U.S. relationship with Britain is strained

.A day after a high-level U.S. commission heavily criticized

America's current strategy in Iraq, President George Bush

and British Prime Minister Tony Blair talked U.S./U.K. involvement

in Iraq at the White House. After their meeting, Bush

announced that America and Britain will continue standing together

to try bringing peace to Iraq. But the past year in Iraq has

left many, especially the British, asking how much influence the

British government actually has over the Bush administration, if

any. It seems like the longstanding historic "special relationship"

between the two countries is reaching its end.

Blair, increasingly known around Britain as Bush's lap dog,

is currently facing heavy pressure from home to distance himself

from Bush and American foreign policy. His decisions

pertaining to Iraq have heavily embarrassed the British people.

They are pushing for Britain to become the top leader in

Europe and stop focusing on its partnership with the United

States. For once we are seeing the British demanding to be a

part of United Europe, one that they hope can act as a sanity

check to U.S. foreign policy.

It is hard to dispute British claims that the relationship between

our two countries entails Britain being subordinate to

the United States, due mostly to the economic power the United

States wields. Furthermore, current ideologies diverge between

the two powers. Unlike during the Cold War, the alliance

is economic and only vaguely cultural. Now, the controversy

and the international backlash over British supported American

actions in Iraq have enraged the British, all but severing

the relationship between the two countries.

The relationship between the United States and Britain

will never be the same again, courtesy of Bush and Blair. After

a rich partnership captured beautifully in the relationship

between Eisenhower and Churchill, the times of the British-

American Laurel and Hardy are over.

It is time for Britain to make a decision: be at the helm of

the European Union or risk being cut adrift. As Britain continues

to strive to be a bridge between the European Union and

the United States, it is alienating both.