Anne Sacoolas and Harry Dunn
UPDATE, OCT 11:
I spoke further with talkRADIO’s Eamonn Holmes about the furor over diplomatic immunity for Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US officer, following the accident that killed 19-year-old Harry Dunn near an American intelligence base in the UK.
We discuss Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss the case — and the attempt by Dunn’s parents to get closure — by quipping about how easy it is to drive on “the wrong side of the road”. And we reiterate why it is almost certain that the US will not waive immunity for Sacoolas.
Listen from 5:39 in 1800-1830 Segment
The focus for Donald Trump is always Donald Trump and how he looks. I saw no evidence that Harry Dunn’s parents were the priority for him.
ORIGINAL ENTRY, OCT 9:
On Tuesday I joined legal expert Mark Stephens, in discussion with talkRADIO’s Eamonn Holmes, to evaluate the growing furor over diplomatic immunity for the US official’s wife accused in a fatal hit-and-run in the UK.
Listen from 8:28 in 1700-1730 Segment
Anne Sacoolas, who is in hiding in the US, is suspected of killing motorcyclist Harry Dunn as she drove down the wrong side of the road near the US communications station at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.
The US Government claimed that Sacoolas is protected under the 1960 international agreement on diplomatic immunity. However, as Stephens points out, her husband Jonathan is not a registered diplomat — he is likely to be an employee of the US National Security Agency, which gathers electronic intelligence.
So, as Dunn’s family seek closure over his death, what happens now?
Scott,
One of the puzzling aspects of this sad case is the apparent diplomatic status accorded to the wife of an American civilian serving at a US military base (RAF Croughton). It is useful to see two reports by Sky TV: their first story:
https://news.sky.com/story/us-diplomats-wife-urged-by-govt-to-give-closure-to-broken-family-of-teen-killed-in-crash-11829027
The second: https://news.sky.com/story/husband-of-us-woman-granted-diplomatic-immunity-not-registered-diplomat-11830734
Sky are the only news media in the UK who from my limited scanning have reported this. Why did the UK give US intelligence agency staff in the UK diplomatic status?
David,
Thanks very much for this. Agreed that this is an essential but under-reported part of the story.
S.