“We have not seen such systematic distortion of intelligence, such systematic manipulation of American opinion, since the war in Vietnam,” Kiesling wrote in a resignation letter on Feb. 27. “We spread disproportionate terror and confusion in the public mind, arbitrarily linking the unrelated problems of terrorism and Iraq.”

Kiesling also grasped the shift to empire – away from republic – that is underpinning Bush’s policies. The career diplomat asked, “Has ‘oderint dum metuant’ really become our motto?” citing a favorite saying of the mad Roman emperor Caligula, which means “Let them hate so long as they fear.”

“The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with American values but also with American interests,” Kiesling wrote. “When our friends are afraid of us rather than for us, it is time to worry.”

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