Why are embassy communications called cables

Swedish court approves request for arrest of whistleblower website founder on allegations of rape and unlawful coercion. Published On 29 Nov The US state department has worked to contain the potential fallout from the secret diplomatic cables [Reuters] The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has released a massive trove of leaked US diplomatic cables detailing candid opinions of various world leaders, repeated calls for a US attack on Iran, and requests for US diplomats to spy on officials of other countries.

More from News. Embassy cables are a formal term for almost always confidential diplomatic messages sent from an embassy to the foreign ministry or department of the embassy's parent nation. Embassy cables typically include diplomatically sensitive information, including frank assessments of political or economic situations in the embassy's host country, details on important political figures, military info, and possibly even espionage results.

They are considered sacrosant, and are not to be intercepted or monitored they are the communications equivalent of the diplomatic pouch. Of course, most nations nonetheless monitor these from other countries, but almost always refrain from making the contents known publically. An embassy is technically owned by the country.

Embassies is the plural of embassy. The people go to the US embassy and fail as many times as the US embassy allows them. Close, but not the same thing.

Pretty much every country in the World has an embassy in Washington DC; similarly the US has an embassy in pretty much every country in the World. Every US Embassy has a listed phone number and website. Just do a search.

When are you planning to marry your fiance is one of the question that you will be asked at the US embassy. No, the US embassy does not porform marriages nor reconize them in the US.

But on the US embassy of QA website they do give you a list of christan churchs that you can get married at and also the documentation procedure if you wanna get your qatar marriage reconizwed in the US.

Look up the email adress. No - the US does not. The US had caused a lot of trouble in Iran and stole a lot of oil. The US embassy was a nest of spies.

The US Embassy was amongst those attacked. If the US has an embassy in another country, then as a rule, they asign an Ambassador to the embassy. The concept of secret diplomatic communications dates back to the birth of modern diplomacy during the European Renaissance, when ambassadors would send correspondence back to their home governments in sealed diplomatic pouches that could not, by law, be opened.

The inviolability of diplomatic pouches is still enshrined in international law. The development of undersea telegraph cables in the late 19th century made for much faster communication.

Yet because of the high cost of sending and encrypting sensitive telegrams, longer reports were still sent by diplomatic pouch, while telegrams were used for shorter messages. These days, embassy officials use cables to describe important meetings, analyze political trends in the countries where they are based, and make policy recommendations. Cables are easily encryptable and allow the State Department to keep a permanent record of diplomatic efforts.

These documents are typically declassified after 25 years. Readers of the WikiLeaks document dump might be surprised by the level of descriptive detail and the writerly touches in many of the cables, which often read more like travelogues than bureaucratic memos.

Well-written cables are one way for low-level officials in distant embassies to make a name for themselves back in Washington and are often crafted for maximum impact. Foreign Service veterans cite Lawrence Eagleburger, a former ambassador to Yugoslavia who was later secretary of state, and Christopher Ross, a former ambassador to Algeria and Syria who is now U.

But in the age of information overload, cables are increasingly just one of the many ways — from email to "open-source intelligence" on the Internet — that officials in Washington keep up with developments in the field. Conditions are appalling, with prisoners unable to lie down or sit and deprived of water until they are unable to speak.

A politician secretly asked for Americans' help but the US ambassador responded that change must come from within. In a meeting, the Dalai Lama told the US ambassador to India that climate change in Tibet should outweigh political concerns on the global agenda and expressed disquiet over Chinese energy policies.

Embassy cables also note US fears that the Dalai Lama's influence over Tibetans in India is waning as more militant elements emerge. A series of cables from the US embassy in Delhi reveal US attempts to build a relationship with Rahul Gandhi , son of the leader of the Congress party and a rising star in Indian politics.

Gandhi expressed concern over Hindu extremists while Indian government officials consistently complain that the US is soft on Pakistan and are keen to present Indian foreign policy as free from American influence. US diplomats asked India to send Bollywood stars to Afghanistan in an attempt to increase India's use of 'soft power' in the region, in a plan that was never implemented. India fears an early US and British withdrawal from Afghanistan, with particular anxiety that an accommodation will be reached with the Taliban.

US officials in Sri Lanka hold President Rajapaksa and former army commander Sarath Fonseka responsible for blocking an inquiry into army actions in the last months of the civil war, and believe that the Sri Lankan government was complicit with paramilitaries in the conflict.

Assange walks free after nine days in jail. A high court judge released him on bail but warns him that he is almost certain to be extradited to Sweden to face sex assault claims. Speaking after release on bail, the WikiLeaks founder says he has not been provided with any evidenc e relating to claims he sexually assaulted two women.

Diplomats from 14 Arab states voted to ban Steven Spielberg's films in response to his donation to Israel. The Italian prime minister considered increasing the budget for foreign assistance just to avoid losing face to U2 frontman Bono.

Charles Taylor trial: speculation that former Liberian leader's war crimes trial is being slowed down by a Ugandan judge. In spite of an official freeze of relations between Cuba and the US, a cable from shows that the two countries do have regular contact.

