[Mb-civic] Ties to U.S. Made Britain Vulnerable, Report Says - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Ties to U.S. Made Britain Vulnerable, Report Says

By Glenn Frankel
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, July 18, 2005; Page A10

LONDON, July 18 -- Britain's position as a subordinate ally of the 
United States has been a "high-risk policy" that has left it vulnerable 
to terrorist attacks such as the recent bombings of London's 
transportation system, according to a briefing paper released early 
Monday by one of the country's most prominent foreign affairs research 
groups.

The British government "has been conducting counter-terrorism policy 
'shoulder to shoulder' with the U.S., not in the sense of being an equal 
decision-maker, but rather as pillion [back-seat] passenger compelled to 
leave the steering to the ally in the driving seat," said the report 
published by Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of 
International Affairs, which has close ties to the government.

<>The policy, it added, "has proved costly in terms of British and U.S. 
military lives, Iraqi lives, military expenditure and the damage caused 
to the counter-terrorism campaign."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR2005071700995.html?nav=hcmodule 

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