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.

Bush in Rome

US President George W. Bush is in Rome today, after the G-8 Summit wrapping up in Germany he is embarking on a European tour. In Italy, he has met with the Pope, Benny - he likes to call him Benny, and Italian PM Romano Prodi. According to the GAM:

The highlight of Mr. Bush's day was his first-ever meeting with Pop Benedict, a fellow religious conservative, in the Vatican.

Despite the unreported typo (there are two! spot the second one) that makes the Benny sound like an Archie Comics character, this wins some kind of prize for the no-shit category. The GAM went on to report that Benny's Catholic, the Ayatollah is Muslim and Tom Cruise is an adherent of the Church of Scientology. Wonders never cease. Though putting Bush and the Pope's religious conservatism on the same level is...a little weird. I guess it comes with a cultivated image.

Nonetheless, the Leaders of the Catholic and Free Worlds (which you can imagine as a Venn diagram if it helps) got down to important business. Namely: AIDS in Africa and peace in the Middle East. If there is anything that can solve those two of the worlds problems, its two white guys talking about it in Rome. Apparently, the recent kefuffle with Vladimir Putin also came up. To which the Pope said "Stick it to the Red bastard." Also, because Europe is into that, there were riots.

And no, President Bush didn't get lost during Rome's Pride Month celebrations...those two gentlemen are part of the Pope's elite Swiss Guard. You have to be pretty elite to pull that outfit of. I wonder where they were last week...