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7 March 2011

Making friends with the Libyans

Douglas Alexander questions William Hague’s method of reaching out to potential allies.

By Duncan Robinson

The shadow foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander, today wondered whether William Hague had chosen the most effective way to ingratiate himself with the rebels in Libya.

“If some new neighbours moved into the Foreign Secretary’s street would he introduce himself by ringing the doorbell, or by climbing over the neighbour’s fence?” wondered Alexander.

Hague did admit that the “small diplomatic team” (made up of two MI6 agents and six members of the SAS) was withdrawn after a “serious misunderstanding of their role”.

Quite.

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