A WikiLeaks cable released on August 29 has revealed federal Labor MP for Melbourne Michael Danby offered to help the US embassy promote a “Day of Solidarity with the Cuban People”. It was a May 21 2008 initiative of the George W Bush US administration designed to pressure the Cuban government.
In a cable dated May 19, 2008, the US embassy in Canberra said Danby — described as a “prominent Australian Labor Party member” — had “volunteered to circulate a statement in support of the Cuban people among other MPs and offered to write an op-ed for the Australian Financial Review (AFR), a highly-respected national newspaper”.
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The cable said the embassy had “provided [Danby] background information” for the AFR opinion piece.
Embassy officials had already approached newspapers in Sydney and Melbourne to try to place an op-ed the embassy had drafted. The cable said it was waiting for a response from Sydney papers, but Melbourne papers had already declined to publish an article from the embassy.
The US consulate in Melbourne also lobbied MPs in Victoria to mark the Cuba event. The consulate “conducted outreach to [an unnamed] member of the Victorian state parliament with close ties to the general Hispanic community in that area.
“We are exploring his suggestions that the Mission consider screening one or two documentaries focusing on human rights in Cuba, and that we seek a prominent federal member of Parliament to circulate a public petition affirming support for the people of Cuba.”
The cable also confirmed it had approached the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for help. But the department proved less willing to assist than Danby.
The cable said: “DFAT has confirmed the government of Australia has no plans to mark Cuban Solidarity Day, preferring quiet diplomacy with regards to Cuba.”
The cable suggested President Bush make “no reference” to “our draft op-ed or the one promised by Michael Danby, MP” in any “statement or other public announcement unless and until we can confirm” the articles had been published.
Other WikiLeaks cables show that embassy officials in Guatemala and Denmark also lobbied politicians and newspaper editors in May 2008 to place US embassy op-eds in major newspapers.
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