The call “reaffirmed the importance of the special US-UK relationship & discussed mutual security concerns” according to the new US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

https://twitter.com/LloydAustin

The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee, retired Army General Lloyd Austin, to serve as Secretary of Defense – the first Black American in the role.

Austin also said in a tweet that it was “an honor and a privilege” to serve as the defence secretary, adding that he was “especially proud” to be the first African American to hold the position.

Also, recently, U.S. Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson has said that there is “no stronger defense relationship” than that between the United States and United Kingdom.

The UK Government said recently:

“The UK and the US has the broadest, deepest and most advanced defence relationship of any two nations and troops from both countries continue to operate around the world together in places such as Afghanistan, South China Sea, the Middle East, and Europe.”

The following is from ‘Indispensable allies: US, NATO and UK Defence relations’, a report published by the Defence Select Committee.

“Wyn Rees, Professor of International Security at the University of Nottingham, agreed that the UK had benefited from our nuclear relationship with the US, our intelligence relationship, our ability to purchase US weaponry below development cost and our UK military’s inter-operability with their US counterparts. On the other hand, he believed that UK-US security co-operation had adversely affected UK and US relationships with the EU.

James Rogers, director of the Global Britain Programme at the Henry Jackson Society, thought the UK-US relationship was based on geostrategic reality and that the two countries would become more inter-dependent as the strategic environment worsened. However, he suggested that this would depend on the UK being willing to sustain the relationship through continued development of strategic capabilities and acceptance of political necessities.”

You can read the full text here.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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84 COMMENTS

    • Dan, looney tunes Trump lost and decisively, get over it…..

      A poor show indeed, he managed to further divide an already divided country, turned America into a laughing stock regarding his bizarre press briefing, sacking anyone and everyone who tried to advise him, rabid social media barking insanity and utterly incompetent Covid19 management.

      He even got booted out of the White House after just one term …. Something no-one else has managed since bungling Carter in 1980..

      America and the world is ‘far’ better off with Trump playing on his golf course and leaving government to the grown ups…..

      Thank god he’s getting impeached, he needs to be dragged into Congress to answer for his many deeds and act as a warning to the next idiotic loopy TV personality or bloody singer, internet star etc, etc who thinks they will have a ‘stab’ at the most important job on the planet….

      • I think the Democrats need to be very careful about how hard they go after Trump, they run the risk of turning him into a martyr.

        Regardless of what we all think of Trump, a very significant proportion of the US population voted for him and his party.

        There is a very clear divide between the Left and Right in the US, don’t forget Trump got elected because enough people felt disenfranchised by the previous Left Government.

        If Biden fails to live up to expectations, as most politicians do, who knows what could happen.

        Here in Australia I’ve seen the voting public swing from Right to Left and back again within one election cycle.

        I’m not defending Trump, not one little bit, but the Democrats really need to be careful, four years is a long time in politics, it could bite them on the butt if they go too hard.

        Cheers,

        • Kinda how I see it too JohnN, gunning for him will turn him into a martyr for those who buy into what he’s peddling. I’m quite content for the IRS and whoever else to go to town on him, if he ends up in an orange boiler suit I’ll not be broken hearted but leave the petty politics out of it. If for some reason the Yanks are daft enough to vote him in again then that’s on them and they’ll deserve it but doing a ‘To the victor the spoils’ approach is just going to further the divide.

          • Andy P, as happens after every election ‘to the victor goes the spoils’ and at the moment there is a lot of blood in the water, leads to a feeding frenzy.

            But what happens when the dust settles and people get back to reality?

            I think when it comes to Trump it’s far better to give him as much rope as possible and let him hang himself.

            If the Dems become judge, jury and executioner, it will bite them on the butt.

            It’s far smarter to be a gracious winner as much as being a gracious looser.

            Anyway, watch this space in four years time.

            Cheers,

        • Yes as an outside observer and a student of political history, I think you are not far wrong. The true is that to a great degree Trump is very much a Republican problem and it really needs to main stream Republican Party to really take up that fight in partnership with the mainstream democrats. One thing we see all the time is when a main stream political parties fail to manage their extreme elements it’s almost impossible for others to do so and just reenforces the dialogue of victimhood that fringes alway use.

          • The problem for the Republican party is that if they go for Trump then they’re seen as closing ranks and being anti Trump because they’re the same career politicians as the Democrats. There was a lot of people liked Trump because we wasn’t a career politician. Kind of caught between a rock and a hard place.

