WikiLeaks: Five more of the strangest stories to emerge

The WikiLeaks cable dump has uncovered a lot of downright serious allegations: that the State Department pressured Germany into not criminally investigating the CIA's kidnapping of one of its innocent citizens, that the British government secretly allowed the US to keep cluster bombs on its soil in defiance of a treaty, that the US manipulated the Spanish criminal justice system in its investigation of the CIA's torture of its citizens, and so on.

And it also uncovered some very weird stories. Earlier this week, we wrote about how Qaddadfi loves flamenco dancing, how King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia likes the idea of surgically implanting people with tracking chips, and how a 75-year-old US citizen fled Iran on horseback.

The leaks keep coming. Here are five more of the oddest stories to come out of the leaked State Department cables.

5. Holy tired metaphor!

Newscom/File
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (l.) attempts to get the attention of his predecessor and prime minister, Vladimir Putin (r.), who is speaking on the batphone with Commissioner Gordon.

A confidential Nov. 2008 cable from the US embassy in Moscow offers insight into the balance of power between Russian president Dimitry Medvedev and his predecessor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, describing one camp in Russia arguing that "Medvedev continues to play Robin to Putin’s Batman."

Another cable from earlier that year notes a US diplomat saying that Canadians “always carry a chip on their shoulder,” feeling that the US northern neighbor “is condemned to always play ‘Robin’ to the U.S. ‘Batman.’ ”

Yes, we realize that both cables were written the year that "The Dark Knight" came out, but still, it's time for a new sidekick metaphor. If you're a diplomat and you're reading this, feel free to copy and paste these suggestions into your next cable:

"The Zamundan King has expressed concern that his nation will continue to play a subordinate role to the Republic of Bulungi, much as Gabrielle does to Xena."

"Pottslyvania-Freedonia relations have evolved to the point at which the former is now consigned to playing Stimpy to the latter's Ren."

"At the present time, the Lord High Admiral, while popular, is still widely perceived as playing the role of Nien Nunb to the President's Lando Calrissian."

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