Britain's new Foreign Secretary, William Hague, met his US counterpart Hillary Clinton in Washington yesterday.
For many people, it may be a bit of a blessing that David Miliband is no longer Foreign Secretary as Hillary Clinton has a bit of a crush on him, once describing him as 'vibrant, vital, attractive and smart' and the pair were often seen giggling together like lovestruck teenagers at summit meetings. They took the meaning of "Special Relationship" to a whole new level.
Fortunately Hague, a rough Yorkshireman with hardly any hair, is less likely to get Clinton hot undet the collar. The two can have good relationships but without any of the nauseating touchy-feeliness.
This is the first time Hague has met Clinton since becoming Foreign Secretary of the new Tory government (with a few Liberal Democrats in minor positions) earlier this week, but the pair have met before having known each other since 2007.
During the press conference, Hague reassured the Americans that Britain remains fully committed to the war in Afghanistan - the Yanks have been worried over rumours that new Prime Minister David Cameron wants to pull British troops of out Afghanistan by 2015.
Hague also said that he and Defence Secretary Liam Fox will visit the warzone in days to make sure they have all the troops they need.
On Wednesday, the day after coming to power, Cameron set up the new National Security Council, for which Afghanistan will be its number one priority.
The fact that Hague's first foreign visit as Home Secretary was to the US rather than to a European country (other than the fact that the new Cameron administration is very Eurosceptic) is seen as a signal that David Cameron wants to repair the strained relationship that the US and Britain had with each other whilst Scottish sociopath Gordon Brown was in office (the British have been thinking that Obama doesn't like them much. It's more likely that he just didn't like Brown), though Hague had a barely concealed dig at Tony Blair by saying that Britain will pursue a 'solid but not slavish relationship' with America.
New Prime Minister David Cameron has also criticised Clinton's recent attempt to facilitate talks between London and Buenos Aires over the Falkland Islands issue.
When Hilly met Billy (who clearly has a bit of work to do on their not very special relationship)
By Tim Shipman
15th May 2010
Daily Mail
He was in Washington to put Britain's relationship with America back at the centre of UK foreign policy.
But it seems William Hague's own relationship with his U.S. counterpart Hillary Clinton may need a little work as well.
While the new Foreign Secretary's first meeting with Mrs Clinton was perfectly cordial, it lacked the obvious warmth of her encounters with his Labour predecessor David Miliband.
New start: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague at the State Department in Washington
She referred to Mr Miliband as 'vibrant, vital attractive and smart' and the pair were famously touchy-feely when pictured at summits and other gatherings.
Mrs Clinton greeted Mr Hague with the words: 'I'm very pleased to see you again' - the two have known each other since 2007 when Mr Hague met the former First Lady when she began her failed presidential campaign.
Mr Hague hailed the 'unbreakable alliance' between Britain and the U.S. and said America was 'without doubt the most important ally of the UK'.
He signalled that Britain will step up efforts to win the war in Afghanistan, saying that he and Defence Secretary Liam Fox will visit the war zone within days to make sure troops have all they need.
The Foreign Secretary was keen to reassure the Obama administration of the Tories’ commitment to the war - which their Liberal Democrat partners have barely endorsed.
He's no Miliband: Mrs Clinton and Mr Hague exchange grins
'I'm very pleased to see you again:' Mrs Clinton enthusiastically welcomes Mr Hague.
They also spoke candidly about David Cameron's relationship with Nick Clegg
Asked about the special relationship as he took up his new role, Mr Hague said: "No doubt we will not agree on everything.
‘But they remain, in intelligence matters, in nuclear matters, in international diplomacy, in what we are doing in Afghanistan, the indispensable partner of this country. So that approach will be very much alive under this coalition Government.’
The need to toughen international sanctions against Iran was also a major subject of talks.
A senior Foreign Office source said: ‘Afghanistan is far and away the number one issue for the new National Security Council. Expect to see William Hague and Liam Fox making very early visits to Afghanistan.’
Mr Hague said British troops would remain in Afghanistan until 'their job is done' and refused to set any 'artificial deadline' for the withdrawal of armed forces from the conflict zone.
'We will take stock together, but we are not looking here at setting artificial deadlines, arbitrary deadlines, a date of withdrawal,' he said.
Mr Hague’s decision to visit the U.S. - rather than a European country - was seen as a key signal that the Cameron government wants to repair the somewhat strained relationship between Downing Street and the White House during Gordon Brown’s premiership.
