The relations between two important countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, have always been interesting to watch for people strongly interested in foreign politics and international interaction. But since September 11th 2001 this has changed completely; with the assaults of the al-Qaeda terrorists on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, it has been proven that terrorist attacks can happen any where in the world. Hence everybody should be interested in what the leaders of the international alliance against terrorism are doing or planning to do. The leader of the alliance are of course the USA, simply because the attacks happened in their country and it is undoubted that they are still the only world power. But Great Britain is also heavily involved in the "war against terrorism"1, not only because of the death of many Britons in the WTC or because NATO invoked Article 5 ("an attack on one member state is an attack on all"2), but because of a strong multitude of cultural and historical bonds with the United States.
Great Britain and the USA are often said to have a ′special relationship′, so to analyze this relationship in its current form, I am going to first describe Tony Blair′s personal role in the partnership with the USA and thus with George W. Bush. This includes why he and G. W. Bush are working together so well although their characters and social backgrounds are very different, and an overview of the different ways Tony Blair′s role in the alliance against terror is seen in the world. Afterwards I am going to illustrate Great Britain′s role as a bridge between the United States and continental Europe. Obviously this will not be possible without describing Great Britain′s general role in the EU and again mentioning Premier Minister Tony Blair, but in this section his actions represent Great Britain as a nation and himself.
Nearly every European country and many countries all over the world are supporting the war on terror, partly because of NATO Article 5, but primarily because they think it is the only way to stop terrorism. But most of the European leaders do not share Bush′s view of the ′axis of evil′ consisting of Iran, Iraq and North Korea, expressed in his state-of-the-union address in January 2002. In the next section I will show that this causes problems for Great Britain and Tony Blair because there will probably be no world alliance for military action against Iraq. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Current Relations between the USA and the UK
- The Partnership
- Tony Blair's Personal Role
- The UK's Role
- The 'Iraq Question'
- The Steel Tariffs
- The Partnership
- Disadvantages and Advantages for the USA and the UK
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The paper aims to analyze the current relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, particularly focusing on the "special relationship" that exists between the two nations. It examines the impact of September 11th, 2001, on this relationship, as well as the role of Prime Minister Tony Blair in shaping the global alliance against terrorism.
- The "special relationship" between the USA and the UK
- The role of Tony Blair in the global alliance against terrorism
- The "war on terror" and its implications for the relationship
- The impact of the "Iraq Question" and the steel tariffs on the relationship
- The advantages and disadvantages of the current interactions between the two countries
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting the significance of their interactions in the context of international politics. It emphasizes the importance of this relationship in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.
- Current Relations between the USA and the UK: This chapter explores the nature of the partnership between the USA and the UK, focusing on Tony Blair's personal role and the UK's position within the global alliance against terrorism. It discusses the differing perspectives on the "war on terror" and the potential challenges to the special relationship.
- The Partnership: This section delves into the partnership between Tony Blair and George W. Bush, examining their complementary roles in leading the fight against terrorism. It analyzes the reasons behind their successful collaboration despite their different political styles and backgrounds.
- Tony Blair's Personal Role: This section highlights Tony Blair's position as a key figure in the global alliance against terrorism and his efforts to build international support for the "war on terror". It also touches upon concerns surrounding his focus on foreign affairs at the expense of domestic issues.
- The UK's Role: This section emphasizes the UK's role as a bridge between the US and continental Europe. It discusses the challenges arising from differences in opinion on the "axis of evil" and the implications for the UK's commitment to the US-led alliance.
- The 'Iraq Question': This section analyzes the potential for a division within the alliance over the issue of Iraq, raising questions about the future of the special relationship between the UK and the US.
- The Steel Tariffs: This section discusses the impact of the steel tariffs imposed by the US on the UK economy and its implications for the overall relationship. It explores the potential consequences for the UK's domestic situation.
- Disadvantages and Advantages for the USA and the UK: This chapter explores the benefits and drawbacks of the current relationship between the USA and the UK, outlining the potential economic and political consequences of their interactions.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this paper include the "special relationship" between the USA and the UK, the "war on terror," the role of Tony Blair, the "Iraq Question," the steel tariffs, and the advantages and disadvantages of the current interactions between the two countries.
- Quote paper
- Philipp Knorr (Author), 2002, Current Relations between the USA and the UK, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/6366
