Historically, the “Special Relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom has been the centerpiece of our efforts to strengthen security and spread liberty around the world. Maintaining the Anglo-American partnership remains critical to U.S. interests, particularly winning the war on terrorism, countering nuclear proliferation by such states as Iran and North Korea, and advancing our common principles and values on the global stage.
How did the United Kingdom rank in the Index of Economic Freedom? Click here to find out. Read More.
Similar trans-Atlantic experiences reflect more than the economic linkage between England and the United States or the well-known swing of the political pendulum. Read More.
Introduction The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable. This is especially true as regards current, very public U.S. pressure on Britain to stay inside the European Union, apparently…
In 1982, the United Kingdom, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, went to war with Argentina in the South Atlantic to retake the Falkland Islands. Unprovoked, Argentina had invaded the Islands and occupied them for two months. Against the odds, Prime Minister Thatcher assembled a naval task force and deployed it to the South Atlantic to liberate the Islands and their…
Fellows Luke Coffey and Ted Bromund discuss the century-long feud between Argentina and the United Kingdom over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands on this week's Heritage in Focus. Jackie Anderson hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes.…
On March 10–11, the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, will hold a referendum to decide whether to maintain allegiance to Great Britain. The islands are self-governing but maintain the British monarch as their head of state. The referendum is an answer to Argentina, which, though defeated by Britain in the 1982 Falklands War, is again…
In the coming weeks, the United States Senate will begin the confirmation process for three key Administration positions: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House Chief Counterterrorism Advisor John Brennan for Director of the CIA. All three have been prominent backers of President…
Abstract: The 2003 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Great Britain is intensely controversial in the United Kingdom. The treaty resulted from a British process and is a modern and praiseworthy approach to extradition that is based on an objective evidentiary test, requires dual criminality in all cases, and has a proportionality standard. The European…
Argentina’s president Cristina Kirchner will not be attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, according to a report in The Independent. The newspaper describes this as a “snub” to the UK by Buenos Aires: Argentina has decided not to send its president to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in a diplomatic snub to Britain at a time of growing…
Abstract: The 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the Paralympics will be held from late July through early September in London. They are an obvious target for attacks by radical Islamist terrorists, as well as anti-capitalist anarchists, supporters of various national causes, and other groups. Britain is one of the world’s most experienced and capable practitioners of…
I had the pleasure of hosting Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith for a major speech on welfare reform earlier today at The Heritage Foundation on Capitol Hill. He also testified this morning before the powerful House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, the first foreign Secretary of State to give evidence before the committee. I’ve known Iain for…
Thirty years ago today, the Falkland Islands War between Great Britain and Argentina ended with a cease-fire after a hard-fought British campaign to liberate the islands from their Argentine occupiers. That victory would not have been possible if Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had not launched the daring campaign and if the United States, under President Ronald Reagan,…
Abstract It may take years before the results of NATO’s military operations against Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s Libyan regime can finally be judged, but the issues raised by the crisis are of immediate importance. First, the way in which the operation has been conducted is a reminder of the importance to the United States of its European allies. The…
During his state visit to the United Kingdom on May 24–26, President Barack Obama should reaffirm the vital importance of the Special Relationship.[1] This affirmation should go beyond words and address the tensions in the Anglo–American alliance that have built up during the President’s first two years in office. These tensions are the result of the fact that the…
Abstract: The ties that bind the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and in different ways other nations that share some of the values of the Anglosphere are deeper and more abiding, says former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, than the bonds between any other countries with which his country has been associated. The English-speaking nations have…
Great Britain is a founding member of NATO. It is currently fighting wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but is spending less of its gross domestic product (GDP) on its armed forces than at any point since the Great Depression. A failure of political leadership in Britain has allowed defense issues, and the standing of its Ministry of Defense (MoD), to slide to…
On October 19, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the results of Britain’s Strategic Defense and Security Review. This review, the first since 1998, has resulted in substantial reductions in Britain’s defense spending that will have dangerous long-term consequences. The outcome of the review must be seen in the context of Britain’s financial crisis, for…
On Tuesday, September 21, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported favorably on the U.S.–U.K. Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, the U.S.–Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, and a bill that would implement both of these treaties. On Monday, September 27, the Senate, by unanimous consent, approved this implementing legislation. These are important steps…
On March 13–14, British Prime Minister David Cameron will make an official visit to the United States complete with a state dinner, reciprocating the state visit by President Barack Obama to Britain in May 2011. It comes in advance of NATO and G-8 summits; in the midst of crises in Syria, the Persian Gulf, and Europe; and as both allies reduce their defense spending and…
Abstract: In May 2010, the U.K. general election resulted in a hung Parliament from which emerged a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition with Conservative leader David Cameron as Prime Minister. The experiment was widely justified by the evident need to cope with the economic crisis and, in particular, the unsustainable budget deficit inherited from the outgoing Labour…
President Obama will host British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House on March 13–14. The official visit will be dominated by the eurozone crisis, developments in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, and Afghanistan. For the U.K., the Falkland Islands will also be an important agenda item. In addition, this visit will be an important opportunity for the two leaders…
Yesterday’s horrific daylight terror attack in London, which left one British soldier dead, is another reminder that...…
During an eloquent and poignant funeral service earlier today in London’s St. Paul’s cathedral, the world said its...…
The recent passing of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was met across the globe with an outpouring of...…
The life of the late Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, offers many interesting and...…
Yesterday, the Falkland Islanders went to the polls and voted in a historic referendum to remain a part of the United...…
When the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands, a small British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, go to the...…
Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute warns of the dangers of litigation if the United States joins the U.N. Convention on...…
Last week, India assisted the U.S. in securing dialogue-partner status in the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional...…
Last week, the British government made a decision to change from the Carrier Variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)...…
Britain's Liam Fox has a warning for America: Fix the debt problem now or suffer the consequences of less power on the...…
Senior Research Fellow in Anglo-American Relations
Director, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom