U.K. fears Bush may pursue insular policy

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 15. While the British Government has been quick to greet the U.S. President-elect, Mr. George W. Bush, and the Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, has said he expects Anglo-U.S. relations to continue to ``flourish'' under him, deep down worries remain about dealing with a Republican White House.

The main area of concern is foreign policy where the Bush perspective is seen to differ sharply from the Blair project which gelled so well with the Clinton administration. The U.S. foreign policy under Mr. Bush, it is feared, would become more ``insular'' at a time when Britain sees a bigger international role for the American-European alliance. Fears about an ``isolationist'' Washington - more focussed on its own national interests - have been fuelled by Mr Bush's election rhetoric, particularly his ``pledge'' to pull out of Kosovo and Bosnia. His aides, some of whom would be deciding the new foreign policy, have not helped matters by stating that America would not be inclined to commit its troops abroad unless it is in its own national interests.

This runs counter to Britain's stress on international peace- keeping efforts in which the Clinton administration played an active role with Europe. What Whitehall would particularly miss is President Clinton's approach to European integration which supported the idea of an integrated Europe working together with America to bring peace and prosperity to the rest of the world. ``America's priorities will shift in directions that the European Union, accustomed to Bill Clinton's enthusiasm for `European integration' may find disconcerting'', The Times commented editorially.

The first test of the new White House on Europe would be its response to the European Rapid Reaction Force. Would Washington take it on face value - an attempt by Europe to distance itself from NATO - and leave Europe alone to handle regional conflicts while it concentrates on the ``bigger picture''?

The answer would indicate the nature of Washington's engagement with Europe.

The faces on Mr Bush's front-rank team - people such as the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence - confirm fears here about a less internationalist White House. It is being dubbed as the ``Cowboy White House'' which would be more inclined towards swift ``retribution'' rather than a patient, long-term view of the world's lingering conflicts.

An issue of immediate concern is Mr Bush's commitment to the National Missile Defence System which has already been strongly condemned by the British Foreign Office Minister, Mr. Peter Hain. Foreign policy makers here are believed to be deeply opposed to the project, particularly as it would involve installation of a huge system in North Yorkshire. Northern Ireland is another area where Mr Bush's approach is likely to be very different from his predecessor's; and waters have already been muddied somewhat by the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr. Peter Mandelson's reported criticism of Mr Bush's alleged pro- Republican ``bias''.

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Section  : International
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