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Britain's special relationship 'just a myth'
Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 30/11/2006 | Toby Harnden

Posted on 11/29/2006 10:32:28 PM PST by fragrant abuse

Britain's special relationship 'just a myth' Toby Harnden in Washington

A senior American official has spoken of "the myth of the special relationship" between the United States and Britain, arguing that Tony Blair got "nothing, no payback" for supporting President George W Bush in Iraq.

Kendall Myers, a leading State Department adviser, suggested that Mr Blair should have been ditched by Labour but the party had lacked the "courage or audacity" to remove him.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was "shrewd, astute" to have distanced himself from America.

In candid comments that will embarrass Mr Bush and Mr Blair, the veteran official said America "ignored" Britain, and he urged Britain to decouple itself from the US.

He asserted that the "special relationship", a term coined by Sir Winston Churchill in 1946, gave Britain little or nothing.

"It has been, from the very beginning, very one-sided. There never really has been a special relationship, or at least not one we've noticed."

The result of the Iraq war would be that any future British premier would be much less cosy with Washington than Mr Blair had been, and the Prime Minister's much vaunted view that Britain was "a transatlantic bridge" was now redundant.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 1946; agent202; blair; cameron; cuba; cubanspies; davidcameron; kendallmyers; myers; specialrelationship; usuk; winstonchurchill
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Who the hell is Kendall Myers?
1 posted on 11/29/2006 10:32:29 PM PST by fragrant abuse
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To: fragrant abuse

And who the hell is "Toby Harnden"?


2 posted on 11/29/2006 10:36:53 PM PST by JennysCool
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To: fragrant abuse

Advisory Committee for Studies of Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union

Executive Director W. Kendall Myers (INR/RES), Rm. 6841

(202) 736-4386
Fax (202) 736-4851


3 posted on 11/29/2006 10:40:21 PM PST by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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To: fragrant abuse
And why is this colon polyp still employed by State? In what world is a department that handles DIPLOMACY supposed to put out statements like this?

The single greatest failure of the Bush Administration was its failure to clean house at State and CIA when it still could. Every misfortune suffered by the administration follows from it.

4 posted on 11/29/2006 10:43:00 PM PST by denydenydeny ("We have always been, we are, and I hope that we always shall be detested in France"--Wellington)
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To: denydenydeny
The single greatest failure of the Bush Administration was its failure to clean house at State and CIA when it still could.

Unfortunately, the Al Gore-contested election forced an "accommodation" with the Democrat/Socialists. It's hard to remember that pre-9/11 mindset, but it was all the rage.

5 posted on 11/29/2006 10:46:38 PM PST by JennysCool
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To: fragrant abuse

btt


6 posted on 11/29/2006 10:58:44 PM PST by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: denydenydeny
And why is this colon polyp still employed by State? In what world is a department that handles DIPLOMACY supposed to put out statements like this?

Sounds like his current affiliation with State may be somewhat loose. He's on a Congressionally authorized committee; may be a personal services contract or something. Possibly a former Clintonista/fifth columnist working with lefty Brits to destroy the very relationship he claims "no longer exists". In any event, your point's well taken. His statements should be denounced, and whatever ties he has to the State Department should be summarily severed.

7 posted on 11/29/2006 10:58:51 PM PST by pawdoggie
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To: fragrant abuse

So he is saying Tony Blair wanted something from the U.S.? Blair had our respect in regard to the WOT, but he is of the opposite party, after all. What else did he want?


8 posted on 11/29/2006 11:04:18 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: fragrant abuse
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was "shrewd, astute" to have distanced himself from America.
As we Iraq spins out of control those who cast their lots with Bush are paying the price. This is really depressing.
9 posted on 11/29/2006 11:06:45 PM PST by Asclepius (protectionists would outsource our dignity and prosperity in return for illusory job security)
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To: fragrant abuse

It's funny how our 'foreign ministry', i.e. the State Department, is always undermining the nation's foreign policy.


10 posted on 11/29/2006 11:08:00 PM PST by Aikonaa
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To: JennysCool

A mysterious change came over the administration in the summer of 2003. My guess is that some kind of deal was struck between DoD on the one hand, and CIA-State on the other.


