when he’s alerting the Canadian government, he’s saying: ‘Look, this relationship could be in jeopardy, so we’ll have to take stock over the coming days depending on what comes out,'” Robertson told CTV’s Canada AM from Ottawa on Thursday morning.
From CTV News Wednesday, December 1
As the leaks continue, more details about cables involving Canada are emerging. A former Canadian diplomat discusses the impact this is having on the country. He says Canada’s relationship with the U.S. is secure, but there may be some hiccups along the way.