The WikiLeaks cable dump has uncovered a lot of downright serious allegations: that the State Department pressured Germany into not criminally investigating the CIA's kidnapping of one of its innocent citizens, that the British government secretly allowed the US to keep cluster bombs on its soil in defiance of a treaty, that the US manipulated the Spanish criminal justice system in its investigation of the CIA's torture of its citizens, and so on.
And it also uncovered some very weird stories. Earlier this week, we wrote about how Qaddadfi loves flamenco dancing, how King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia likes the idea of surgically implanting people with tracking chips, and how a 75-year-old US citizen fled Iran on horseback.
The leaks keep coming. Here are five more of the oddest stories to come out of the leaked State Department cables.
Newscom/File
3. Project much?
Apparently, Hilary Clinton is very interested in learning how Argentine president Cristina Kirchner handles stress.
The cable sent from Washington to the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, is written in all caps, riddled with typos, and dated December 1, 2034. It inquires how Kirchner who, like Clinton, is a former First Lady, manages her "NERVES AND ANXIETY," if she is "TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS," and asks "HOW DOES SHE CALM DOWN WHEN DISTRESSED," about, let's just say hypothetically, her husband agreeing to a cameo in "The Hangover 2." We suggest deep breaths.
The Cable
| Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09STATE132349 | 2009-12-31 14:02 | 2010-11-30 16:04 | SECRET//NOFORN | Secretary of State |
VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHC #2349 3651459
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 311455Z DEC 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0374
S E C R E T STATE 132349
NOFORN
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 12/31/2034
TAGS PINR, PGOV, AR
SUBJECT: (C/NF) ARGENTINA: KIRCHNER INTERPERSONAL
DYNAMICS (C-AL9-02612)
Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS. REASON:
1.4(C).
¶1. (S/NF) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ARE INTERESTED IN ARGENTINE LEADERSHIP DYNAMICS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARDS TO CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND NESTOR KIRCHNER. DRAWING ON PREVIOUS REPORTING, AND BUILDING UPON OUR OWN ANALYTIC ASSESSMENTS, WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING A WRITTEN PRODUCT EXAMINING THE INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS BETWEEN THE GOVERNING TANDEM. WE HAVE A MUCH MORE SOLID UNDERSTANDING OF NESTOR KIRCHNER’S STYLE AND PERSONALITY THAN WE DO OF CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP A MORE WELL-ROUNDED VIEW OF CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER’S PERSONALITY. AS POST,S TIME AND RESOURCES ALLOW AND TO THE EXTENT POST HAS ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, WE WOULD WELCOME ANY INSIGHT INTO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. MANY THANKS, AND REGARDS FROM WASHINGTON.
¶A. (U) MENTAL STATE AND HEALTH:
1) (S/NF) HOW IS CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER MANAGING HER NERVES AND ANXIETY? HOW DOES STRESS AFFECT HER BEHAVIOR TOWARD ADVISORS AND/OR HER DECISIONMAKING? WHAT STEPS DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER OR HER ADVISERS/HANDLERS, TAKE IN HELPING HER DEAL WITH STRESS? IS SHE TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS? UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS SHE BEST ABLE TO HANDLE STRESSES? HOW DO CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER,S EMOTIONS AFFECT HER DECISIONMAKING AND HOW DOES SHE CALM DOWN WHEN DISTRESSED?
2) (S/NF) WHAT IS THE STATUS OF NESTOR KIRCHNER’S GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS? DOES IT CONTINUE TO BOTHER HIM? IS HE TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS? LONG KNOWN FOR HIS TEMPER, HAS NESTOR KIRCHNER DEMONSTRATED A GREATER TENDENCY TO SHIFT BETWEEN EMOTIONAL EXTREMES? WHAT ARE MOST COMMON TRIGGERS TO NESTOR KIRCHNER’S ANGER?
¶B. (U) POLITICAL VIEWS:
1) (S/NF) WHEN DEALING WITH PROBLEMS, DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER TAKE A STRATEGIC, BIG PICTURE OUTLOOK, OR DOES SHE PREFER TO TAKE A TACTICAL VIEW? DOES SHE VIEW CIRCUMSTANCES IN BLACK AND WHITE OR IN NUANCED TERMS? DOES SHE SHARE NESTOR KIRCHNER’S ADVERSARIAL VIEW OF POLITICS OR DOES SHE ATTEMPT TO MODERATE HIS HEAVY-HANDED POLITICAL STYLE?
¶C. (U) ON THE JOB:
1) (S/NF) HOW DO CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER AND NESTOR KIRCHNER DIVIDE UP THEIR DAY? ON WHICH ISSUES DOES CRISTINA FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER TAKE THE LEAD AND WHICH ISSUES DOES SHE LEAVE TO NESTOR KIRCHNER?
¶2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-AL9-02612 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. CLINTON
See original work for more on this and other stories.
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