11 posted on 11/29/2006 11:10:52 PM PST by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: fragrant abuse

What Tony Blaire "got" from the US was their country saved twice in the last century at the cost of American blood and wealth.


12 posted on 11/29/2006 11:16:00 PM PST by Grim
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To: fragrant abuse
"Tony Blair got "nothing, no payback" for supporting President George W Bush in Iraq"

No Mr. Myers, call it pay back for the 2 wars we hauled you out of in the last century. The debt is still not paid in full. Had we not forgiven much of the aide we gave Britain in WWII you and the rest of Europe would just now be catching up to our standard of living and financial success.
13 posted on 11/30/2006 12:00:22 AM PST by JSteff
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To: JSteff
No Mr. Myers, call it pay back for the 2 wars we hauled you out of in the last century. The debt is still not paid in full. Had we not forgiven much of the aide we gave Britain in WWII you and the rest of Europe would just now be catching up to our standard of living and financial success.

Wrong. You've been paid:

Lend Lease

Relevant paragraph:

On 3 May 2006, the British Treasury Minister, Ivan Lewis in a commons reply said "Repayment of the war loans to the US Government is expected to be completed on December 31 2006," The final payment will be £45 million (as reported by the BBC

We have been paying you back for 61 years.

Ivan

14 posted on 11/30/2006 12:03:23 AM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: Grim
What Tony Blaire "got" from the US was their country saved twice in the last century at the cost of American blood and wealth.

Britain has stood with America in every conflict since World War II with the exception of Vietnam. As my previous post shows, you've been paid financially for the aid you've sent us. At some point, this "chip of entitlement" you have on your collective shoulder, expecting us to "snap to" whenever you call has got to end.

Ivan

15 posted on 11/30/2006 12:05:17 AM PST by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: JennysCool
I was in Seattle at that time, I remember the mindset.
Everybody was on top of the world, and hating Bush, UNTIL!
DUM DUM DUM, 9/11..

Then everything shut up in Seattle. Everything shut the hell up!

I lost thousands in the stock market, while others just went home.
I'll never go back to the West Coast again.

Bah, I'm carrying on. My bad.

/Salute
MaxMax.

16 posted on 11/30/2006 12:13:26 AM PST by MaxMax (God Bless America)
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To: Grim

I'm getting pretty sick of the myth that Britain just held America's coat while she dealt with the Nazis.

Britain sacrified just as much as the United States in the global struggle against fascist tyranny and it would be gracious of you to remember and honour it.

World War II casualties (from Wikipedia)

United Kingdom
Population: 47,800,000
Military deaths: 382,600
Civilian deaths: 67,800
Total: 450,400
Percentage of population: 0.94%

United States
Population: 132,000,000
Military deaths: 407,300
Civilian deaths: 11,200
Total: 418,500
Percentage of population: 0.32%


17 posted on 11/30/2006 12:19:06 AM PST by fragrant abuse
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To: fragrant abuse

and you have to remember Amercia turned up late for both wars and would probably still be sitting on the sidelines if Pearl Harbour hadn't been attacked.


18 posted on 11/30/2006 1:26:01 AM PST by MadMitch
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To: fragrant abuse

This is straight from Democrat talking points, destroy any relationship between President Bush and Prime Minister Blair and make it look as though poor Tony ended up holding the bag. I clearly remember Mr. Blair speeches right after 9/11 and his Country's supply of intelligence being sent to the U.S. about Saddam. There was startling info about Saddam's ties with Bin Ladin and training camps in Iraq for terrorists. Mr. Blair was deeply concerned about radical Islam and stood my his convictions. By standing with the Bush Administration in going after the bad guys I was impressed with both men's foresight and courage. Thank God that G.B. has not turned tail, as did France and Spain, and run from the terrorists. There is nowhere to run and Europe is paying a high price for their appeasement policies. Kendall is a leftist and seems to have no insight into the mindless destruction of terror and how this WOT is just beginning, something both leaders predicted time after time.


19 posted on 11/30/2006 3:04:48 AM PST by Rockiette (Democrats are not intelligent!)
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More Leftard wedge driving.


20 posted on 11/30/2006 3:34:49 AM PST by wodinoneeye
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