Wikileaks' Indian Cablegate informs us Americans like to laugh

U.S. Chargè d'Affaires, Steven White sounds like my kind of diplomat.  He may guest blog here anytime.

The Hindu reports:


According to the cable, concerned by the delays, a worried David Mulford, U.S. Ambassador to New Delhi, had first met Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and cautioned him that he would go on a hunger strike until the Indian government submitted the IAEA safeguards agreement. He also threatened to go on a march to the Department of Atomic Energy headquarters in Mumbai “in the days immediately before the next committee meeting.” Mr. Mulford “asserted that he would wear a dhoti (white robe) and chappals (sandals) and carry a staff” during the march. However, the wise Foreign Secretary counselled the Ambassador against the march as it would expose him to “potholes” on the roads and “wild monkeys” on the way.

(...)

If anyone was wondering after reading this cable whether the U.S. diplomats and the Indian officials had lost their bearings, and whether tough negotiations had taken their toll and frayed their nerves, Mr. White at the end of the cable assured everyone that nothing of that kind had happened.

The Chargè d'Affaires, it turned out, was amusing himself and having a good laugh. The mail was cabled on April 1 to various U.S. Missions, with Mr. White signing off wishing everyone “Happy April Fool's Day from Incredible India!”