No ‘sorry’ in diplomacy
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2013/December/opinion_December41.xml§ion=opinion
Indo-US row is not just one between two foolhardy egocentrics
No sorry in diplomacy
Dr N Janardhan (Perspective) / 22 December 2013
Its just one word, made up of just five letters, easy to pronounce, quick to write and takes a nanosecond to utter. Its something that all of us as individuals use at the drop of a hat; one that we also yearn for and expect others to offer, with or without little excuse, and with or without forgiveness.
Why then is sorry such a difficult word in the interplay among nations?
The handcuffing, arrest and strip-search of an Indian diplomat accused of visa fraud in the United States and the retaliatory measures effected by New Delhi on American consular staff again raises questions about diplomatic complexities.
While a judgment on this incident would be subjective, the focus is on the USs damage-saving response. US Secretary of State John Kerrys regret is, for example, a repeat of how Washington dealt with China in the 2001 stand-off after a mid-air collision rendered a Chinese pilot lost and an American spy plane with a 24-member crew stranded in Chinese territory.