Bolton: UK Can Have Just One Closest Ally

Famously combative John Bolton claims that the fate of the US-UK "special relationship" lies entirely with Gordon Brown and the new British government. In an op-ed for the Financial Times, the former UN ambassador writes that the new PM must choose sides: either stand by the US or continue the "long, slow slide into the European porridge."

For Bolton, the White House cannot accept the "meaningless dodge" that Britain's EU membership is incompatible with its bilateral relations with the US. Take the possibility of American military action in Iran, where Bolton says that European-led diplomacy has failed. If Bush declares war, he wonders, "where will Mr. Brown come down? Supporting the US or allowing Iran to goose-step towards nuclear weapons?"