What you need to know about diplomacy.

Have you ever noticed that a diplomat in front of a camera is likely to call his country's horrendous fiasco a "somewhat unforeseen development".

Or that a politician in front of a camera is likely to call his administration's horrendous fiasco, a "great program experiencing temporary difficulties because it was undermined by unscrupulous political opponents".

So what happens when the politician who is acting as Minister of Foreign Affairs of one country and the politician who is acting as Secretary of State of another country give a joint interview that they know will be aired nationally in both countries describing a horrendous fiasco for which both governments share the real responsibility equally?

Now realize that neither guy fully understands the culture of the other guy's country and is likely to make cultural gaffs in the best of cases when talking to citizens of that country.

Does that clear up the situation in (fill in the name of a specific press conference after a specific international meeting to discuss a specific foreign policy disaster)?