Reply #17: Nah. It was boilerplate CIA wishlist added to cables in the Bush era; diplomats routinely ignored it

[struggle4progress]

Diplomats ignored spying requests, former officials say
December 2, 2010, 2:59 p.m

... Cables containing the guidance were sent in 2008 and 2009 ...

Former diplomats, however, say the guidance was treated the way satellite offices the world over often treat missives from headquarters deemed misguided: It was rarely if ever followed.

"No one ever reads the HUMINT tasking reporting," said a former diplomat who did not want to speak for attribution about a sensitive matter. "Probably if an adult pair of eyes had looked at it, they'd say, `wait a minute, we're not going to get anyone's frequent flier number—give me a break.'"

The guidance was written by the CIA, the former official said, but was sent under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's name because the CIA and other agencies cannot directly task State Department embassy personnel ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sc-dc-1203-wikileaks-spying-20101202,0,6105024.story

The diplomats weren't going to poke around trying to get somebody's frequent flier miles: it doesn't make sense