The Cuban goverment is torn between isolation and closer links with the US. Deputy assistant secretary Bisa Williams visited Cuba in September However the arrest of an American citizen for spying in Cuba in December last year cooled relations between the two countries. A cable dated February comments on the dire economic situation of Cuba and of lack of guarantees for foreign investors as the country insists on being the main shareholder of companies set up there.

The rise in bankruptcies is such that the financial situation could hit a real crisis by According to cables dated , the US considers the Spanish region of Catalonia and its capital Barcelona as the hotbed of Islamist extremism in the Mediterranean.

They decided it needed special monitoring and established a counter-terrorism and crimefighting centre based in the Barcelona consulate. Michael Moore's film Sicko was banned by the Cuban authorities. The US film-maker is quick to state that his film was shown in Cuba. Julian Assange says his life is "under threat" and that the Swedish rape case against him is "a travesty".

The US state department, along with its embassies, did its utmost to stop Spanish construction company Sacyr from winning a contract to extend the Panama canal. Bank of America says that WikiLeaks has fallen foul of its customer code of conduct and will not process any more payments made to the controversial website.

Cables show that visitors from many of world's leading democracies are failing to criticise the Castro regime or meet with dissidents while on the island.

A cable hints that there were economic motives behind the accommodating approach. Egypt "turned down" black-market nuclear weapons deal. In an August cable, US diplomats in Madrid establish that the Spanish government is putting too much energy in its regional nationalist issues and not enough trying to address the economic crisis.

How WikiLeaks uses specialsied software to hide the origins and destinations of data. Yemen radioactive stocks 'were easy al-Qaida target' as solo sentry had been removed from atomic facility and CCTV system was broken. The judicial system in Morocco is not independent and the judges are incompetent.

It is often used for political purposes which is an impediment to the development of the country. Memos written by State Department officials show that Congressional trips sometimes involve members pushing their own foreign policy agendas, even if they conflict with those of the administration in office.

When Representative Dana Rohrabacher Republican-California visited Honduras in early to congratulate the newly elected president, he showed up with not just Washington foreign policy aides, but also a group of California property investors and businessmen, including a dealer in rare coins, and top executives from a fledgling San Diego biofuels company run by a friend of the congressman's wife. German energy company RWE, the owners of one of Britain's biggest energy suppliers, npower, helped develop a nuclear reactor in Bulgaria which was "dogged by ongoing serious safety concerns".

US diplomats were so concerned about rumours of "bribery, money-laundering and political manipulation" surrounding Allen Stanford that they avoided contacting or being photographed with him. Their concern predated his financial involvement with the England and Wales Cricket Board by more than two years.

Richard Branson believes the British education system does not prepare students for the world of business. The head of the UN's office on drugs and crime, Antonio Maria Costa, told Nato representatives that Afghan insurgents were holding back tonnes of heroin, treating their drug reserves like a savings account.

New York Times A senior Russian official asserted that Russian authorities in London had been following individuals moving radioactive substances around the city but were waved off by British security services before the poisoning of Litvinenko. Der Spiegel The US threatened the Italian government to make sure that no international arrest warrants were issued for CIA agents accused of being involved in cleric Abu Omar's abduction.

The British government has been training the Bangladeshi Rapid Action Battalion RAB , condemned by human rights organisations as a "government death squad". The Vatican withdrew from a written agreement to join an international Holocaust memorial organisation over concerns about Pope Pius XII's activities during the second world war.

McDonald's urged the US government to delay implementation of a free-trade pact in order to place pressure on El Salvador to appoint neutral judges in a lawsuit it was fighting in the country. US officials dismissed New Zealand's reaction to a suspected Israeli spy rings as a means to sell more of their lamb to Arab countries. A Halliburton executive's comments reveal tensions between security firms, oil companies and the Baghdad government.

Apple removes WikiLeaks App from its online store claiming that it didn't comply with all local laws and may put an individual or group in harm's way. A Russian official claimed that Moscow had been following Alexander Litvinenko's killers before he was poisoned, but had been waved off by Britain's security services.

Interview with German interior minister: WikiLeaks is annoying, but not a threat. Julian Assange gives an exclusive interview to the Spanish newspaper , he says: "I get death threats constantly. So do my lawyer and my children. This article is more than 10 years old. There are no fewer than , cables from more than US embassies around the world, obtained by WikiLeaks.

The release of more than , US embassy cables reveals previously secret information on American intelligence gathering, and political and military strategy. Photograph: Rex Features. Plus: The story of how the , US embassy cables were leaked. Explore the Guardian's searchable database of the leaked embassy cables Der Spiegel A long piece in English primarily about the US view of Germany , including some bracing views of Berlin's leadership and the description of Chancellor Angela Merkel as "risk averse and rarely creative".

