Boris Johnson - what are the odds

Well said Anya

Of course, now Boris has dared to speak this truth out loud, it could have the opposite effect - it could make the Saudis re-double their efforts against the Iranian backed Yemeni rebels and escalate the war, bringing yet more suffering to the innocent children for fear of being seen as feeble.

Red rag to a bull?
Even more arms sales?

I think I read (can't find a link) that Trump referred to him as 'that blonde guy'.
The 2 of them are rather similar, physically.
I can imagine him being hauled over the coals by Theresa, he blows his top and walks out.

Who - Trump?

I can't imagine Boris blowing his top, they may be physically similar but different personality-wise.

Politicians may have things to say that are the truth, but diplomacy demands that they say what is best in that situation - and that need not necessarily mean being entirely profligate with the truth. There is too much at stake here - innocent people are being bombed. Every time a politician opens their mouth on these subjects they run the risk of making things worse for those on the ground. I do get the impression that Boris does not grasp this. Unless of course he has been set up? - who know?

Can it be, Boris knows exactly what he is doing

He's sharp as a knife, but whatever game's being played could be dangerous.

Could it be a pre arranged case of bad cop good cop?

Boris is just a graduate of the Duke of Edinburgh School of Charm.

When she appointed him I thought perhaps her plan is to give him enough rope. I think he wants to be PM and she's hoping he'll make too many gaffes as FS. Although he could be going down the Farage/Tr*mp route of thinking he's speaking on behalf of the man in the pub, appealing to people who want plain, blunt speech. As Anya says, arms deals are the priority, obviously. Maybe Jalima's hit the nail on the head.
Horrifying and appalling all round.

Jacob Rees-Mogg certainly spoke highly of him on HIGNIFY last night. The poor bloke (JRM) did look entirely out of his depth though

If it a plan to give him enough rope so he can hang himself then it is not a very responsible way to govern the country. He could do untold damage. Let us hope that politics are not as low as to even think of this.

Perhaps she gave him the job to appease the majority who voted Brexit, thinking that many of them wanted him to be PM.

I do think that he is brilliantly clever but, as DH would say, engages mouth before brain.

However, looking at the way he tried to subvert the EU with his stories when he was a journalist in Brussels makes me wonder exactly what he is up to - is he gauche or is he playing a dangerous game?

Ironic that Boris should achieve his status in the Brexit Cabinet through telling us a load of lies, and now he finds his Cabinet status under threat, for speaking the truth....

I think Boris Johnson is brilliantly clever and knows exactly what he is doing. He is more than capable of being diplomatic if he chooses to be as has been shown with his handling of London. One could argue that the press has skewed this somewhat by putting a spin on the story that he was heavily criticising Saudi Arabia without reporting adequately what he said about other countries. The Saudi's can posture all they like but they know what they do and it is a breath of fresh air to hear a politician say it like it is.

Forget Boris - all the time money and profit is more important than ethics and morality we've had it.

When he was appointed to FO, I could only imagine that she had some cunning plan in mind. I wait to see what it was :-)

Apparently nothing that Boris said publicly had not already been said, by him and others, privately to the Saudis et al. Lot of fuss about nothing comes to mind. People just like making a fuss where certain folks are concerned. I don't know of he'd say it out loud but I can imagine him thinking: Oh sod off, you twerps! to the misreporters.

There's a lot of disinformation circulated via news media. A bit more scepticism and critical thinking from its readers, listeners and watchers wouldn't go amiss.

* if

He such a pain so annoys me not diplomatic at all. Wonder what he is going to say next.

I wish people would stop saying how brilliant he is. He needs to prove it now more than ever in his life before.

May is very aware that he wants her job. Appointing him as FS follows the old rule - keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Also presumes he will make one of his famous gaffes - bigger than this - and will disappear in a puff of smoke.
.

I don't think he wants her job; didn't he say he was not cut out to be a Party Leader when he decided not to run for the Tory Leadership?
To use another expression; "Give a man enough rope to hang himself" He would be better out of Politics, which He probably finds very boring, and go back to journalism.
I think he gets bored and then gets facetious.