How did the terrorist attacks of 11/9 affect the Anglo-American Special Relationship?

Transcription

1 How did the terrorist attacks of 11/9 affect the Anglo-American Special Relationship? Veronika Juhaňáková 1

2 Contents 1. Introduction Before 9/ The Transformation of Anglo-American Special Relationship by the Event of 9/ The Cooperation in Making of Foreign Policy The War on Terror Conclusion Bibliography

3 1. Introduction The essay argues that the attacks of September 11, 2001 helped to reinvigorate the Anglo- American special relationship. This sad event revived the close Anglo-American foreign policy and military cooperation of these two countries. The aim of the essay is to show that the Anglo-American special relationship was strengthened in times of war, in the times when both countries thought that they were threatened. The real speciality in the relationship between these two countries lies in a capacity to reinvent itself in times of emergency. 2. Before 9/11 Since the establishment of the United States of America, there have been cultural, linguistic and historical links between the USA and England. Through drawing on these cultural connections, the roots of the special relationship between the USA and Britain lie in collaboration between the allies during the Second World War. This kind of special cooperation continued in the conditions of Cold War. It was rooted in the sense of shared enemy (Nazis, communist Russia). There were significant misunderstandings and squabbles (the Suez Crisis in 1956), but also strong periods of closeness (the eras of Kennedy and Macmillan in and of Reagan and Thatcher in ). But then came the year 1991 and the end of the Cold War. Suddenly, there was no obvious common enemy. There was no longer any need for any kind of special relation between the USA and Britain. Bill Clinton came to the office of American president in He was the first president of the USA who came to power in the post-cold War era. At the beginning of his first term in the office, the term Anglo-American special relationship became almost a joke. 1 In 1997, the parliamentary election took place in Britain. The election of Tony Blair s Labour government brought into power a group of British politicians who admired both Clinton and recent developments in the Democratic Party. It was well-known that Blair took an inspiration for New Labour in Clinton s Democratic Party. 2 The new Prime Minister, Tony Blair, developed a strong personal and working relationship with President Clinton. 3 They publicly presented their close relationship. These two politicians shared 1 Just before the Prime Minister [Major] arrived at the White House, Clinton was sitting with a few aides in the Oval Office. Don t forget to say special relationship when the press comes in, one of them joked a little like don t forget to put out the cat. Oh, yes, Clinton said, How could I forget? The special relationship! And he threw his head back and laughed. John DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship: Anglo-American Relations from the Cold War to Iraq, London 2006, here p This is very nicely depicted in the film called The Special Relationship from director Richard Loncrain from This film also shows the strong relation between Clinton and Blair and later between Bush and Blair. See 3 Lots of people were saying that this Blair-Clinton relationship evoked them memories of US President Reagan and British PM Thatcher. J. DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship, p

4 political values as well as keen understanding and appreciation of the important role of the USA in the world. 4 However, Clinton s second term in presidential office ended in In the elections of 2000, American citizens chose new president George Walker Bush, son of former US President George H. W. Bush. The foreign policy George W. Bush s first administration divides into two phases: pre- and post-9/11. The pre-9/11 phase was significant for the increase in political and attitudinal differences between Bush s Republican administration and Blair s New Labour government In 2001, when Bush took office, everybody was wondering how the British Prime Minister would agree with the newly-elected American president. After the end of the ideological affinity between governing parties on each side of the Atlantic, lots of people portended a cooling in Anglo-American relations. 5 Both politicians belonged to different sides of the political spectrum. This was demonstrated in the first few months of Bush s administration when policy differences between American and British governments came to light. 6 All these contrasts in opinions on the international treaties were caused by great political differences between both governments. Their relations were based upon a style less successful in disguising disagreement. A clash of values between a conservative president and a multilateralist, social democrat Prime Minister also did not help to resolve the different opinions in the foreign affairs The Transformation of Anglo-American Special Relationship by the Event of 9/11 The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were regarded as an assault upon the Western way of life and a potent demonstration that even the world s superpower was not immune to challenge. The American president and British Prime Minister shared the same opinions on the War against Terror. Tony Blair said that the terrorists attack were not just an attack on people and buildings but an attempt to provoke, through terror, such chaos that it engulfed our way of life, the very values we hold clear. Bush emphasised that the fight against terrorism is not, however, just America s fight This is civilization s fight. 8 Again, after the Second World War and the Cold War, a threat by an allied nation provided a chance for a realignment of American and British interests after a period of divergences. The reaction to the terrorist attacks on the USA was immediate. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) invoked, for the first time in its history, an Article 5 of its mutual defence 4 Caroline KENNEDY-PIPE and Rhiannon VICKERS, Blowback for Britain? Blair, Bush, and the War in Iraq, Review of International Studies, Vol. 33, No. 2 (April, 2007), pp , here p Steve MARSH, September 11 and Anglo-American Relations: Reaffirming the Special Relationship, Journal of Transatlantic Studies, Vol. 1, 2003, pp , here p American and British policies differed in terms of foreign policy, formation of the International Criminal Court, climate control, international treaties containing nuclear proliferation and use of certain types of weapons, and the Ottawa convention. S. MARSH, September, p S. MARSH, September, p S. MARSH, September, p

