The visit of President Obama on Tuesday has not yet inspired rapid British soul
searching about the ‘special relationship’, not by comparison to David Cameron’s trip to America last
July at any rate. After an awkward beginning, the Obama administration has been at pains to stress that America’s alliance with Britain is inviolable even in a changing world. The
administration’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, said “there’s no closer ally for the US than the
UK” last week.
But like all close alliances, the two parties have their differences. The Sunday Telegraph reports on a strategic divergence in Libya, where Britain apparently wants greater American leadership and the US is frustrated by the British vetoing targets.
Generalship aside, there are potential diplomatic disagreements also. The Obama administration was very keen for Britain to become more involved in the European Union; Vice-President Biden once described Brussels as the “capital
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