Donald Rumsfeld: the real anti-diplomat

Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, caught officials in London off guard yesterday when he told a briefing that British involvement was "unclear".

If this was Donald Rumsfeld trying to help Tony Blair, he had better not consider a career in the diplomatic service. With one brief comment he has managed to blow a series of massive holes in the prime minister's armour. He undermined the prime minister's claims he is a major influence on President Bush. He handed the prime minister's anti-war faction the opportunity to declare Britain now had a way out of conflict. The British army is

And he allowed the dissenters to claim he had finally let the cat out of the bag and shown what they had been saying all along - that the US is determined to go to war on Iraq with or without the support of any other country.

Tony Blair must be utterly dismayed that Mr Rumsfeld has pulled the rug from under his feet just as the crisis within the UN is approaching critical mass and extra-sensitive diplomacy is required.

And this wasn't the first diplomatic error of Don Rumsfeld. He also managed to put Germany on the same line with Libya, Cuba and Iran. A few days later he said Germany and France represent "old Europe".