Special Relationship?

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Former British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, has criticised British diplomacy in the run-up to the Iraq war, claiming that not only was HMG ineffectual in its dealings in the middle-east, but that its economic demands were “simply ignored” by the US. He seems to further suggest that the then Prime Minister Tony Blair was not only President Bush’s junior partner, but may have been regarded as “dispensable”.  Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has recently voiced concerns about Britain’s relationship with Obama’s America, in the context of military operations in Afghanistan.

If the much-vaunted “special relationship” between Britain and its former colony has not ended, then it is certainly very much one-sided. American tempers flared when Britain facilitated the release of the then terminally ill Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the so-called “Lockerbie bomber”, from his Scottish prison cell. Gordon Brown took the punches, and never dared to remind Hilary Clinton of the many wanted Irish Republican terrorists that her own country had sheltered over the years.

Extradition: a one-sided relationship

Extradition of wanted criminals from the US has always been problematic; in fact the 2003 extradition treaty, signed in March of that year by then Home Secretary David Blunkett, removes any requirement on the US to provide prima facie evidence when requesting the extradition of people from the UK. It maintains, however, the requirement on the UK to satisfy the "probable cause" requirement in the US when seeking the extradition of US nationals. This treaty was never put before the British Parliament, in fact its text was only made available in May 2003, two month after it took effect. The US Senate, on the other hand, had full access to the text.

Gary McKinnon is autistic. He is diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a condition that tends to leave sufferers socially dysfunctional. Difficulty in communicating, an inability to empathise with others, or to understand their reactions to anything the sufferer may say or do, are typical symptoms. As a result, sufferers are likely to become withdrawn, and avoid companionship. Unlike other autistic conditions, those with Asperger’s are unlikely to suffer from mental retardation: in fact, a common characteristic is an intense fascination with a particular subject or pursuit. In Gary McKinnon’s case, it is a desire to prove the existence of UFOs that drives him. His high degree of computer skills enabled him to hack into a number of US government computers in search of evidence, although judging from his very open explanation of how was able to do this, it might be easier to shut-down defence-systems in the US than the Pentagon might have originally thought. As a result, the US government is seeking his extradition, and in what is becoming something of a cause celebre in the UK, the British people are rallying around him. They are also becoming increasingly aware of the asymmetrical relationship that exists between Britain and the US.

And so what does this say about the Anglo-American relationship?

The US and Germany: the Trans-Atlantic Bridge

25% of white Americans claim German lineage, and an ethnic group they are highly represented in the fields of academia and politics. President Bush clearly illustrated to Westminster the fact that he favoured the Germans politically, and today reference is often made to the “trans-Atlantic bridge” between the two nations. The two economies become ever more important to each other both as places of investment and trade: 50% of German foreign direct investment goes to the United States, and German investment in the United States amounts to over 100 billion euros. The United States is the largest investor in the European Union with almost 50% of its investments and in Germany. Whilst Britain (and Canada) may still outweigh Germany in terms employment of US workers, the latter clearly sees Germany as safest bet for its own investments. US based intelligence analysts STRATFOR refer to the importance of developing relationships “…between the United States and the two major European countries, Germany and France…”

This attitude goes back at least to the presidency of Bill Clinton, who described Chancellor Helmut Kohl as his “new best friend amongst heads of state.”  The re-election of Angela Merkel will have served to cement the relationship. Merkel has a track record of cutting bi-lateral deals with the US and others. Germany is a major player in its own right, rather than as a component part of the EU, not only because of its economic muscle, but also for its tendency towards strong and focussed leadership. Amusingly, in Taylor Branch’s book The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling history in the White House (2009), despite the emphasis on the importance of relations with Germany, the EU is mentioned only twice (once in a footnote), whilst the Cirque du Soleil warrants three references.

Britain steps down from the top table.

The special relationship is, in fact, dead. It might be argued that it died the moment Britain swapped the crown jewels for 50 decrepit warships in the early days of WW2.

For economic and historic reasons, Britain remains well placed to serve as a conduit for trade and relations with the US, and it is in this capacity that the US sees it as valuable. However, it might be argued that even in that context Britain is losing its role. French President Sarkozy’s mocking words about Britain being “the losers” in the recent allocation of top jobs under the Lisbon Treaty should serve as a warning to HMG.

The decision to withdraw the British Conservative Party from the EPP-ED was understandable when seen from a domestic perspective. Within an EU context, however, it might come to be seen as the moment Britain stepped down from the top table. The move has not only marginalised the Tories within a controversial and minor right of centre group, but has caused an internal split which threatens to blow at any moment. The Brussels press corps is being bombarded by press releases and “leaked” papers as the factions brief against one another. None of this is good for Britain, but it will gladden the hearts of MEPs from other nations seeking to climb on top of the wreckage.

In the meantime, Gary McKinnon appears to have been abandoned by HMG, possibly as an apology to the US for releasing Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. It is very telling that his only recourse now may be through a European court. Britain appears to be sidelined by an old ally, and subservient to a new one.