Now that's just cheeky...

[DanaC]

Y'know....we like to play like theres a 'special relationship' between America and Britain. And culturally, that may be the case. But politically? Politically I think we may be using a slightly different meaning of special.

From the BBC news website:

A senior US official has told the BBC Washington decided not to tell London ahead of time about a deal to resettle four Guantanamo detainees in Bermuda.

A diplomatic row blew up over Bermuda's decision to accept the four Chinese Muslim Uighurs on a US request.

Bermuda is a British overseas territory but the US official said Washington had acted secretly to ensure success.

Meanwhile the US said on Friday three Saudis at Guantanamo Bay had been transferred back to Saudi Arabia.

The transfers are part of US President Barack Obama's strategy to close down the Guantanamo detention centre before next January.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8098341.stm



Seriously? That's just taking the Right Royal. *laughs* @ the Merkins: I really think we may be your ....special friend :P



[eta]

The unnamed senior official also told the BBC that Washington was attempting to shield the UK from Chinese anger.

Like I said. Special. lol

[ZenGum]

You know, Ameriky, your other butt-boy is going to get all jealous and sulky if you keep running around with those pommie gits.

[Undertoad]

It was dead easy for the British gummint to criticize the place with the harshest possible diplomatic language, back in 2006.

[DanaC]

Being friends doesn't mean never criticising. We've always criticised each other. Sometimes in the strongest terms.

This wasn't criticism. This was a denial of sovereignty. That it was done in order to 'protect' us from China's potential strong arm tactics, is what makes the othe use of the word 'special' more valid.

We're confident that you're special enough to turn the other cheek.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Being friends doesn't mean never criticising. We've always criticised each other. Sometimes in the strongest terms.

DanaC: Toad, you're immensely fat, do you know that? It's disgusting. Most sensible people would have addressed that.
UT: I know. I have a problem. Please help me, I know your son has a big freezer, can he just take all the food out of my freezer?
DanaC: What? Hell no, then *he* might get fat!

[Clodfobble]

So what UT is saying is, he thinks the Guantanamo detainees should be put into a garbage disposal.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

DanaC: Toad, you're immensely fat, do you know that? It's disgusting. Most sensible people would have addressed that.
UT: I know. I have a problem. Please help me, I know your son has a big freezer, can he just take all the food out of my freezer?
DanaC: What? Hell no, then *he* might get fat!

Except a more accurate analogy might run with something like this:

UT: "Yeah...so I know your mom told you not to put anything in that freezer without her express permission, but here, kid, take the lot and fill the freezer up and I won't tell your mom."

DanaC: "So...wtf, UT? You goin behind my back and doing deals about shit and not even telling me?"

UT: "Well...yeah...but hey, I did to protect you."




Most of the British government's anger has been directed at Bermuda; who had no constitutional right to make deals of this nature. This was not a normal and ordinary day-to-day matter of immigration. This was a matter of delicate international relations. They have overstepped their mandated authority. Where the USA acted improperly, in my view, was in doing this with intentional secrecy. They deliberately did not inform Britain of a delicate matter involving one of her overseas territories, until the deal had been struck and the men put onto the plane. However you put it, it is a serious slap in the face. It is an outright denial of British sovereignty and the fact it was done 'to protect' us does not change that fact.

[Aliantha]

Imperialism: Can't live with it. Can't live without it!

[DanaC]

lol. yes.

There is of course the other question to answer: what the hell right have we to maintain sovereignty over bermuda? :P

[Aliantha]

Well they might prefer it that way there. We still have the queen of england as our sovereign, but the actual meaning bears little resemblance to that which it should. I doubt we'll remain part of the commonwealth for too many more generations though, and I'll bet we'll do it without going to war.

[DanaC]

Slightly different for Bermuda. They have limited executive powers. Australia justhas Lizzie as their nominal sovereign. The British Government actually has executive power over Bermuda, and some matters are mandated to be dealt with locally.

[Aliantha]

Yeah, I know there's a difference, but i'm sure if Bermuda wanted out there'd be a peaceful way to sort it out, hence my suggestion that they probably like things the way they are.

[DanaC]

Oh I daresay yo're right. Heck look at how hard the Falklanders have fought to stay British.

[sugarpop]

Dana, it's because the right has people all up in a stir about releasing them HERE. And now democrats are also being stupid. Which I find hysterical. WE don't want to take any of them, but we expect others to. We don't even want to try them here and put them in prison here, because, you know, we don't have any prisons capable of holding them. It's absurd. But they have to go somewhere. And there are people here (mostly on the right) who are trying to block the closing of Guantanamo. So he is trying to get the ones out who have been cleared of any crimes.

I never ceases to amaze me, how we just expect others to clean up our mess.

Did you see the pictures of the releasees? They looked so happy, swimming and stuff.