Taking Friends for Granted

The British government, from Blair to Brown, have been right beside us since 2001, deploying significant portions of their national defense forces to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Tommy has fought the best he could, given the fact that he received poor material support from MoD and parliament – they have never had anything like enough rotary wing air support in their sectors. It’s at least arguable that once deployed they’ve been poorly led at the general officer level – the abandonment of Basra to Shi’ite militias had to be undone by a supposedly powerless Nouri al Maliki and the ostensibly “hopeless” Iraqi army, backed by Americans.

The deployment to Iraq, in particular, was wildly unpopular with the British people – two million marched in London on the 15th of February 2003, a number that reflected nearly 3% of the British population.

Being a democracy, the British strategic center of gravity is the same as ours: Public opinion. Between the silly protocol breaches and probably unintentional faux pas – Churchill’s bust, American DVDs, White House bric-a-brac – and the more serious snubs (Brown tried, and failed, to receive a private meeting with Obama – five times) government may be feeling unloved by their American friends, which they can probably take. But British soldiers continue to fight and die in a place that has already seen much British blood, which the British people will not. Not unless there is somebody willing to step up and lead, and a goal worth fighting for.

Because more substantively, the president’s dithering over US force levels for Afghanistan have had huge impacts on British morale at home and abroad:

Senior British Government sources have become increasingly frustrated with Mr Obama’s “dithering” on Afghanistan, the Daily Telegraph disclosed earlier this month, with several former British defence chiefs echoing the concerns.

But (UK defence secretary Bob) Ainsworth is the first Government minister to express in public what amounts to personal criticism of the US president’s leadership over the conflict which has so far cost 235 British lives.

Polls show most voters now want an early withdrawal, following the death of 98 British service personnel this year alone.

Ministers say the mission is vital to stop international terrorists using Afghanistan as a base, but Gordon Brown has promised an “exit strategy” that could start next year.

The Defence Secretary’s blunt remarks about the US threaten to strain further a transatlantic relationship already under pressure over the British release of the Lockerbie bomber and Mr Obama’s decision to snub Mr Brown at the United Nations in September.

I leave aside for now the carefully calibrated “decision” to send 34,000 troops rather than the 40,000 requested, and focus on statesmanship instead. Because it’s all well and good to talk about rebuilding tattered alliances with the French, and reaching out hands to those who would unclench their fists. But it’s probably time for some sort of good will gesture to Britain, and the president’s people by God had better work that into their man’s speech whenever he gets around to making it.

Allies – real allies – don’t fall from trees, and you shouldn’t take friends for granted.