            You would think Trump is a bust flush now, the way he’s acted since losing would put most moderate Trump fans change their mind but you never know I suppose. Its does seem only a matter of time before he digs himself a hole he can’t get out of and for the sake of the US I’d rather he did the digging himself rather than be seen to be ‘punished’ by his enemies.

            Time to break out the popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show I guess.

          • What worries me is that he has done nothing but dig holes for himself from well before he became President and yet has become progressively popular amongst a large part of the population. That’s what this media fuelled world is capable of after all his tv equivalent here Sugar is deemed to be some wonder business brain here for 15 minutes of fame in the 80s.

            There is so much unpredictability now and simply letting Trump destroy himself has not, against all the odds and expectations lost support. We can only hope that in a saner environment as people can think a little clearer his appeal will wane. Problem there is a such a waning in Hitlers appeal occurred and then other politicians exploited a busted flush to gain themselves power and knife others only to find it back fired on them and created the monster that eat the. The Republican Party in essence already played that game once and it will be interesting to see if the bulk get rid ASAP or those Trump acolytes try to exploit him for their own self serving ambitions knowing it’s their only route to power and rebuild the monster bigger than ever and one like Hitler is intent on total revenge anD removal of opposition or Competitors including those who thought they could exploit him,

        • Yes. Trump won because Obama was not terribly good. If the Dems just play to their narrow own constituency and
          pander to its socialist leanings then they will strike problems.
          Trump did too many tweets and not enough listening to advice.

          • The Democrats are far less narrow than the Republicans and only their fringe is remotely socialist the present leadership is not dissimilar to the Tories. Obama was indeed more style over substance and not as clever as he thought but was immeasurably more competent than Trump. However he was by account of being black divisive amongst the working class along lines of colour a fracture which Trump was able to exploit viciously and releasing the suppressed prejudices as natural expression.

            However it was no surprise this was itself nothing but exploitative hot air for the most part, as demonstrated in the core rust belt areas where he had promised he would rebuild their industrial jobs, turning against him when it became obvious this unrealistic fluff had simply allowed many more jobs to disappear there. But then nothing with Trump was/is about truth or realism it was a personal power grab to cover the total incompetence going on in his own commercial dealings Combined with ego. What happens there now will decide the number of future voters who persist in believing in his genius. Trouble is the flat earthers will still no doubt see any fall as just another plot against him. Can the genie be put back in the bottle especially if Biden fails to look competent That’s the question that will haunt us all especially if it enables Trump version B (whatever form that takes) to come back in a few years.

          • Trump certainly said and did some stupid things but the reason 74 million people voted for him (an increase on 2016) is because he improved their lives. Across all working and middle class demographics. Black unemployment had never been lower than under his administration, having reversed Obama’s economic direction. The Pandemic killed his chances of re-election because it was all about the economy and it got choked.

            Biden has already made the mistakes on day 1 that will assure his defeat in 2020 (if he lasts that long). He has determined to open the border, has stopped all deportations of illegal immigration and introduced a minimum wage of $15+ per hour. These acts alone create a perfect storm of millions of unregulated and unrecorded workers on sub minimum wage (employers want profit) to the detriment US citizen unemployment. Watch this space. You heard it here first. Biden is already done.

          • Biden will end up resigning or being impeached or quietly removed under 25 amendment in one or two years. Poor bloke is struggling already.

          • No or rather yes, I know that. But my (truncated) point was that Obama’s record and legacy was not that great and it was the Republicans that then beat the Democrats. I appreciate that Hillary was not that popular.

        • I suspect they will proceed carefully as don’t want further riots.

          However like any polictical party, the majority of trump voters, will be of moderate views and disagree with a lot of what he did, but voted for him for certain more moderate stances. It’s only the very few minority that are nuts. He played the game and got the nutters out to vote, whilst also calling on fears that the nation has with losing its place in the world as other countries grow (like China).

      • Trump lost the election, that is true. Decisively? Hmmm, given it took a week or so for the election officials to rustle up enough postal votes to overturn the ballot boxes in half a dozen small states with tiny electorates on which the election was balanced …not sure you can say the country voted “decisively” for Biden.

        And we saw the nick of Biden in his first hours: No violence, kick the national guard out of the Capitol despite them having nowhere to spend the night so most had to sleep in parking lots, sacking the White House Usher for no reason other than he’d got the Job from Trump, and then cancelling the Canadian Keystone XL Pipeline screwing the Canadian Oil Industry (up yours, Trudeau!)

        Meanwhile the Antifa movement has been trashing and smashing various state capitols across the us and the “progressive” media has been ignoring them.

