Mark Little Quotes
What is said in public [regarding ongoing political negotiations] is often very different than what is said in private.
Mark Little, Irish Journalist, CNN International, December 18, 1996
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The Secretary of State had obtained an agreement of Israel and the Palestinians to open Peace Talks. The press immediately wanted to know who was saying what to whom and what positions the parties had. However, this was a classic example where transparency would make successful negotiations impossible—it would end the negotiations before the parties could even discuss possible alternatives.
In the modern media age, there is intense pressure on peace negotiators to reveal progress, problems, reactions, suggestions that are made by the parties to the peace talks. Rumors and premature public knowledge of the details of peace talks often can undermine and sometimes destroy and progress that was being made.
Discussing the possibility of renewing relations with Jordan after it had supported Iraq in the Gulf War, the ambassador wanted an admission of wrongdoing from Jordan.
In the history of diplomacy and peace treaty negotiations, the various national representative would meet in secret, negotiate treaties and add secret clauses. Then the treaty was finally made public for approbal or ratification in the different countries no one would be told of the secret clauses. Each side would have a written secret copy of these clauses, but the publics of the country would never know. For example, the agreements about various WWII issues that were secret have not yet been made public in the United States or England. Wilson wanted to put an end to that diplomatic ploy and wanted all the peace treaty clauses to be public with nothing secret. He also wanted the deliberations to made in public woth press access. He had little support for the idea in most European nations.