The former Prime Minister was notoriously snubbed by the White House when requesting one on one meetings with President Obama - and was reduced to scuttling through the kitchens of a hotel during a trip last year in order to get some face time with the president.
Mr Hague has promised to pursue a 'solid but not slavish relationship' with America, while recognising the 'huge importance' of the so-called special relationship.
But diplomats acknowledge that President Obama’s praising of the special relationship when congratulating Mr Cameron on his election win was the most effusive he has been about the Transatlantic relationship at any point during his tenure in the White House.
Mr Hague's meeting with Mrs Clinton came just hours after the top U.S. and Nato commander in Afghanistan has said the war is a stalemate.
Cosy: Mr Hague's predecessor David Miliband and Hillary Clinton famously had a good relationship - Hillary admitted to having a crush on him
General Stanley McChrystal said the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants had been stopped, but for now, nobody was winning.
Former head of the British Army General Sir Richard Dannatt said he thought Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg understood that Afghanistan was 'a really important issue'.
'It was no surprise I think that William Hague has gone to the United States this morning and top of the agenda is Afghanistan,' he told the BBC.
'It is absolutely right that our government, the U.S. government talks about these things and we are all absolutely clear that a) this is important, b) it's got to be done well and let's get on with it as quickly as we can.'
Sir Dannatt has previously offered only equivocal backing for Mr Karzai.
'I think at his best he can do good things, but we have to be very clear about the need to cut out corruption,' he told The Economist weekly in March.
There may also be a tough message for Mrs Clinton over Britain's position on the contested Falkland Islands.
Mr Cameron has criticised Clinton's recent attempt to facilitate talks between London and Buenos Aires over the issue.
New Prime Minister David Cameron and his pregnant wife Samantha arrive at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday night
Argentina and Britain went to war in 1982 over the islands, which are called Las Malvinas by Argentina and claimed as its territory under British occupation.
Britain has considered the islands its territory since the early 1800s. The two countries have been caught in a new spat over the exploitation of vast energy reserves beneath waters in the South Atlantic.
Mrs Clinton said the United States was willing to be a go-between, a move that angered some in the Britain.
'I think it was disappointing, frankly, but I've always said the special relationship should be a frank and a candid one,' Mr Cameron said at the time.
Another subject that may come up is Asperger's sufferer Gary McKinnon, who is facing extradition to the United States and a possible 60 years in jail on charges of hacking into the Pentagon computers between 1991 and 1997.
A full judicial review of former home secretary Alan Johnson's refusal to stop Gary's extradition will be heard this month.
Gary's mother Janis Sharp yesterday wrote to Deputy PM Nick Clegg asking the coalition government to intervene.
She said: 'He has been one of Gary's most passionate and outspoken supporters and always said he would not extradite him'
Mr Hague has become the Tory party's most respected elder statesmen since losing the leadership and was the lead negotiator in striking a deal with the Lib Dems.
Barack Obama was the first foreign leader to phone Mr Cameron and congratulate him when he took office on Tuesday night.
The President told him the U.S. had 'no closer friend and ally than the United Kingdom' and invited him to the White House in July.
How world newspapers see Britain's new coalition government:
FRANCE
In an article entitled Paris ready to welcome a Eurosceptic in London, Le Figaro wrote:
“French officials had expressed in recent months a certain anxiety about the prospect of a cross-Channel power change. Today, that (anxiety) appears to have lifted.
"The arrival at 10 Downing Street of a Eurosceptic like David Cameron doesn’t frighten Paris... the Elysée is betting on the pragmatism of the future British prime minister not to mess up the European edifice, put back on track after a fierce struggle to push through the Lisbon treaty."
ITALY
In a comment piece headlined The end of an era, La Repubblica wrote: “The new government has no precedent in recent British history. In fact it is so unusual that many people consider it unnatural.
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have always been sworn enemies. They now have to learn to be allies. The Liberal Democrats have much greater affinity with Labour. So the government that has just been born is really a remarkable novelty."
BELGIUM
Le Soir, a newspaper based in Brussels, home of the EU, expressed reservations at the Thatcherite political views of William Hague, the new Foreign Secretary, who the paper described as “an intellectual with sardonic humour and advanced baldness”.
”He inherited Margaret Thatcher's very eurosceptic views,” the pro-EU newspaper noted with concern.
