EN / “Special”, but for whom?

Ever since William Hague emphasised the importance of "our unbreakable alliance with the United States" in his speech in July 2010, the confidence in "the special relationship" was beyond any doubt. But where will it take the UK next?

AirForce One, a NCAA basketball game and an informal interview on the court, Barack Obama and David Cameron made it looks not only crucial but also cool - something that leaves George W. Bush and Tony Blair look jealous.

But British PM and American President will be under the pressure of making some difficult calls in the coming weeks and months.

Outrage over the human rights violation in Syria is completely understood but the uncertainty over the future makes Western governments patiently wait before taking any actions. With the outcomes of the Arab Spring and military interventions over the past decade, the question remains open on how post-Assad Syria may look like. We, the 21st century audience of 24/7 media, have become naive that all revolutions are black and white, always replacing dictatorships with true democracy. It is not as simplistic as we may want it to be and the Western governments are aware of it. What would ethnic and religious minorities be afraid of if the Assad regime is overruled?

It begs another question. Why would the US, and its loyal UK ally, be always expected to make a call and "do something" when things get nasty? Regional actors, such as the Arab League and the African Union, should step up first as they are more legitimate to ensure stability on their footsteps. Unfortunately, their indecisiveness during the recent events in North Africa and Middle East has already been witnessed.

Ironically, it was the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu who has recently shown how to put the US under a mounting pressure, when argued for the support in the pre-emptive strikes against Iran. The Nobel Peace Prize committee in Oslo may be left puzzled when one of their recent Prize Winners is openly asked to go on war but after all the Arab League should have done the same if they truly believe that an urgent intervention in Syria is required.

Would the US drag the UK into any conflict in a near future? Yes but only under certain conditions. "People wanted to know that our troops are going to come home," said Cameron on Tuesday. "Offer us the endgame plan and we will consider it," can be read between the lines as Britain will prove once again how special the relationship with the US is.