Context
President Obama arrived in London Monday night for an official trip at a time when the UK is facing dilemma over whether or not it can attain the global reach that its US allies look ahead to.
Officials of both the countries are openly hailing the power of UK-US bilateral relations, with Obama due to address the parliament on Wednesday. Yet Obama’s visit comes as Britain is trying to balance economic constraints against its goal of global influence. There are growing differences between the two as it relates to the future of Afghanistan and unfolding situation in Libya, particularly as it relates to the role of NATO. But in any case, the ties remain extremely warm, with Obama and Cameron ready to launch a joint “security council” this month, officially organizing top contacts for policy coordination and intelligence sharing.
