The frontier between diplomacy and espionage is getting blurry.
Not only have we seen intelligence officials engaged in parallel diplomacy, but Ambassadors are going into the top intelligence jobs and back – as for example, Joe Biden’s choice of Ambassador William Burns as former CIA director.
Now, in the UK, the MI6 chief – and a former ambassador to Turkey – Sir Richard Moore is reportedly the top choice for US ambassador, after Lord Peter Mandelson was fired in disgrace over his long and close ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
Moore is said to possess the foreign policy expertise and diplomatic skill to be UK’s representative in Washington.
The Telegraph reported:
“His intelligence role means he is fully vetted – without any hint of the sort of embarrassing history that brought down Lord Mandelson, who was sacked last week over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted pedophile.
On Wednesday night [17], Sir Richard could take a major step closer to being appointed British ambassador to the US. He will be among the guests invited by the King for a state banquet honoring Donald Trump at Windsor Castle.”
During the banquet, Sir Richard was under scrutiny to see how he gets along with Donald J. Trump, a key test him as he steps down as head of MI6, at the end of September.
“’The timing could not be better’, the source told The Telegraph. ‘Sir Keir has a huge decision to make. Lots of things add up about Sir Richard, his CV is ideal for the safe pair of hands needed, but there is always one imponderable with Trump: Just how will he get along with someone? Sir Keir and his mandarins can see for themselves at Windsor Castle’.”
The Mandelson scandal opens up a key vacancy at the top of the UK’s diplomatic ranks.
“The job calls for a skilled operator, who can lead an embassy, sell the UK to the US, and who excels at the sort of relationship management needed to keep the president on side.
[…] That means Sir Richard is well placed to move to Washington when his term as ‘C’ [head of MI6] ends this month after five years at the helm. As well as his record with MI6 and the diplomatic service, he is an avid golfer – something he shares with Mr. Trump.”
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