GERMANY
Der Spiegel hailed a new era under the youngest British Prime Minister in 200 years, but asked how long the “coalition of convenience” could last.
”There are so many predetermined areas of possible conflict that the first fight between the coalition partners cannot be too far off. Especially because the country is in need of restructuring,” the magazine observed.
SPAIN
An opinion piece in Spanish daily newspaper ABC praised the creation of Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
“On the doorstep of Number 10 Cameron explained that he wants a genuine coalition government, the first since 1945 – committed to freedom, equality and responsibility. He reminded the British that they should think not what the country could do for them but what they could do for the country, in the best tradition of John F Kennedy.
“Cameron has formed a coalition, which should do a great deal to calm the markets. The stability of a minority government that would have to implement highly unpopular measures through seeking external party support is a utopia. Who would want to endorse change without enjoying the sweetness of power? Now everyone is obliged to pitch in from day one.
“The challenge now for the British system is huge…It is the start of a new era for the best parliamentary system in the world
AUSTRALIA
After having gone to bed while Mr Clegg was still entertaining the idea of joining up with Labour, Australia awoke to news that David Cameron was the new man in Number 10.
David Ritter, writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s opinion website The Drum, labelled the new Prime Minister “a quintessential example of the British hereditary elite", and questioned how he would work with the Left-of-centre Lib Dems.
“It is hard to predict how this Cameron-Clegg experiment will turn out. It seems certain that there will be vast cuts to public spending to bring the UK’s enormous deficit under control, but there is a politics to what is cut and when, and who should bear the greatest burden. Undoubtedly there will be tensions between the coalition partners over what is fair.”
UNITED STATES
The New York Times described the new Prime Minister as "likable, quick on his feet, informal, self-assured, his easy charm a vivid contrast to the tortured, self-lacerating intensity of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown".
The paper continued: "Mr. Cameron seemed at times to be gliding into power, so effortlessly did he take to the cut-and-thrust of British parliamentary politics.
"As prime minister in charge of Britain’s first coalition government in 65 years, Mr Cameron will have to contend not only with the tensions within his own party, but also with the dueling demands of his Liberal Democratic partners.
"He will also face an electorate likely to respond unhappily to the deep and painful budget cuts the government will need to impose to fix Britain’s ailing finances."
dailymail.co.uk
telegraph.co.uk
For many people, it may be a bit of a blessing that David Miliband is no longer Foreign Secretary as Hillary Clinton has a bit of a crush on him, once describing him as 'vibrant, vital, attractive and smart' and the pair were often seen giggling together like lovestruck teenagers at summit meetings. They took the meaning of "Special Relationship" to a whole new level.
Fortunately Hague, a rough Yorkshireman with hardly any hair, is less likely to get Clinton hot undet the collar. The two can have good relationships but without any of the nauseating touchy-feeliness.
This is the first time Hague has met Clinton since becoming Foreign Secretary of the new Tory government (with a few Liberal Democrats in minor positions) earlier this week, but the pair have met before having known each other since 2007.
During the press conference, Hague reassured the Americans that Britain remains fully committed to the war in Afghanistan - the Yanks have been worried over rumours that new Prime Minister David Cameron wants to pull British troops of out Afghanistan by 2015.
Hague also said that he and Defence Secretary Liam Fox will visit the warzone in days to make sure they have all the troops they need.
On Wednesday, the day after coming to power, Cameron set up the new National Security Council, for which Afghanistan will be its number one priority.
The fact that Hague's first foreign visit as Home Secretary was to the US rather than to a European country (other than the fact that the new Cameron administration is very Eurosceptic) is seen as a signal that David Cameron wants to repair the strained relationship that the US and Britain had with each other whilst Scottish sociopath Gordon Brown was in office (the British have been thinking that Obama doesn't like them much. It's more likely that he just didn't like Brown), though Hague had a barely concealed dig at Tony Blair by saying that Britain will pursue a 'solid but not slavish relationship' with America.
New Prime Minister David Cameron has also criticised Clinton's recent attempt to facilitate talks between London and Buenos Aires over the Falkland Islands issue.
When Hilly met Billy (who clearly has a bit of work to do on their not very special relationship)
By Tim Shipman
15th May 2010
Daily Mail
He was in Washington to put Britain's relationship with America back at the centre of UK foreign policy.
But it seems William Hague's own relationship with his U.S. counterpart Hillary Clinton may need a little work as well.
