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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
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Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
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Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
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Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
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Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
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David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
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Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 6, 2006
/ 8 Nissan, 5766
With friends like us ...
By
Max Boot
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I'm all in favor of unilateral action when necessary. If, tomorrow, the U.S. or Israel — or, for that matter, Lichtenstein — were to attack Iran's nuclear weapons complex, I would applaud, no matter how many condemnatory resolutions the United Nations General Assembly passed. But at the moment, the U.S. is scrupulously multilateralist in handling our enemy, Iran, even as we alienate our allies with unilateral actions that serve no good purpose.
The most famous example is the uproar that prevented a company from Dubai, one of our closest Arab friends, from taking over operations at some American ports. Some lesser-known American actions are also rubbing allies the wrong way.
A few weeks ago, British, Italian and Australian officials appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee to complain about the lack of cooperation they are getting from the Pentagon in the $256-billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. This next-generation warplane is being built by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. and eight allies. Britain has been the biggest foreign partner, anteing up $2 billion so far and promising to pay $9 billion more.
Notwithstanding their close involvement, the Brits feel stiffed because the Defense Department did not consult with them before canceling a contract for F-35 engines that were to be built by Britain's Rolls-Royce. Even worse, the Pentagon refuses to share with the Brits (or the Australians or anyone else) all of the technology that goes into this high-tech stealth fighter. The Brits are particularly rankled that they cannot get their hands on critical software that they will need in order to modify the jet for their own requirements, because U.S. law restricts the export of sensitive technology. Every time our British partners want some key piece of information, they have to request a waiver that can take months to arrive.
Does someone really think that we risk our security if we share information with Britain, a country that is already privy to some of our most treasured intelligence secrets? Apparently that is precisely the concern of House barons Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.) and Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), who fear that Britain might pass along our secrets to France — another ally.
After Britain threatened to pull out of the F-35 program last month, the Bush administration belatedly began to negotiate an information-sharing accord to address London's concerns. But it shouldn't have come to this; the Brits have been complaining loudly for years, and their concerns have been ignored.
Another example of dumb unilateralism has arisen out of the debate over the International Criminal Court, which was created to try war-crimes suspects from countries without functioning legal systems.
Some conservatives, notably U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, speculate that the ICC might be perverted to imprison American soldiers. To avert this hypothetical danger, Congress passed a law requiring that any nation that receives U.S. military aid must agree not to extradite U.S. soldiers for trial in The Hague. Most countries are understandably unwilling to create a double standard for the United States when their own citizens would remain subject to the ICC's jurisdiction.
Major allies, such as Germany and South Korea, are exempt from the aid cutoff, but 12 Latin American nations that refused to sign ICC-exemption treaties have had their military assistance terminated. These include such important countries as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Next up is Chile, a U.S. ally that is about to ratify the ICC treaty without an exemption for American service members.
Aiding these nations is very much in our own interest because it helps them to combat terrorists, drug traffickers and other common threats. It also draws them closer to the United States at a time when our influence in the region is waning. If we don't help them, our rivals, such as China and Venezuela, are delighted to step in. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admits that we are "shooting ourselves in the foot" with the aid cutoffs, but no waivers of the sort extended to Germany and South Korea have been forthcoming from Washington.
This is the kind of mindless unilateralism that gives the whole concept a bad name — and that shows how deeply entrenched this tendency is in Washington. Though Democrats may denounce some instances of Republican unilateralism, they happily play the same game when they demonize Dubai. The executive branch and Congress, Republicans and Democrats — all contribute to perpetuating the stereotype of the ugly American.
Memo to policymakers: By all means punish our enemies. But leave our friends alone.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Max Boot is Olin Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He is also a contributing editor to The Weekly Standard and a weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times. To comment, please click here.
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© 2006, Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate
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