An Alliance at Risk: The United States and Europe Since September 11

Cohen-Tanugi, a Paris-based international lawyer and columnist for Le Monde, argues that the current acrimony between the American government and its European counterparts is not the distinct result of America's unilateral military challenge to Saddam Hussein but rather dates as far back as the fall of the Berlin Wall. The author asserts that this rift in the Atlantic Alliance, which he terms the""Atlantic Divide,"" must be remedied by resisting the""temptation of each side to view the Alliance as a thing of the past."" Furthermore, he claims that the Americans could alleviate some of the tension by enlisting Europe's aid instead of playing the lone policeman in international politics. Europe, for its part, ought to become""a responsible and credible player in world affairs"" by developing""a common foreign-policy and defense capability."" Though perhaps too dry and dense for the lay reader, this keen analysis form a valuable contribution for those interested in the more historical side of international politics.