Posted on 07/14/2007 2:17:49 PM PDT by Republicain
LONDON (Reuters) - A second minister in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's new government has hinted at an apparent shift in foreign policy, predicting that London and Washington would not be "joined at the hip" under the new premier.
Brown denied on Friday any policy change after International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said in Washington that while Britain stood beside the United States in fighting terrorism, isolationism did not work in an interdependent world.
Foreign Office Minister Mark Malloch Brown followed up by insisting that Britain had to nurture a wider range of allies.
"You need to build coalitions which are lateral, which go beyond the bilateral blinkers of the normal partners," the former deputy secretary general of the United Nations told the Daily Telegraph.
Brown became premier last month, promising change in a bid to woo back voters after 10 years of Labour Party rule under Tony Blair and to draw a line under the Iraq war. Blair's closeness to Washington was unpopular with many Britons.
The change of premier has prompted speculation that Britain might accelerate troop withdrawals from Iraq. Britain has been gradually reducing numbers in Iraq and now has about 5,500 troops in the south.
Malloch Brown said: "For better of worse, it is very unlikely that the Brown/Bush relationship is going to go through the baptism of fire and therefore be joined together at the hip like the Blair/Bush relationship was."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
How soon they forget.
Whatever. England owns more business in the US than the Japanese.
They’re pretty damned locked, no matter what speeches they make about it.
Just FYI...it works both ways... something Europe loves to forget when it's convenient for them
Yeah, not just WWII, Falklands... basically, whenever/if-ever they get into a jam, they could always count on us...
They want to change that?
Maybe they can call Pakistan next time they're in a pickle?
Churchill is spinning like a top.
For 100+ years it has been the english speaking nations operating in concert that have defeated the greatest threats to civilizied society.
Unfortunately they have been feminized to the point where they no longer possess the will to defend themselves.
25+ years of “conflict-resolution” happy-talk and moral-relativism have convinced many people that you can “reason” with anyone about anything, and that everyone has a valid position regardless of how insane or pathological they are.
Canada and Ireland are lost. England is on the way out. Australia and The US are teetering on the edge.
Everyday I hear more and more people around me losing the will to fight, and this is in Red-State Georgia, not the upper west side of Manhattan.
Although Brown is an un-elected Prime Minister I cannot see the Brits even thinking about kicking the left out of power until it’s probably too late. Too bad, for them.
“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Voltaire
French author, humanist, rationalist, & satirist (1694 - 1778)”
Relax people - this guy is notoriously anti american.
He was a token gesture aimed at base - Brown has also said there will not be an dramatic changes in UK policy.
‘Although Brown is an un-elected Prime Minister I cannot see the Brits even thinking about kicking the left out of power until it’s probably too late. Too bad, for them.’
How about you guys? When are you getting rid of your left wing government?
‘Yeah, not just WWII, Falklands... basically, whenever/if-ever they get into a jam, they could always count on us...’
Works both ways. When WW1 started, the US turned up 3 years late, two years late for WW2 and you sent us some AIM-9’s for the Falklands and wished us good luck while you watched it on TV. Us Brits have a much better record of helping our US allies punctually - WW1 we got there on day one, same for WW2, same for Gulf War 1, Gulf War 2 and Afghanistan. However, if you continue to let Mexico take over your country, we may be forced to reconsider helping you out next time. . . . . :)
Another Mussi nation to contend with.
What other "allies" is Britain supposed to magically find?
Russia, the country that murders people with polonium in the middle of London? China? Iran?
Meaningless political posturing for consumption by idiots.
Fauklands? Paaalease. We didn’t expect your help in Grenada either. Its interesting that both Australia and New Zealand(both commonwealth countries of the UK) joined with us in Vietnam but the U.K. sat that one out entirely.
You boys blew both WWI and WWII; we bailed you out: the New World came to the rescue of the Old. And we broke our own treaty to side with you in the Falklands. However, if you continue to let the islamonazis take over your country, we may be forced to reconsider helping you out next time.
Forget what?.
Alexander, who is a minor politician in terms of foreign policy and will have no power in any decisions, merely said that our nations wont be joined like Siamese twins.
Not that we are going for a divorce...lol
Close but not joined at the hip, that sounds ok to me.Makes sense for both countries.
Nice to see your respect for the thousands of British men and women fighting and dying if need be alongside you in Iraq and Afghanistan...
I wish Americans would learn more British history...
The reason we didnt fight in Vietnam is simple...we were already fighting Communism AND nationalist terrorism in not one but FIVE theatres between 1962 and 1975, the years you were in Vietnam in numbers:
Borneo 1962-66
South Arabia 1964-67
Aden 1964-67
Northern Ireland 1969-
Oman 1958-72
ALL successfully,btw.
And had just finished a TWELVE YEAR WAR against Communist terrorists In Malaya,from 1948-60. A VICTORIOUS war,btw...
Chi, can we knock off the silly bar-room ‘we saved your ass’ etc argument.
I find it frightening that so many Americans (and increasingly thanks to Hollywood, the younger gen of Britons)believe that.
Lets discuss the history maturely.
When will Scotland declare independence??
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