While the new Foreign Secretary's first meeting with Mrs Clinton was perfectly cordial, it lacked the obvious warmth of her encounters with his Labour predecessor David Miliband.
New start: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague at the State Department in Washington
She referred to Mr Miliband as 'vibrant, vital attractive and smart' and the pair were famously touchy-feely when pictured at summits and other gatherings.
Mrs Clinton greeted Mr Hague with the words: 'I'm very pleased to see you again' - the two have known each other since 2007 when Mr Hague met the former First Lady when she began her failed presidential campaign.
Mr Hague hailed the 'unbreakable alliance' between Britain and the U.S. and said America was 'without doubt the most important ally of the UK'.
He signalled that Britain will step up efforts to win the war in Afghanistan, saying that he and Defence Secretary Liam Fox will visit the war zone within days to make sure troops have all they need.
The Foreign Secretary was keen to reassure the Obama administration of the Tories’ commitment to the war - which their Liberal Democrat partners have barely endorsed.
He's no Miliband: Mrs Clinton and Mr Hague exchange grins
'I'm very pleased to see you again:' Mrs Clinton enthusiastically welcomes Mr Hague.
They also spoke candidly about David Cameron's relationship with Nick Clegg
Asked about the special relationship as he took up his new role, Mr Hague said: "No doubt we will not agree on everything.
‘But they remain, in intelligence matters, in nuclear matters, in international diplomacy, in what we are doing in Afghanistan, the indispensable partner of this country. So that approach will be very much alive under this coalition Government.’
The need to toughen international sanctions against Iran was also a major subject of talks.
A senior Foreign Office source said: ‘Afghanistan is far and away the number one issue for the new National Security Council. Expect to see William Hague and Liam Fox making very early visits to Afghanistan.’
Mr Hague said British troops would remain in Afghanistan until 'their job is done' and refused to set any 'artificial deadline' for the withdrawal of armed forces from the conflict zone.
'We will take stock together, but we are not looking here at setting artificial deadlines, arbitrary deadlines, a date of withdrawal,' he said.
Mr Hague’s decision to visit the U.S. - rather than a European country - was seen as a key signal that the Cameron government wants to repair the somewhat strained relationship between Downing Street and the White House during Gordon Brown’s premiership.
The former Prime Minister was notoriously snubbed by the White House when requesting one on one meetings with President Obama - and was reduced to scuttling through the kitchens of a hotel during a trip last year in order to get some face time with the president.
Mr Hague has promised to pursue a 'solid but not slavish relationship' with America, while recognising the 'huge importance' of the so-called special relationship.
But diplomats acknowledge that President Obama’s praising of the special relationship when congratulating Mr Cameron on his election win was the most effusive he has been about the Transatlantic relationship at any point during his tenure in the White House.
Mr Hague's meeting with Mrs Clinton came just hours after the top U.S. and Nato commander in Afghanistan has said the war is a stalemate.
Cosy: Mr Hague's predecessor David Miliband and Hillary Clinton famously had a good relationship - Hillary admitted to having a crush on him
General Stanley McChrystal said the momentum of the resurgent Taliban militants had been stopped, but for now, nobody was winning.
Former head of the British Army General Sir Richard Dannatt said he thought Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg understood that Afghanistan was 'a really important issue'.
'It was no surprise I think that William Hague has gone to the United States this morning and top of the agenda is Afghanistan,' he told the BBC.
'It is absolutely right that our government, the U.S. government talks about these things and we are all absolutely clear that a) this is important, b) it's got to be done well and let's get on with it as quickly as we can.'
Sir Dannatt has previously offered only equivocal backing for Mr Karzai.
'I think at his best he can do good things, but we have to be very clear about the need to cut out corruption,' he told The Economist weekly in March.
There may also be a tough message for Mrs Clinton over Britain's position on the contested Falkland Islands.
Mr Cameron has criticised Clinton's recent attempt to facilitate talks between London and Buenos Aires over the issue.
New Prime Minister David Cameron and his pregnant wife Samantha arrive at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday night
Argentina and Britain went to war in 1982 over the islands, which are called Las Malvinas by Argentina and claimed as its territory under British occupation.
Britain has considered the islands its territory since the early 1800s. The two countries have been caught in a new spat over the exploitation of vast energy reserves beneath waters in the South Atlantic.
Mrs Clinton said the United States was willing to be a go-between, a move that angered some in the Britain.
'I think it was disappointing, frankly, but I've always said the special relationship should be a frank and a candid one,' Mr Cameron said at the time.
