US State
Department Gets Undiplomatic with Russian TV Reporter
Video
December 11, 2015 "Information
Clearing House" -RT Reporter Gayane Chichakyan
shows US reporters how real questioning is conducted and the proof
of her effectiveness is shown by US State Department representative
John Kirby losing his composure and insulting the reporter and the
TV network she works for along with the country of Russia.
Note how the State Department
spokesperson continually dodges the question while the reporter
stays on point. As she reiterates the main point of the question
that wasn't answered John Kirby shows his frustration with the line
of questioning and then resorts to insults and demagoguery. This is
classic deflection technique. The reporter continues to remain
professional and once again reiterates the question at hand. For a
third time the question is dodged and the State Department
spokesperson embarrasses the United States by exhibiting
characteristics that are considered unprofessional in global
diplomatic protocol. Simply put, his loss of compose and dodging of
the question combined with resorting to insults provide a disservice
to the US citizens that he represents.
An insufficient answer to the question is given by
Kirby at the 5:55 mark in the video and is unsatisfactory due to the
fact that the Iraqi government has stated on record that they do not
welcome the Turkish troops on their territory. Link here:
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/12/10/iraq-wants-un-condemn-turkish-troop-deployment/77101334/
State Department Gets Undiplomatic with
Russian TV Reporter
By Bradley Klapper
WASHINGTON
(AP) — U.S.-Russian tensions broke out in undiplomatic fashion in an
unlikely place Thursday: the State Department briefing room.
What began
with a series of tough, if suggestive, questions from a
correspondent for Russian government-funded news ended with
department spokesman John Kirby delivering an uncharacteristically
severe indictment of Russian military activity in Syria and press
conduct.
Kirby also
unloaded on the RT television channel and its reporter, Gayane
Chichakyan.
"I can't
believe that you aren't embarrassed to ask these questions," Kirby
said several minutes into the back-and-forth with Chichakyan, whose
questioning has previously prompted sharp — if more restrained —
exchanges. "You have to be looking at these questions and almost
laughing to yourself, don't you? They're absolutely crazy."
The subject was the ongoing Turkish-Iraqi spat
over Turkish military forces in Iraq. Turkey has stationed troops
near Mosul since 2014, but the arrival of additional servicemen last
week prompted an uproar in Baghdad, forcing Turkey to halt the new
deployment.
Chichakyan asked if the U.S. was somehow
responsible because it wants nations to send personnel into Syria
and Iraq to fight the Islamic State.
Kirby said all U.S. military assistance in Iraq is
coordinated with Iraq's government, and any suggestion otherwise is
"just a completely baseless charge."
"I don't think it's worth having any more
discussions about it," he said.
But the conversation continued.
When
Chichakyan asked why the U.S. was essentially saying, "It's none of
our business," Kirby shot back, "Again, another ridiculous
question." He said the U.S. was letting Turkey and Iraq work out
their differences so everyone else can focus on fighting IS —
"which, by the way, the Russians aren't doing."
Washington
says Moscow's airstrikes since September have focused on shoring up
Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and not, as the Russians
claim, with defeating IS.
After
Chichakyan demanded to know which of the questions were
"ridiculous," Kirby expanded his critique.
"You can ask
whatever you want. ... You can do that here in the United States,"
he said. "But I don't see you asking those same questions of your
own government about ISIL in Syria. And I would really like to see
those questions get asked."
Chichakyan
told The Associated Press after the briefing, "I am not
embarrassed."
