With friends like US, who needs enemies?

THE special relationship between the US and the UK is an alliance so unusually close, so rooted in the national psyches of both countries, it is called a "special relationship." They regard each other not just as allies but as kindred spirits, even as friends, bound by a common language, a shared history and — superficially at least — similar values.

Some say, pointing to various examples where the two have differed, even clashed, that this is a myth. Proponents argue that the capacity to withstand such differences is an indication of how strong these bonds can be.