        The so called “progressive” left, of which Biden is an enthusiastic part of, are the new Fascists.

        • Douglas, I take your points, I’m not making a wider political point.

          There are many issues for Biden to deal with, no doubt…

          I am making a specific point on the choice of leader …. Trump is a truly vile individual, from a repulsive attitude to woman, to his general sneering disregard for just about everyone!

          Joe Biden is a respected figure and statesman like, so 100% better based on that alone…

          I would suggest the Republicans raise the bar next time round!

          Another figure like President Bush Senior, a statesman with military service, a wise and balanced individual.

        • What’s left and right now at the extremes they are simply arguing over what strips they wear due to history and reality bending the source code in even educated and otherwise rational minds. Putin’s Russia is effectively a fascist State though I note Corby and the activists still have a soft spot for it they just can’t eradicate and both it and China run their economies along classic National Socialist lines whatever the latter likes to name it’s Party.

      • To be fair on the whole “tv personality thing” President Reagan did a pretty stand up job of taking the USSR apart while also not triggering World War 3.

        • I would have to agree with you Jonathan, a good point. Reagan was a statesman and a very good president, everything Trump wasn’t…..

  2. One for the haters. Special relationship alive and well, where it matters. Military and intelligence co operation.

    • Correct mate, the haters, or the superficial headline readers, have no clue that no matter the political waffle which is for public consumption, the military cooperation and trust is there always, for the good and benefit of both nations. Like the French, ignore the headline politics and carry on normal running where it actually counts.

    • Every time a new President is sworn in the doomsayers predict the demise of the UK-US alliance. And yet still it goes on.

      The ship of state is a huge beast and only the very top has changed.

    • The dialogue of the tweets is very interesting as well. At that level every word will have meaning. Use of the special relationship is something you don’t always see from the US side. Also that lack of regional focus implies a lot, showing a clear message of both partnership on the world stage and expectation of partnership on the world stage.

      Also pleasing to see Nato was the first call. A lot of work needs to be undertaken to ensure the west’s adversaries understand that western liberal democracy is still a cohesive Movement for international order.

  3. Uh uh so a secretary of defense that is military… i have not heard any of media talking about militarization…!
    i would call it a strange silence if i did not know already what is the media and how censorship is part of their job.

    It is a good sign if true, but you could not pull another Falklands with Biden & Co. in White House.

    • Then again, would we need help from the US? We have our own heavy lifters, our equipment is way better, we have a proper carrier now, the list goes on. No idea what our weapon stocks are like but I doubt smacking Argentina would require that many. And there’s always the strategic and geopolitical side. The UK is a capable friend to have. Argentina…

    • While I’m sure Biden will have his own agenda the same head sheds are in the same military and security posts, and there is never much of a change. A few headlines for public consumption but little change where it matters. Yes he may divert some headlines, a change of direction for political and trade reasons but carry on normal running where it counts. Cheers mate.

    • Lloyd Austin retired from the military over 4 years ago.
      You Never complained of Trump’s
      appointment of an ex milltary officer to be SecDef, did you? Trump even had a serving officer as a senior security adviser!

    • Would that be the same Joe Biden that 100% supported our liberation of the Falklands from its Argentine invaders in 1982?

      • True. I suspect there are many people who have a preconceived notion of what is going on in Biden’s head. You don’t get to be elected unless you give everyone the impression you are on their side. Biden is now at the point of his career where we will find out what he really stands for. It will be interesting and we won’t like everything but I suspect there is a fair minded, pragmatic sensible brain in there. It will be an interesting few years.

      • F me I just went and had a wee look at Mr B bloviating on the subject from 1982 ? he’s talking without an autocue is coherent and his vocals are running at 45rpm it’s like a different person ? compare with today’s 30rpm vocal output and confused stammering.

        I rather suspect regardless of ole Joes personal views on our glorious nation ?? , Brexit , the EU or anything else foreign policy wise He will be constrained by advisors who will keep matters running as they always do no matter who is in the WH

        ??????????

    • You are talking out of your anus Alexs as the past of the falklands shows ,we do not need permission from another nation to defend our own lands,, trying to trigger much lol.

    • The last 24hrs I have managed to make him increase his simpleton levels 10fold…..he has gone very angry at being dominated.

  5. We’ve got you realy worked up don’t we old man. I can hear those bot troll teeth gnashing away right now. Hilarious.

    • When Harold first surfaced on this forum 3 or so years back, maybe more, VFP was his main point.
      The posts lately differ entirely. This is more akin the old Harold!

      VFP – disarm and let the rest of the world keep their military!

