Peter MacKay: Blunder #1
Foreign Minister Peter MacKay has already put his foot in his mouth. That didn’t take very long.
Yesterday:
Canadian hostages are alive: MacKay
Globe and Mail, Canada – 11 hours ago
Two Canadian hostages kidnapped in Iraq while performing development work are believed to be alive, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay says.
Unfortunately, it appears that Mr. MacKay was merely working on raising his profile in granting an interview on Monday. Sadly he didn’t conduct himself with any regard for the very real potential to further endanger the hostages.
Today, after admitting that nothing new is known since the last video of the hostages was released three weeks ago:
MacKay plays down hostage statement
Globe and Mail, Canada – 33 minutes ago
Ottawa – Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay moved to play down expectations that Canadian aid workers held hostage in Iraq are safe…
Priceless, vintage, MacKay, master of the flip-flop:
“Sadly, we do not have any more recent information”, Mr. MacKay told a news conference. “That is what leads us to remain optimistic about their eventual release,” said MacKay.
Almost in the same breath, however, he indicated that more information was indeed trickling in about the hostages.
“Information is coming in, and much of it is based on those videos themselves,” he said. ”(There are) things that people are bringing forward, and we’re asking that this information continue to flow.” Alexander Panetta, CP, via Globe and Mail
From that same article:
A Liberal who once worked for the Foreign Affairs Department on the file said Mr. MacKay invited trouble by publicly discussing the hostage crisis.
It is dangerous to express optimism too boldly, because it gives kidnappers additional leverage, he said, insisting on anonymity.
Any politician who stakes his own word on the probable release of hostages could become more desperate to negotiate ? and kidnappers might easily recognize that, he said.
If this issue were not so serious and the stakes so high, this latest gaffe of MacKay’s would be funny. It is not. Lets hope MacKay quickly learns to wag his gums with a little more self-restraint.
Don’t lose your luggage while away, Peter.