Turkey: US and UK reaffirm ties

Hurriyet Daily News

Obama, Cameron reaffirm Atlantic alliance

US President Barack Obama and British PM David Cameron strengthen their alliance by declaring strong mutual agreement on challenges ranging from the Libyan campaign to the Afghan war. The two leaders have also decided to set up a new strategy board to identify long-term economic and security issues facing both nations

U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron have rallied behind each other’s approaches on Libya, Afghanistan and the Arab uprisings as Obama’s official visit to London turned from ceremony to politics on Wednesday.

The leaders of Britain and the United States also agreed to set up a new strategy board to identify long-term economic and security challenges facing both nations, officials said. At talks in London, Cameron and Obama agreed that intelligence, defense and diplomatic staff should meet four times a year to discuss their strategic approach.

Obama and Cameron promised a relentless and punishing pummeling of Moammar Gadhafi's forces in Libya, pressing for his ouster. Obama ruled out a deadline for ending NATO's military assault and said it would be over "in a timely fashion."

"There will not be a let-up in the pressure we are applying" on Gadhafi, the visiting president said Wednesday at a joint news conference with Cameron, ahead of an address that Obama was to make to both houses of the British Parliament.

The international community has stepped up both the air campaign and diplomatic efforts against the regime in a bid to break a virtual stalemate between the rebels in the east and Gadhafi, who maintains a stranglehold on most of the west.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called NATO's latest bombings of Tripoli a "grave departure" from U.N. resolutions on Libya that could lead to a further escalation in violence.

"We've been extraordinarily successful in avoiding civilian casualties," Obama said at one point. And he once again ruled out ground forces in Libya. "That means that sometimes we may have to be more patient than people would like," he conceded.

Cameron rallied behind Obama’s views and said: "I would agree that the two key things here are patience and persistence." He said "we're extremely strong together in wanting to see the same outcomes."

In a wide-ranging question and answer session that exposed a disagreement over Mideast peacemaking strategy, Obama and Cameron reaffirmed their joint resolve on Libya. The statements of mutual support came despite complaints among some NATO countries about the reduced U.S. role since NATO took the lead after the initial days of the two-month-old campaign against Gadhafi.

On Middle East peace, Cameron strongly supported Obama's recent speech in which the president explicitly endorsed a return to Israel's pre-1967 borders, along with mutually agreed-to land swaps, as the starting point for peace talks with Palestinians.

That stance from Obama initially angered Israel, although nerves have calmed as Obama emphasized the nuances of his position as representing no departure from the stances of previous U.S. administrations. But differences between the allies emerged on the question of the Palestinians' unilateral pursuit of statehood at the United Nations. Obama strongly opposes the move, as he reiterated Wednesday. European countries have been more open to a statehood bid by the Palestinians, and Cameron declined to commit himself one way or the other.

On Syria, Obama said the U.S. is increasing pressure on Syria's President Bashar Assad and his regime, which has been attacking protesters there.

After hosting an informal barbecue for veterans in the Downing Street garden, the two leaders announced a new taskforce to support the armed forces, in recognition of the two countries' long cooperation on the battlefield.

Highlighting the sacrifices made by U.S. and British troops serving in Afghanistan, they said the taskforce would "build on existing cooperation and share best practices on support to service personnel and their families."

Compiled from AP and AFP reports by the Daily News staff.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=obama-cameron-reaffirm-atlantic-alliance-2011-05-25