debootstrap installing packages fails with 'possibly the package archive is at fault" in Ubuntu 14.04

[strongly-typed]

W: Failure while configuring base packages.  This will be re-attempted up to five times.
W: See //debootstrap/debootstrap.log for details (possibly the package archive is at fault) 
W: Failure while configuring base packages.  This will be re-attempted up to five times.
W: See //debootstrap/debootstrap.log for details (possibly the package archive is at fault)
W: Failure while configuring base packages.  This will be re-attempted up to five times. 
W: See //debootstrap/debootstrap.log for details (possibly the package archive is at fault)
W: Failure while configuring base packages.  This will be re-attempted up to five times.
W: See //debootstrap/debootstrap.log for details (possibly the package archive is at fault)
W: Failure while configuring base packages.  This will be re-attempted up to five times.
W: See //debootstrap/debootstrap.log for details (possibly the package archive is at fault)

leading to

E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt-get -f install' with no packages (or specify a solution).