Asked Out

I was very struck on Friday, listening to the World Tonight on the BBC, where they were talking about UN negotiations over the resolution on the Lebanon crisis. Remember - this was before the text of the resolution had been agreed. Claire Bolderson was interviewing Warren Hoge, the UN Correspondent of the New York Times when the following exchange took place (if you want to listen, it's at 15 minutes, 45seconds, here.

Bolderson: It's interesting that you say the British were involved in these negotiations and aren't any more. Why not?

Hoge: They were asked out really. I know this from both the French and the Americans. They really felt that the British were not helping and they decided that they would resolve this more easily among themselves.

Amazingly, there was no producer roaring down Bolderson's ear to pursuethis comment and she moved on to the next question. But I wonder what that was about. If I was to guess, and this is just a guess, I wonder if the British UN team was getting a clear line from London. Very strange nonetheless.