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Abstract

This dissertation argues that the special relationship between the US-UK had some limited, though ambivalent salience during the Iraq war, but that this salience has faded in relation to the Syrian civil war. It argues that, at its peak, the special relationship did have meaningful levels of bilateralism where the UK did exert some influence upon the USA. However, this bilateralism was confounded by power asymmetries which meant the limited benefits of the Iraq war were mostly reaped by the USA. Similarly, there was a clear disjunct in the discourses of liberal interventionism operationalised by Blair and Bush, respectively. In relation to the Syrian civil war, the dissertation argues that the special relationship has extremely diminished salience—mostly due to the failures of the Iraq war. This has made subsequent leaders reluctant to over-state the special relationship, which suggests that it is not only a unilateral relationship founded on convenience, but that even its value as a piece of realpolitik may be fading.

Course: International Relations - BA (Hons)

Date Deposited: 2022-02-17

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13815.html