CFR’s Richard Haass: moving US embassy to Jerusalem would put US military, diplomats at risk around the world due to ‘Muslim outrage’

Mike Barnicle might not bring much to the table, but he is still capable of passing along nasty remarks by unnamed sources. On today’s Morning Joe, discussing Nikki Haley’s preparations for her confirmation hearing as UN Ambassador, Barnicle said, “I was told by somebody within the world of diplomacy and international relations that Nikki Haley makes Sarah Palin sound like Henry Kissinger.”

Joe Scarborough seemed to have intentionally teed Barnicle up to take his anonymous shot at Haley, asking him “what are you hearing about her?” After Barnicle’s gossip, Scarborough weighed in, saying that he’d been hearing for weeks “real concerns with the people that had been prepping her over her complete ignorance of foreign policy.”

Note: a bit later in the show, Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations—someone whose name has been mentioned as a possible Deputy Secretary of State—warned that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem would endanger US military members and diplomats around the world because of “Muslim outrage.”

Scarborough suggested that Trump views everything as a negotiation, and that in return for backing off the embassy move, the Palestinians would be willing to make concessions on other issues.

Former Obama car czar Steve Rattner said it was one thing to use such negotiating tactics with US companies, but “it’s another thing to start messing about with the most emotional issues in the world.”

SENATOR ED MARKEY: Do you agree with President-elect Trump that NATO is obsolete or do you agree with General Mattis that it is vital? NIKKI HALEY: I think NATO is an important alliance for us to have and now we need more allies than ever and we need more alliances than we have ever had and I think it’s one we need to strengthen. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: That was South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley yesterday at her confirmation hearing to become the next ambassador to the United Nations. JOE SCARBOROUGH: What are you hearing, Mike, about Nikki Haley? MIKE BARNICLE: Well, in perhaps the world’s snarkiest town, Washington, DC, I was told yesterday by someone who is within the world of diplomacy and international relations that Nikki Haley makes Sarah Palin sound like Henry Kissinger. MIKA: Yikes. That’s harsh. JOE: We started hearing several weeks back real concerns with the people that were prepping her over her complete ignorance of foreign policy. She certainly seemed to go through the hearing very well yesterday. But foreign policy experts that were working with the Trump team to prepare her were shocked by her lack of knowledge of matters dealing with foreign policy. . . . JOE: On Jerusalem, that is a horrifying thing for the Arab world to hear somebody say we are going to move the capital [sic, presumably embassy] to Jerusalem. He doesn’t understand that perhaps but he does understand that he’s talking to the Palestinians who are now saying, back off of that and we will give you some concessions in other areas. RICHARD HAASS: That would set off protests around the world. Every American embassy would be vulnerable I think because of Muslim outrage. The Israeli-Palestinian talks aren’t going anywhere. This would have real implications for American servicemen, American diplomats around the world. JOE: You know you’ve now said that twice. You have ensured peace in our time! MIKA: But all the diplomats are coming home. Like this week! STEVE RATTNER: But what Richard is saying is that it’s one thing to do this to a couple of US companies. It’s another thing to start messing about with the most emotional issues in the world.



