Two Very Different Allies

If you've found this blog by any means other than mashing your keyboard with your paws, you've certainly heard the term War on Terror on a more than regular basis. Now this may remind you of the time you're dad stayed with you all night to make sure the boogeyman didn't come out from under the bed. Unfortunately, he didn't have flashy graphics or Wolf Blitzer for The Vigil Against Bed-Wettery. Of course, the principle protagonist in the War on Terror is the United States, but it has also assembled a team of allies. Numbered in this team is Canada, of course, but also some smaller states that may not be on our radar on a regular basis. Two of these countries are the Netherlands (is the the like the the in the Ukraine?) and Albania.

I mention Canada so singularly because, of course, MALIM: BAAN is based in Canada. Also, Canada is hosting Ally #1's Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. A brief history of Canada's relationship with the Dutch. The Netherlands, as you may or may not know, is located precariously close to Germany - it was certainly the case in World War II. As was also the case with Holland, Canada had a significant role in the liberation of Netherlands from Nazi occupation. In return, we got a tulip festival, a lot of 65 year-old Dutch-Canadians, and a pretty friendly relationship. The Dutch are currently fighting alongside Canada's forces in Afghanistan and this is supposed to be a central topic of discussion when PMs collide this week.

Ally # 2, Albania and the United States were friendly after Albania became independent from Ottoman rule in 1928 under King Zog. This was mostly because of the awesome-ness of King Zog's name (no relation). However, years of Communist rule would silence their friendship as Albania was under the Soviet sphere of influence. The relationship was uneasy, Albania was the only country that maintained diplomatic relations with China after the Sino-Soviet split (thank you Margaret Macmillan's Nixon in China). After the fall of Soviet communism, Albania quickly embraced democracy and America, very tightly. The transition continues to be rough as Albanians flee the poor economic conditions of their homeland to work in more prosperous Europe. Albania is the only Muslim country with troops in Iraq (well, that has them disclosed and fighting alongside American troops), this all explains (for the curious) GWB's warm reception in Tirana. So, the US helps Albania throw of the Soviet yoke: in return Albania has allegedly become host to those sketchy no-rights zone prisons you hear about in the news sometimes, and (this is for helping China out in the '70s too) Albania is stuck with ex-Gitmo prisoners exiled from their (predominantly Muslim) home province in China.

I'll go with the tulips, thanks.

UPDATE**Tie Domi is Albanian-Canadian. Betcha didn't know that.