Day 2 , Tuesday 30 November Guardian China is ready to accept Korean unification and is distancing itself from North Korea which it describes as behaving like a "spoiled child". Day 3 , Wednesday 1 December The Guardian The head of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, privately criticised David Cameron and George Osborne now the prime minister and chancellor before the election for their lack of experience , the lack of depth in their inner circle and their tendency to think about issues only in terms of their electoral impact.

Le Monde Le Monde focuses on what the cables say about Sarkozy , notably his pro-Americanism, his idea that an international force could replace the US in Iraq, and the US view on his election that he was "a novice" in international affairs with a poor grasp of English. Der Spiegel The paper has significant coverage of Pakistan, with a story that the Pakistani military and secret service are heavily involved in the country's politics and often work against US interests.

Day 4 , Thursday 2 December The Guardian Russia is a "virtual mafia state" with rampant corruption and scant separation between the activities of the government and organised crime. Day 5 , Friday 3 December Guardian The British military was criticised for failing to establish security in Sangin by the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, and the US commander of Nato troops, according to diplomatic cables. New York Times Afghanistan emerges as a land where bribery, extortion and embezzlement are the norm.

Le Monde France is committed to staying the course in Afghanistan even though public opposition to the war and electoral considerations have weighed heavily on Nicolas Sarkozy.

Day 6 , Saturday 4 December Guardian Conservative party politicians promised before the election that they would run a "pro-American regime" and buy more arms from the US if they came to power. Der Spiegel How US diplomats in Libya deal with Muammar Gaddafi , "a man plagued by paranoia, anxiety and neuroses, a man who only trusts his closest advisers, a man whose pride is easily wounded and a man who will suffer no criticism".

Le Monde President Sarkozy's new openness will allow the US to gain more influence in Africa without meeting resistance from French vested interests on the continent. Day 7 , Sunday 5 December Guardian The US is worried that China could be planning internet warfare via private companies that are known to have recruited top hackers. Der Spiegel US diplomats in Vienna expressed "frustration", disappointment and concern about Austria's politicians. Day 8 , Monday 6 December Guardian Qatar is using the al-Jazeera news channel as a bargaining chip in foreign policy negotiations by adapting its coverage to suit other foreign leaders.

New York Times Senior Obama administration officials say many millions of dollars are flowing largely unimpeded to extremist groups worldwide and they have received little help in stopping this from allies in the Middle East.

Der Spiegel Der Spiegel focuses on a "non-paper" describing US attempts to co-opt Riyadh's assistance in its quest to cut off the flow of funds from Saudi Arabia to al-Qaida. Der Speigel Leaked cables show that the US sees Austria as increasingly isolationist , and is frustrated by their lack of influence over the neutral country. Le Monde US diplomats in Somalia do not think that the country is about to become an al-Qaida base, in spite of warnings by the transitional government that thousands of foreigners are flooding in to fight.

New York Times Swedish laws protecting women in their sexual encounters gets a fuller explanation , as Julian Assange, who is currently in Britain, faces an extradition request from Swedish prosecutors.

Der Spiegel The Swiss diplomat charged with brokering a deal with Libya , following the arrest of the son of Colonel Gaddafi in Switzerland, and Libya's abduction of two Swiss businessmen in response, struggled to cope with the pressure. Le Monde In August , the US told Colombia that lack of progress in human rights remained an obstacle to good relations with the US, and particularly in fighting an effective war against drugs in the region. The New York Times Websites of multinational companies deemed hostile to WikiLeaks, such as MasterCard and Paypal, have been hacked by cyber activists in a retaliatory move.

Day 12 , Friday 10 December Guardian The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer paid investigators to unearth corruption links to Nigeria's attorney general in an attempt to persuade him to stop his legal action against a controversial drug trial involving children with meningitis. Der Spiegel In , the German government made it clear to US officials that they were not interested in following through with the arrest warrants issued for 13 CIA operatives involved in the abduction of Khaled el-Masri , a Lebanese-born German.

Days , Saturday-Sunday December Guardian A British ambassador warned that the pope's offer to Anglican opponents of female priests to convert en masse to Catholicism was so inflammatory that it could threaten the safety of British Catholics.

Cable reveals that China and US share a common frustration in dealing with Myanmar Der Spiegel There is growing discontent in Africa over China's business practices within the continent. Day 15 , Monday 13 December Guardian MI5 are willing to hand over files relating to one of the most high profile murders of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Der Spiegel The US takes advantage of competition between Sarkozy, Merkel and other European leaders to play them off against each other.

Der Speigel US diplomats struggled with the hierarchical and old-fashioned workings within the Vatican. Le Monde In , the American ambassador in Egypt dares to call the government a dictatorship and foresees problems with President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, succeeding his father as head of state.

New York Times Some diplomatic cables released by wikileaks convey a less 'hawkish' tone from the US embassies.

Der Spiegel Repeated Swiss attempts to get the Americans and Iranians to meet and discuss Iran's nuclear program were seen in the US as a dangerous annoyance.

Le Monde The French press comes under scrutiny in the diplomatic cables.