Obama to end UK’s zero sum game
By Alex Stevenson
Barack Obama will not make Britain choose between Europe and the US, an expert has predicted.
Dana Allin, the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ senior fellow for transatlantic affairs, told politics.co.uk the new man in the White House was “smart enough and sophisticated enough” to treat the special relationship maturely.
He said the president-elect, who is inaugurated as the United States’ 44th president later today, would not insist on a “zero sum relationship” which would force the UK to “choose between an Atlantic and a European location”.
George Bush’s outgoing administration had engaged in what Dr Allin described as the “nonsense” of an “old Europe, new Europe” distinction.
“I would expect the Obama administration to try to pursue policies with Britain that take the idea of a special relationship in a certain sense seriously but also encourage Britain to play a part in the central European construction,” Dr Allin explained.
Mr Obama faces numerous foreign policy changes on assuming office. Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran’s nuclear challenge, climate change and the economic crisis will all undermine his ability to advance his own agenda.
Despite this, Dr Allin said Mr Obama had an opportunity to “change the game” by closing Guantanamo Bay, ending the torture of detainees and “establish American leadership” on global warming.
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