New Alliances Made, Some Old Ones Severed

[Annie]

I keep thinking, we are living through paradigm making times. It's pretty exciting, as well as frightening. Can't believe I could be wishing for the Cold War! :coffee3: There's lots more than this excerpt:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4330-2004Jul21.html

By withdrawing its symbolic 51-person force from the U.S.-led coalition -- and then vaunting its surrender as a "triumph" -- the Philippine government gives these technologically innovative extremists a huge success. Manila's withdrawal is militarily insignificant. But it echoes loudly through the psychological and political realms that are the terrorists' most important battlegrounds. Six foreign truck drivers were kidnapped and menaced with execution yesterday.

Some countries -- Italy and South Korea are examples -- have responded to threats that their nationals will be slaughtered on camera by refusing to bargain and renewing their commitments to the coalition of 30-some countries. The contrast between their reactions and those of others -- the Philippines and, in another context, Spain -- to terrorist threats is drawing a new dividing line among nations.

Each of the decisions to hold or to fold is the result of a mosaic of complex motives, judgments and historical associations that are difficult to characterize broadly. But they are not isolated acts.

They carry hints of evolving national character and attitudes toward collective security and national defense. And the decisions to stay or leave will help shape new international alignments that will emerge from the laboratory of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism that Iraq is today.

Durable alliances are held together not by ink on treaties but by the blood that soldiers from different nations shed for a common cause. The sacrifices and hardships that soldiers (and today many civilians) endure together provide anchors for relationships that are inevitably buffeted by the passing diplomatic and political tempests of the day.

World War II did that for the United States and Britain, which have again solidified their "special relationship" in Iraq. The Cold War did the same in different ways for NATO. New anchors will be formed in Iraq as well, even if many governments joined the coalition out of calculation as much as conviction -- that is, even though they may have sent forces to strengthen their political and economic ties with Washington rather than out of a great zeal to be in Iraq.

For the Bush administration, Italy has over the past 15 months been a more reliable and militarily important ally than France or Germany. Italy did not participate in the invasion of Iraq, but it sent a 3,000-strong force to help with the aftermath. The government did not flinch when an Italian hostage was executed on camera and others were threatened this spring. Instead, Rome vowed not to give in to terrorism.

 

[freeandfun1]

I keep thinking, we are living through paradigm making times. It's pretty exciting, as well as frightening. Can't believe I could be wishing for the Cold War! :coffee3: There's lots more than this excerpt:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4330-2004Jul21.html

the world is a change'n!

 

[NewGuy]

Read the script, it gets more exciting as we go.

:teeth:

 

[JohnGalt]

Rome vowed not to give in to terrorism. QUOTE]

That is all I need to label Italy as an ally and friend. Much different from the flip-floppers of the two world wars.

 

[JohnGalt]

Read the script, it gets more exciting as we go.

:teeth:

Exiting, yes. Tragic, more so. The fact that men will foresake reason to be with this little shit-- -- is horrifying.

 

[Annie]

Rome vowed not to give in to terrorism. QUOTE]

That is all I need to label Italy as an ally and friend. Much different from the flip-floppers of the two world wars.