Final Word from Tuesday, January 19, 2010
In a country where even former Interior Minister Ivan Langer can get a top-level security clearance, Czechs are having trouble understanding why there is still no U.S. ambassador in Prague. Something came up in the vetting process for billionaire Marc Nathanson, but no one will say what. The U.S. verification process is so complicated that the snag could have been something as mundane as a shareholding in a company doing business in the CR. An added complication could be the fact that the White House has taken over the background checks, and it is being extra careful after being stung on some high-profile appointments. Czechs should indeed be concerned about falling out of the U.S. sphere of focus (as some of the Czech officials who got burned by the radar have been warning), but the primary issue this time seems to be domestic U.S. considerations, not a reshuffling of global U.S. priorities.[Czech Republic United States of America Barack Obama]
Glossary of difficult words
woe - misfortune, trouble, problem;
to vet - to investigate thoroughly, esp. to make sure that someone is suitable for a job requiring secrecy or trustworthiness;
snag - an unexpected or hidden obstacle or drawback;
mundane - dull, boring;
to get stung - to suffer an unexpected setback or difficulty;
to get burned - to be hurt by something (after investing time or resources into it);
to reshuffle - to put in a new order; to rearrange.