No ‘sorry’ in diplomacy

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http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=/data/opinion/2013/December/opinion_December41.xml&section=opinion

Indo-US row is not just one between two foolhardy egocentrics

No ‘sorry’ in diplomacy
Dr N Janardhan (Perspective) / 22 December 2013

It’s just one word, made up of just five letters, easy to pronounce, quick to write and takes a nanosecond to utter. It’s something that all of us —as individuals — use at the drop of a hat; one that we also yearn for and expect others to offer, with or without little excuse, and with or without forgiveness.

Why then is “sorry” such a difficult word in the interplay among nations?

The handcuffing, arrest and strip-search of an Indian diplomat accused of visa fraud in the United States and the retaliatory measures effected by New Delhi on American consular staff again raises questions about diplomatic complexities.

While a judgment on this incident would be subjective, the focus is on the US’s damage-saving response. US Secretary of State John Kerry’s “regret” is, for example, a repeat of how Washington dealt with China in the 2001 stand-off after a mid-air collision rendered a Chinese pilot “lost” and an American spy plane with a 24-member crew stranded in Chinese territory.