      • I remember, shades of old TH maybe and Iqbal from STRN. But all theses computerised links and recent one dimensional answers does prove he is more than likely a bot, which is automaticly monitering posts with the occasional human interacton. The more you look and read the more he has American spoken English, no knowldge of rank system, no arguments countering or even acknowledging what is said to him, automated links etc etc. Bots and trolls are a regular thing nowadays, sad to say isn’t it mate.

  6. Its ok to fancy me Harold, it is. If you have a shower, change your stained pants and trim your back hair, you can take me out on a date, how’s that?

  7. I’m confused by the content; was the call to the UK the first or not? In any case , glad a call was made to the UK.

    • Does it really matter ? It’s not about collecting likes or declaring who your BFF is.
      The US knows that when push comes to shove some nations can always be relied on. We are most certainly one of them.

      • I agree with you Steve
        But its been a few years now that we both did something and it that time look at the infiltration of the left into our unies and schools
        The Brexit debate proves a point
        most if not all so called unies wanted to remain in the EU and brianwashed first time voters and also advocating the downplaying our history
        Think statues

        • Couldn’t agree more and I think many of the younger generations as well as the left leaners have either ignored the history of the past 100 or so years or somehow believe we’re now too enlightened and civilised to become embroiled in that kind of thing again. History has a tendency to repeat itself if you don’t learn from it.

          • Not sure its just “left leaners”, the Tories have done a pretty good job of under funding defence over the years too.

            Governments have a pot of cash and a lot of demands on how it should be spent, not everyone will end up happy.

  9. Despite being a Brit so maybe with some level of subconscious bias I think the UK was a sensible choice for Biden’s first call and I suspect that when making the choice it had fairly little to do with the “special relationship”. I suspect the reason for the UK call being the first call, the call that gets press coverage and attention, was almost entirely to do with US internal politics and tensions.

    It is pretty much unanimously acknowledged that the US is massively divided with over 74 million people having voted for Trump. Biden has declared over and over that he wants to heal divisions. The UK was probably the safest choice for that first call in terms of not throwing fuel onto the fire of many of those Trump supporter’s not-so-simmering rage.

    If he’d called any far-Eastern country first he might have triggered some xenophobic reactions amongst some of the Trump base since places like the Far East and the Middle East are seen by many Trump supporters as more foreign and alien than “the old country”.

    If he’d called any of the EU leaders first (probably either Macron or Merkel) he might have triggered some “we don’t want socialism here” reactions amongst the Trump base.

    I suspect Australia or New Zealand would also have been safe choices but the UK is a member of the G7 and a bigger economy and perhaps calling a non-G7 country leader first would have created some chatter about why and Biden didn’t want that distraction or creating unnecessary speculation so all roads lead to the U.K. for the first call and we became the natural and safe choice.

    I suspect some political wonks in the White House went through something very similar to that thought process above in arriving at their decision.

    • Ah. OK. Just seen that was Defence Sec’s first call. Apparently Biden did Canada, Mexico then UK (https://www.voanews.com/usa/biden-talks-trudeau-lopez-obrador-johnson-first-calls-foreign-leaders).

      I’d say my logic still holds on Canada which I somehow overlooked in my analysis, again safe and neighbour with very close defence links so that made a lot of sense.

      Mexico next is an interesting one. Clearly logical in terms of protecting US borders since Mexico is the other land border with the USA so perhaps almost considered a domestic call due to its proximity and the fact that it is the other member of NAFTA so in a way the UK was still the first totally foreign Biden leader call once straying beyond NAFTA members and immediate neighbours.

  10. First time poster and most likely only time poster. As a veteran of China (I spent just shy of 11 years there) I can say with some confidence that our slightly bewildered and bitter friend Harold is almost certainly a Chinese troll. All the hallmarks are evident including his use of English. Thanks

  11. Please god tell me we don’t have to go through another 4 years of the media driveling on about the “special relationship”. An entire squadron of Americas most advanced aircraft on a British ship under British command means more than any short term political relationships.

      • I find the whole concept of ‘the special relationship’ rather demeaning. Why we insist on keeping our head up the backside of the USA when we have claimed (hypocritically) that we are a ‘sovereign nation’ seems counter-intuitive.

        • I have decided we are a “sovereign nation” only to those who we want to be. we don’t want to be sovereign to the EU under any circumstances but are happy to give up sovereignty to the US almost always. The reality is that all but USA and China have to give up degrees of sovereignty in order to trade and be part of the international community. I gave up sovereignty to my wife and family years ago!