Another subject that may come up is Asperger's sufferer Gary McKinnon, who is facing extradition to the United States and a possible 60 years in jail on charges of hacking into the Pentagon computers between 1991 and 1997.
A full judicial review of former home secretary Alan Johnson's refusal to stop Gary's extradition will be heard this month.
Gary's mother Janis Sharp yesterday wrote to Deputy PM Nick Clegg asking the coalition government to intervene.
She said: 'He has been one of Gary's most passionate and outspoken supporters and always said he would not extradite him'
Mr Hague has become the Tory party's most respected elder statesmen since losing the leadership and was the lead negotiator in striking a deal with the Lib Dems.
Barack Obama was the first foreign leader to phone Mr Cameron and congratulate him when he took office on Tuesday night.
The President told him the U.S. had 'no closer friend and ally than the United Kingdom' and invited him to the White House in July.
How world newspapers see Britain's new coalition government:
FRANCE
In an article entitled Paris ready to welcome a Eurosceptic in London, Le Figaro wrote:
“French officials had expressed in recent months a certain anxiety about the prospect of a cross-Channel power change. Today, that (anxiety) appears to have lifted.
"The arrival at 10 Downing Street of a Eurosceptic like David Cameron doesn’t frighten Paris... the Elysée is betting on the pragmatism of the future British prime minister not to mess up the European edifice, put back on track after a fierce struggle to push through the Lisbon treaty."
ITALY
In a comment piece headlined The end of an era, La Repubblica wrote: “The new government has no precedent in recent British history. In fact it is so unusual that many people consider it unnatural.
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have always been sworn enemies. They now have to learn to be allies. The Liberal Democrats have much greater affinity with Labour. So the government that has just been born is really a remarkable novelty."
BELGIUM
Le Soir, a newspaper based in Brussels, home of the EU, expressed reservations at the Thatcherite political views of William Hague, the new Foreign Secretary, who the paper described as “an intellectual with sardonic humour and advanced baldness”.
”He inherited Margaret Thatcher's very eurosceptic views,” the pro-EU newspaper noted with concern.
GERMANY
Der Spiegel hailed a new era under the youngest British Prime Minister in 200 years, but asked how long the “coalition of convenience” could last.
”There are so many predetermined areas of possible conflict that the first fight between the coalition partners cannot be too far off. Especially because the country is in need of restructuring,” the magazine observed.
SPAIN
An opinion piece in Spanish daily newspaper ABC praised the creation of Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
“On the doorstep of Number 10 Cameron explained that he wants a genuine coalition government, the first since 1945 – committed to freedom, equality and responsibility. He reminded the British that they should think not what the country could do for them but what they could do for the country, in the best tradition of John F Kennedy.
“Cameron has formed a coalition, which should do a great deal to calm the markets. The stability of a minority government that would have to implement highly unpopular measures through seeking external party support is a utopia. Who would want to endorse change without enjoying the sweetness of power? Now everyone is obliged to pitch in from day one.
“The challenge now for the British system is huge…It is the start of a new era for the best parliamentary system in the world
AUSTRALIA
After having gone to bed while Mr Clegg was still entertaining the idea of joining up with Labour, Australia awoke to news that David Cameron was the new man in Number 10.
David Ritter, writing for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s opinion website The Drum, labelled the new Prime Minister “a quintessential example of the British hereditary elite", and questioned how he would work with the Left-of-centre Lib Dems.
“It is hard to predict how this Cameron-Clegg experiment will turn out. It seems certain that there will be vast cuts to public spending to bring the UK’s enormous deficit under control, but there is a politics to what is cut and when, and who should bear the greatest burden. Undoubtedly there will be tensions between the coalition partners over what is fair.”
UNITED STATES
The New York Times described the new Prime Minister as "likable, quick on his feet, informal, self-assured, his easy charm a vivid contrast to the tortured, self-lacerating intensity of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown".
The paper continued: "Mr. Cameron seemed at times to be gliding into power, so effortlessly did he take to the cut-and-thrust of British parliamentary politics.
"As prime minister in charge of Britain’s first coalition government in 65 years, Mr Cameron will have to contend not only with the tensions within his own party, but also with the dueling demands of his Liberal Democratic partners.
"He will also face an electorate likely to respond unhappily to the deep and painful budget cuts the government will need to impose to fix Britain’s ailing finances."
dailymail.co.uk
telegraph.co.uk
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