Allied Help

Barack Obama is at least as revered in Europe as he is at home. Scared and disappointed by an America they no longer recognized, most Europeans are happy to see GWB go, with his war of choice, his torture and his renditions. In Barack Obama, they see the America they always admired and and needed. A generous, powerful and well intentioned ally. What they do not expect, is that Prrsident Obama is going to pay them a visit asking for more forces in Afghanistan. They will not take it well for many reasons. First, WWII is still present in European memories. Wars are anathema. Second, this entail a constant choice of butter over guns: military budgets over all are small and shrinking in Europe. They are also highly unpopular among voters. All the more in times of recession, if not pre-depression.
Finally a country like France, already contributes thousands of troops in Africa (Chad, Central African Republic, of the coast of Somalia, Djibouti, Ivory Coast Senegal, Mali, etc) in the pacific area and both with Euofor in Darfur and with the UN in Lebanon. This list does not take into account the troops deployed in Afghanistan nor the Air wing deployed in Kazhakstan.
It is unlikely that the Europeans will accede to president Obama wishes, in spite of their admiration for him.

European Des-Union

I am just back from Europe where watching the news is a national sport. But the European media are so biased in favor of the palestinians that the conflict in Gaza sounds like it is on a different planet. Huge crowds, riled by biased news, demonstrate in the streets of European capitals to condemn the country attacked by iranian missiles (Israel), and to praise the terrorist organization doing it (Hamas). On French media, there is another twist: French President Sarkozy, whose presidency of the EU just came to an end, still behaves as if he was still EU chair and tours the Middle East trying to help the Hamas. He was very contemptuous of the Czech president, the new EU chair, and incidentally pro american.
Mr. Sarkozy should show his talent with the Russians.Prime Minister Putin has decided to show some muscle and turned off the gas pipeline supply to the Ukraine and, accessorily, Western Europe. The EU, is split. On one side the new member ststes, whic, having spent 70 years in the clutches of the bear have very limited trust and a lon memory. On the other side, western Europe, totally dependent on Mr. Putin's gas and wanting to make nice.
The EU's new friends: Hamas and Russia. Happy 2009.