          I don’t recall US media talking about the special relationship any where near as often as you hear it here, they do however hold Winston Churchill in very high regard and the SR is in the context of WW2

          • Couldn’t agree more…I like the comparison with wife and children…it’s all part of the deal…you want something, you compromise! I suppose Winston fits in with the American ideal of the good guy triumphing in the end….and his mother was American!
            I find the whole debate about the ‘special relationship’ embarrassing. It’s like a bunch of schoolgirls in the playground…’Cindy says that I’m her best friend’…’No she didn’t, I’m her best friend so there’. Childish, fawning and ultimately pointless.
            America has interests…if you fit in with those interests then all well and good, if you don’t then good-bye. To suggest that there is some underlying US love for this country is laughable. To be quite honest, I think that the US has more respect for the French….at least they have the balls to stand up for themselves and their culture rather than hanging on to American’s coat tails!

          • What an embarrassing post. I guess it just highlights to us just what an odious person you are again. TTFN.

          • Priceless….as far as embarrassing posts are concerned, nobody knows more about the topic than you. Just how many times, over the years, have you soiled your pants on this website and then fled the scene. You really are an idiot!

          • Step away from your Mirror mate. Ha, I’d hate to wake up every morning looking into yours after the previous evenings hate filled troll like postings…… Oh and stop embarrassing yourself with your anti American Post’s mate. It’s just so disrespectful to all those who fought and died for Freedom. Odious Troll trying to deflect onto others your Racist and dare I say Staggeringly Ignorant view point. TTFN again.

          • Oh and I have to say I’m loving your Humorous replies on here to all the serious Posts……….. Funnier still to see that no-one ever replies……… It’s rather Sad really, just like that scene out of “Good Morning Vietnam”……. Luckily for you, there are no longer any Voting features here, Thanks to My efforts, Lol. (smirky Face emoji ).

          • ? You might have given up control to your wife, but if you can divorce her then you never relinquished sovereignty in the first place. Same goes for the EU. The relationship with the EU did not give up sovereignty it was simply a series of treaties (fortunately there was a get out clause otherwise leaving would have been messy but not impossible) . The special relationship has nothing to do with sovereignty it is merely a barometer of the level of cooperation (not necessarily trust) between two sovereign nations. Trade deals having nothing to do with sovereignty and never will.

          • i think the current use of the word “sovereignty” is quite fluid but for me its about the ability of a nation to make its own decisions and do its own thing without extra-national influence. i don’t think we are in that respect ever sovereign even if parliament believes it is. foreign pressure and influence comes through both the front channels and back channels and perhaps channels we are not even aware of.

          • The word “sovereignty” has been abused in recent years but in reality it is quite explicit. All nations attempt to influence other nations – that is as old as the hills. However at the end of the day it is for the sovereign UK parliament (in our case) to give in to pressure and decide (or not). Issues like Scotland, The Falklands, Ireland etc. are a case in point. If a country does not believe in it’s own sovereignty when it has it who else will?

          • An interesting point Mark technically, I think that you are right, but it is a moot point at best. For example, Eisenhower insisted that the UK grant permission for the use of Holy Loch if it wanted access to the Skybolt programme. Macmillan was mortified at the thought of a prime strategic target being placed so close to a large population centre. The key point here is that the US would control their subs and Britain would surrender its sovereignty over their use from British Territory. Yes, Macmillan could have refused the deal, but he was between a rock and a very hard place. It’s how very powerful nations can subvert the sovereignty of less powerful nations…if you get my point!

          • I do totally get your point. Interestingly if the Americans had just started using the loch without seeking approval from the UK Government then that would certainly have been a loss of sovereignty and indeed would have been a hostile act. Simply because they they were granted permission by the relevant sovereign parliament is oddly proof that we remained sovereign even though it might not have looked that way at the time. An extreme example of Sovereignty in action was the unconditional surrender of German forces in 1945. This act effectively transferred sovereignty from Germany to the allies, in the most coercive way admittedly, but that was a valid transfer of sovereignty.

  12. This might help.

    https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/2021/01/close-and-constant-allies-why-ukus.html

    In the Intelligence field, Australia, NZ and Canada are also signatories to the UKUSA agreement. No word about sovereignty there.

    Shared procedures, codes, cypher systems and doctrine, shared analysis and the splitting up of the world into areas where individual allies of the alliance take the lead in the gathering of sigint, which is then shared with others ( with some exceptions )

    The closest links in this are between GCHQ/NSA and SIS/CIA. Who gives a fig who is in the White house?

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