On Saturday, at an inaugural Burns supper in Alloway, Alex Salmond announced that he had received “a letter from Kofi Annan in which he requests, if it would be appropriate, that he could come and deliver a lecture during the Year of Homecoming in tribute to Robert Burns.”
Nice one, Alex! A bit of a coup, I don’t mind admitting. Except that, as reported in the Times, Scotsman, Media Mentor, A Leaky Chanter and Yapping Yousef, it simply isn’t true!
As Kofi Annan’s spokesman said: “There has been some misinformation and Mr Annan would appreciate a correction. We are irritated by this and it is a question of clarification.” Miaow!
Matt Qvortrup: Numpty....
21 minutes ago
"....Except that, as reported in the Times, Scotsman, Media Mentor, A Leaky Chanter and Yapping Yousef, it simply isn’t true!....."
These organs of truth.
Have you seen the letter from Annan AM2 or are you just partaking in labour prompted gossip....
Wardog
Your insinuations get ever more predictable and ever less credible.
Alex Salmond said that Kofi Annan wrote a letter which "requests, if it would be appropriate, that he could come and deliver a lecture during the Year of Homecoming in tribute to Robert Burns". He made it sound like an unsolicited request, as if Kofi Annan was seeking his (Salmond's) permission!
But Salmond's spokesman then contradicted Salmond himself, by saying that "Kofi Annan was invited to Homecoming celebrations and Burns celebrations".
So which was it? A request or an invitation? Certainly not the former, as Kofi Annan's spokesman clarified: "Mr Annan will be travelling to Scotland but his lecture has nothing to do with this Homecoming thing."
So Alex Salmond's claim was false. Do you deny this?
Oh dear. I wonder how his letter-writing campaign to the signatory states to the Non-Proliferation Treaty went; haven't heard much of that since.
Salmond, more an international embarrassment than a global statesman.
"Mr Annan's office said in a statement: “This has all been blown out of proportion. Mr Annan wrote to Mr Salmond saying that he could unfortunately not accept his kind invitation to attend the dinner on January 24, but he informed him that he would like to visit Scotland later in the year to deliver a speech. There is really no more to it than that. Mr Annan loves Scotland, and there is absolutely no row.
“As Burns himself said, ‘Suspicion is a heavy armour and with its weight, it impedes more than it protects'.”
"....This has all been blown out of proportion. Mr Annan wrote to Mr Salmond saying that he could unfortunately not accept his kind invitation to attend the dinner on January 24, but he informed him that he would like to visit Scotland later in the year to deliver a speech. There is really no more to it than that. Mr Annan loves Scotland, and there is absolutely no row....."
Kofi Annan's latest Statement
Times Today
The spokeswoman also confirmed that Mr Annan is considering dates in September for a visit
Has Labour engineered this ?
Who is Annan's 'london' spokesperson, do they have links with the Labour Party - that would be very unfortunate.....
Egg Face AM2 Splat
Reported today in the Times as aprt of Gus Macleod's erm...'climbdown'....
"...Mr Annan's office said in a statement: “This has all been blown out of proportion. Mr Annan wrote to Mr Salmond saying that he could unfortunately not accept his kind invitation to attend the dinner on January 24, but he informed him that he would like to visit Scotland later in the year to deliver a speech. There is really no more to it than that. Mr Annan loves Scotland, and there is absolutely no row....."
Go on AM2, post it.
A predictable focus on that quote from Conan and Wardog, as if such conciliatory noises aren't just a necessary part of the diplomatic game.
But neither of them, I note, dare link to the article in which their quote appears.
Further, neither of them mention that a Scottish government spokesman felt compelled to try and explain things away by saying: “We think that wires have got crossed between Edinburgh, London and Geneva.” Obvious spin, which indicates that they screwed up bigtime!
And in any case, the fact remains that Kofi Annan was invited and declined. Yet Alex Salmond said Mr Annan had made a request to visit. Whether that was a lie or an inability to understand the letter may not be knowable.
Wardog: Three points.
Firstly, that I haven't been near a computer until just now. There was nothing sinister in your comment not being approved (although numbers of your more accusatory and abusive comments aren't, as well you know).
Secondly, that if you are seriously suggesting that SNP spin doctors have been spending their time trying to uncover some tenuous link between Annan's spokesman and the Labour party then my already low opinion of them has gone through the floor.
And finally, that the only egg is on the faces of those who can't - or won't - acknowledge the fundamental difference between being invited and inviting oneself. Including Alex Salmond, whose credibility is now seriously strained, whether or not they can now pull a Homecoming visit out of the bag.
Neither of them mentions. Humble apologies for the grammar malfunction.
Here's a good summary of the issues. Also note just how wildly inaccurate Salmond's original comments were. He even managed to contradict himself in the same speech!
“It's an offer which we have been delighted to accept...”
and then a few sentences later:
“We should accept, and will accept, Kofi Annan's offer...”
This blog is creaking under the inconsequential topics you chose to post about, I'd have thought a man of your considerable intellect and wit would be posting on more meaty subjects than petty diatribes on 'name calling' ' flag waving' ' who said what behind the bike sheds' and ' burns wiz a unionizt'
You haven't posted anything on the economy of consequence for over two months.
Have you got an agenda of aggravated grievance?
Or have you got your head in the sand over the state of the economy.
Update (24 April 2009)
Scotsman: “'He-who-must-not-be-named' (aka Alex Salmond) banned by UN chief”