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I think that Brown and the British diplomats probably aren't interested in discussing or elevating it to any sort of incident. I doubt if they would ever say if they were....it's all conjecture by the press, similar to what it might be in any circumstance. But like I specifically said above about that, it is certainly debatable how insulting it is if at all.
The Italian thing....I have recollections, and honestly I haven't looked, about discussions of foreign aid and to where/whom it is given. For example, I think it is insane that we just pledged whatever it was - 800 million or a billion or something like that - to rebuilding Palestinian controlled areas when there is the likelihood that portions of that money will simply be used to purchase munitions for suicide bombings or rocket launches into Israel (this is the case regardless of which President has done this, whether Clinton or Bush or now Obama, with Hillary making this promise on her somewhat recent middle east trip). However, any ally that has been with us in Iraq? 50K of disaster relief. I suppose as GD said that might be all they asked for, but I doubt that. 50K is nothing. I don't think we asked for disaster relief after 9/11 or Katrina, but Italy sent 3 million to us after each. It is a symbolic gesture, and 50K symbolizes a slap. Donating nothing, I believe, would be preferable.
And of course my perceptions are going to be different about Obama rather than Bush, just as it is with every politically minded posted here.
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