5 treaty. 9 The British response on the terrorist attacks was also immediate. 10 It was another crisis which put the relegation of Anglo-American differences on the sidetrack in order to fight for a common cause. It was time when the USA and Britain could re-emphasise the underlying vitality of a relationship steeped in shared historical experience, ingrained habits of co-operation, and common values and language. Blair immediately offered British support to the USA. He claimed that Britain would stand shoulder to shoulder with our American friends in this hour of tragedy. The Prime Minister promised that British people, just as the Americans, will not rest until this evil is driven from our world. 11 All of Blair s claims were a clear message for Bush Britain was there as a stalwart, shoulder to shoulder companion of the USA. 12 President Bush understood this message. On September 20, 2001 he delivered a speech during a joint session of American Congress where he addressed: America has no truer friend than Great Britain. 13 This was also proved by the presence of Tony Blair in the gallery of American Congress. This meant beginning of great cooperation between the USA and Britain. Anglo-American special relationship came on the stage again and both politicians knew it. 3.1 The Cooperation in Making of Foreign Policy After 9/11, it was necessary, if Bush s and Blair s governments wanted to cooperate, to bridge the gap between their policies. It was done thanks to the important developments in foreign policy of both countries. First of all, Britain (trough Blair) declared that it was a supporter of any American response to the terrorist attacks. After months of disagreement, Britain became a stalwart of the USA. Blair and his government took the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to be a global actor very seriously. 14 Blair flew from one country to another and tried to encourage other world leaders to join the American-led coalition against terror. By doing this, Blair himself risked his own political prestige. It is important to say, that this Blair s risk earned him (and Britain too) some plus points in the eyes of American politicians and world public. On the other side, now there was an even higher threat of 9 It declared that if the attack on America were directed from abroad then it would be regarded as an attack upon all nineteen members of NATO. S. MARSH, September, p To quote Timothy Garton Ash: All the Churchillian bells rang. J. DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship, p S. MARSH, September, p From time to time there are those who suggest that times have changed and we no longer need such a close alliance When that happens, some crisis always comes along to confound the sceptics and remind us of that enduring friendship, said Former British Ambassador to the USA, Sir Robin Renwick, in It was a comment on some historical issues but it was also a prognostic comment. S. MARSH, September, p. 61. Something similar already said Tony Blair in 1995 The UK and the US will always turn to each other in time of crisis. The UK will always be the country the US turns to when it needs military support. C. KENNEDY-PIPE and R. VICKERS, Blowback, p S. MARSH, September, p S. MARSH, September, p

6 terrorist attack for Britain itself. With this policy, Blair showed practical demonstration of Britain s usefulness as a pivotal state during his talks with the leaders of the Middle Eastern states. 15 For the USA, Britain became the pivotal partner in the foreign diplomacy. 16 Britain was also involved in American thinking at an earlier stage than other countries. Thus, British politicians could use their influence on American foreign policy as possible. In the return, Bush s foreign policy lost something from its unilateralist approach. Bush shifted American international policy in closest direction to British government s aspirations for an engaged America. 3.2 The War on Terror But the renewal of Anglo-American special relationship did not mean only a diplomatic aid between the USA and Britain. It has also another dimension: an increasing continuation in cooperation in such fields as intelligence and armed forces. 17 By September 11, 2001 foreign policy of the USA became organized around the War on Terror. 18 Blair s government joined the USA in the military Operation Enduring Freedom. By early October 2001, Britain participated in the air bombardment against the Taliban in Afghanistan. 19 It also went further by the intensification of the intelligence cooperation, which flew between the USA and Britain since the Second World War. 20 In 2002, the discussion about Iraq came up. American and British governments believed that Saddam Hussein possessed the weapons of mass destruction. Both governments and intelligences supposed that Saddam s regime had connection to al-qaeda. They also believed that a change of regime in Iraq would help the Iraqi people. According to the USA and Britain, Saddam Hussein could cause a threat for every country which justified the military action against Iraq. 21 In April 2002, Blair should be informed by Bush that policy was set for the invasion of Iraq. However, the reactions to the possible expansion of the war on terror in Iraq were miscellaneous. Only Blair s government continued to stand side-by-side with the USA. Consistent British support of American measurements in the war on terror was very significant. From early 2002, British public 15 Britain took up an significant work. Blair s discussions with Syria, Libya and Iran were very important. The USA had no diplomatic relations with Libya, for example. Thus, Blair did lots of work. S. MARSH, September, p Specific Britain s strengths: Britain s place at the intersection of key alliances and groupings; its new-found macroeconomic strength and stability; the capability and professionalism of Britain s armed forces; the English language; the commitment to the rule of law and democracy. S. MARSH, September, p S. MARSH, September, p This term is applied to an international military campaign which started as a result of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the USA. 19 Subsequently, Britain also assumed responsibility for the International Stabilisation Force in Kabul. S. MARSH, September, p S. MARSH, September, p C. KENNEDY-PIPE and R. VICKERS, Blowback, p

