Josh Rogin sat down with Senator Jim Webb last week and tried to get some answers on Burma. According to Webb, everything that's been written about his botched Burma diplomacy is wrong, a lie, a distortion, or a misunderstanding. But there is one incontrovertible fact: Webb's meddling has gotten him at odds with Burma's democratic opposition, including the imprisoned leader of Burma's democracy movement, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
As we reported in THE WEEKLY STANDARD, after Webb met with Suu Kyi last month, he surprised Burma-watchers around the world when he declared that Suu Kyi was on board with his plan to coddle Burma's repressive regime by dropping U.S. sanctions. It was Webb's "clear impression from [Suu Kyi] that she is not opposed to lifting some sanctions," he said at a press conference. Such a sentiment would have marked a major shift for Suu Kyi and Webb's comments rattled her supporters. Nyan Win, Suu Kyi's lawyer and one of only two people allowed access to Suu Kyi under the terms of her house arrest, was asked to clarify whether this was, in fact, Suu Kyi's new position. According to Nyan Win, Suu Kyi "replied that she had not discussed the issue [sanctions] with anyone recently."
Yet Webb still stands by his "impression" and tells Rogin, "Only the people who were in the meeting know what was said." Imagine if South Africa's apartheid regime had granted segregationist Senator James Eastland access to an imprisoned Nelson Mandela only to have Eastland emerge and declare that Mandela was a strong advocate for closer relations between their two countries. Webb is shilling for the junta (and some of his friends in the business community) and trying to leverage Suu Kyi's moral authority to get sanctions dropped. Suu Kyi has made clear -- at the risk of further antagonizing her captors -- that Webb is misrepresenting her position, but Webb is undeterred.
From the Burmese dissidents who have fled the junta and can thus freely speak to the media, the response to Webb's bungling has been severe. An op-ed in the Washington Post by Suu Kyi's colleague in the National League for Democracy party said Webb's "efforts have been damaging to our democracy movement." Another former political prisoner of the Burmese junta, U Pyinya Zawta, accused Webb of trying to "pressure my country's democracy movement into giving up economic sanctions--the most important tool in our struggle for freedom."
Webb also continues to support the elections being held by Burma's junta next year, telling Rogin that "if we develop relationships, we can improve the environment under which the elections are held." Those elections are overwhelmingly opposed by Burma's democratic opposition and will be held under a constitution that enshrines military rule. They are a complete sham designed to do nothing more than bolster the junta's legitimacy -- a goal Webb already furthered when he became the first U.S. official ever to meet with General Than Shwe, the junta's top general, last month.
As for Webb's furious denial that he never placed a hold on Kurt Campbell 's nomination (the most important nomination under his jurisdiction) as we first reported -- Webb insists that the months-long delay in scheduling that hearing "was due to the need to thoroughly examine Campbell's business dealings related to StratAsia, the consulting firm he founded with Bush administration NSC Asia director Michael J. Green." Two sources tell THE WEEKLY STANDARD that Webb's inquiries went far beyond Campbell's business dealings.
Whatever Webb was fishing for, it had nothing to do with StratAsia. If these sources are wrong, there is a simple way for Webb to clear all this up: release every communication he had with the executive branch -- State, DoD, and the White House -- as it relates to Kurt Campbell's nomination. There is no need for us to see the return traffic as that might compromise confidential or classified information, but if Webb is telling the truth about this then there is no harm done in the release of his correspondence related to the confirmation process. Unlike the truth about his meeting with Suu Kyi, solving this mystery doesn't depend on the good will and generosity of the Burmese junta.
