Brown hails alliance with America

[struggle4progress]

Source: The Observer

Nicholas Watt, political editor
Sunday July 29, 2007
The Observer

Gordon Brown today flies to Washington for his first summit with President George Bush, after issuing a ringing endorsement of Britain's 'special relationship' with the US. ~snip~

Brown's unequivocal declaration, as he prepares to hold his first talks as Prime Minister with President Bush over dinner at Camp David, is a strong signal of his determination to maintain the Atlantic alliance, after Washington had been alarmed by what it saw as mixed messages from London.

Lord Malloch Brown, the Foreign Office Minister, had said that Britain should no longer be 'joined at the hip' with America. ~snip~

Brown and Bush will meet over dinner tonight at the presidential retreat of Camp David, where they will discuss Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process and climate change. Brown is also set to meet Ban Ki Moon, the UN secretary-general, tomorrow in New York.



Read more: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,2137142,00.html

---

Brown's praise for US incurs wrath of party
BRIAN BRADY WESTMINSTER EDITOR ([e-mail])

~snip~ Labour left-wingers broke the unofficial truce that has accompanied Brown's first month in power, after they were infuriated by the Prime Minister's fulsome praise for the Americans on the eve of his first visit to Washington since taking over from Tony Blair. ~snip~

Labour MPs who have consistently argued that Bush is responsible for many of the world's worst problems, through his involvement in trouble-spots like Iraq and Afghanistan, reacted with fury.

Peter Kilfoyle, the former defence minister, said: "Is it in Britain's national interest to be closely associated with what is possibly the most extreme administration the US has ever seen? No it is not. Mr Brown must not let himself be persuaded that is the case." ~snip~

http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1181102007


U.S.-U.K. relationship under microscope as leaders meet
Steven Edwards, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, July 28, 2007

~snip~ Washington also noted some of Brown's appointments and their statements suggested he was less keen than Blair to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Bush.

David Miliband, Brown's foreign secretary, once expressed reservations about the invasion of Iraq. Another senior foreign office appointment, Mark Malloch Brown, was openly hostile to the Bush administration as United Nations deputy secretary general.

Less than two weeks ago, Malloch Brown said Britain would no longer be "joined at the hip" with the United States. Days earlier, Douglas Alexander, Brown's international development secretary, gave a speech in Washington in which he praised multilateralism -- a doctrine Bush and Blair rejected when they launched the Iraq invasion. ~snip~

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=6a845038-5661-4857-97c7-bc2bce6d2597&k=26418

[Double T]

1. Brown must be sipping on the bushco kool-aid...........

Different Prime Minister, SOS!!! If it wasn't so pathetic, it might be amazing......

[Greeby]

3. Why? Were you expecting a Wilson/Johnson type relationship?

Would be nice, but it ain't gonna happen

[Prophet 451]

4. I don't think he is

Granted, I may be looking for a silver lining here but that statement seemed carefully non-comittal to me. "I look forward to having positive relations with X" is just the kind of thing politicians say.

[CJCRANE]

7. I agree.

Brown isn't suddenly going to say "forget America, I want to forge stronger links with Europe" - that would cause an international incident. Diplomacy is more nuanced than that.

Also there is now a Democratic majority in Congress so Brown is dealing with a different America politically than Blair had to.

[melody]

2. The only way he can show solidarity with the real Americans is to cut-off Bush n/t

[David__77]

5. Simpering flunkeyism.

Not even the pretense of sovereignty from this man.

[UTUSN]

6. Is this the whelping of another poodle? But maybe it's a cultural/European thing

After all, they have legitimately accepted their condition of gratitude and subservience for the U.S.'s having saved them.

[LeftishBrit]

8. It may be just diplomatic talk...

but I don't think many of us want Broon to become just as close to Bush as Tony was, or as Maggie was with Ronnie.

Ann Cryer, a left-wing MP, was quoted in the 'Scotsman' article as making some good points:

'Ann Cryer, who warned earlier this year that the UK's involvement in "President Bush's war in Iraq" would leave Britain open to terrorist attacks, said she was concerned about what Brown would get from his trip.

"I get very impatient with George Bush and I don't believe he is very bright," the Keighley MP said. "We do have very strong cultural links with America and Gordon is right to emphasise those, but he should not suggest Bush is the man to solve the world's problems. He should realise that much of American public opinion is out of tune with what its President is doing, and concentrate on that."'

[demoleft]

9. Casual conversations...

"We should acknowledge the debt the world owes to the United States for its leadership in this fight against international terrorism" (Gordon Brown)

BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6920877.stm

Well, casual conversations for the "odd couple". Almost the same words from Italian Premier Prodi when Bush came in Italy.
Diplomacy.

But
- after the case of Basra (The Guardian: "Defence committee: British troops in Iraq face 'nightly suicide missions'", here's the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/military/story/0,,2134087,00.html )

- and the rumors of US State Department funding Blair's expenses for the Quartet (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1458875&mesg_id=1458875)

I would have expected a bit more carefulness and autonomy on UK side.

BBC: "Tony Blair enjoyed a close relationship with Mr Bush but there has been speculation that Mr Brown wants to keep his distance from the president."

We shall see.

[Prophet 451]

11. Again though, carefully non-comittal

Diplomatic language is full of unwarranted praise, that's just how politicians talk.

[AndyTiedye]

10. Whatever Hold the BFEE Had Over Bliar, They Seem to Have Over Brown Too

[KiraBS]

12. His actual comments.....

He is promoting the idea of diplomacy rather than violence according to this, so he is not
going to be telling Bush what he wants to hear.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/30/nbrown330.xml