7 opinion began to turn against Bush s administration in Washington. 22 Thus, the British government stood in a strongly supportive position in the face of adverse public opinion. Here it is obvious that the key aspect of Anglo-American special relationship was rooted in the degree to which the two nations find their respective international interests to be parallel. The British Prime Minister believed that in the case of necessity, the counter measures should involve military action and regime change. 23 For Blair, intervention in Iraq was also the logical conclusion of his doctrine of interventionism. 24 The House of Commons voted for war in Iraq on 18 March British forces seized the Southern Shia city of Basra and its surrounding area by early April, shortly before American forces entered Baghdad. 25 Blair s decision to join the USA in the invasion of Iraq made the British public angry about own foreign policy. Blair s support also annoyed his opposition, the Democratic Party. It would seem that President Bush pushed on Blair to join the Iraq invasion, but that is not true. In one moment, Bush told Blair that he would let Blair drop out of the invasion, if it would help. Britain then would participate in different way - a second wave, peacekeepers or something. I would rather go alone than have your government fall. But the Prime Minister strictly refused it and stood behind his decision. Blair was determined that Britain should be involved substantially in the military invasion to Iraq. There was also a kind of symbolism. By the participation in this invasion, Blair showed that the USA was not alone. The military action got the appearance of the international legitimacy. 26 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 revealed common worries and enemies but also common values, too. All these things drew the USA and Britain together again. 4. Conclusion At the beginning of Bush s first term as the president of the USA, the new Republican president had little in common with British Labour Prime Minister. The USA and British policies differed in many key issues such as the International Criminal Court, global climate control, and dangerous weapons. September 11, however, rewrote international foreign affairs. The terrorist attacks had positive effects on the special relationship between the USA and Britain. A new sense of common purpose came into existence. The USA went through an attack on its own soil. Britain got an opportunity to demonstrate more than one century of continuing special friendship. Both countries forgot the international differences and realigned their interests. The presented essay wanted to show how close the USA and Britain are to each other in case of a feel of threat or emergency. In the period after 9/11, the American president and the British Prime 22 J. DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship, p S. MARSH, September, p C. KENNEDY-PIPE and R. VICKERS, Blowback, p J. DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship, p C. KENNEDY-PIPE and R. VICKERS, Blowback, p

8 Minister found together strong common ground for their joint defence. The terrorist attacks of September 11, the invasions to Afghanistan and Iraq they revived a deteriorating special relationship. The USA and Britain went together though this in the Second World War, in the period of the Cold War and again now, after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Anglo-American special relationship was once again reinvented. 5. Bibliography John DUMBRELL, A Special Relationship: Anglo-American Relations from the Cold War to Iraq, London2006. David Hastings DUNN, A Doctrine Worthy of the Name? George W. Bush and the Limits of Pre-emption, Pre-eminence and Unilateralism, Diplomacy and Statecraft, Vol. 17, 2006, pp Caroline KENNEDY-PIPE and Rhiannon VICKERS, Blowback for Britain? Blair, Bush, and the War in Iraq, Review of International Studies, Vol. 33, No. 2 (April, 2007), pp Steve MARSH, September 11 and Anglo-American Relations: Reaffirming the Special Relationship, Journal of Transatlantic Studies, Vol. 1, 2003, pp