You have no idea what you are talking about.
Again, you can write an email to MFA if you want on the status
of any Singapore-US "Alliance." See what is the reply you
get.
We can have some kinda training or military cooperation
agreements, but that does not constitute "Alliance" and explicitly
state us to be a US "Ally." If we are "Allies" through
"agreements" then I think we'd have allied ourselves with Malaysia,
Brunei, Taiwan, India, and China even.
And I don't blame you for misunderstanding, the US Press under
Bush likes to throw the word, "Allies" around just to make the US
sound popular around the world to its citizens. The United
States is not bound by written agreement to aid Singapore.
If you have no idea what I am "talking" about - do you know
what you are heading into, or are you taking on a
presumptious position for yourself that may simply be
too much to swallow or even digest ?
You seem to be trapped in semantics in determining if Singapore
is an ally of the US - with or without any Formal
Alliance.
Have you forgotten what you had posted on Pg 4 15 Nov 2008 -
"We are just a regional partner, an FTA partner. Though we have
several defence cooperations, Singapore chose not to call
these cooperations an "Alliance" due to regional sensitivities.
Understand?"
Can you even understand what you have written in the paragraph
extracted about the necessity
of hiding "these cooperations" and not
calling it an "Alliance" ?
Not having any Formal Agreement, or Formal Alliance, or Formal
Ties - does not necessarily mean Singapore is not an ally to
the USA.
Was it the press that inaccurately hype the word "ally" in
describing the US-SG ties ?
In a publication in 1999, Defense
Secretary William Cohen said he counts Singapore among the United
States' strongest allies in Southeast Asia and looks forward to
even stronger relations in the next millennium
Even the “Human Rights
Watch” sees Singapore as an Ally of the USA with the
Bush Administration dragging its feet in pressuring the Singapore
Government to relent on its Human Rights abuse towards its
Citizens.
Looks like I have to "Educate" you on some parts of Singapore's
foreign Policy.
Firstly, lets look at what the US State Dept says about
SG.
In 1990, the United States and Singapore signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) which allows United States access to Singapore
facilities at Paya Lebar Airbase and the Sembawang wharves. Under
the MOU, a U.S. Navy logistics unit was established in Singapore in
1992; U.S. fighter aircraft deploy periodically to Singapore for
exercises, and a number of U.S. military vessels visit Singapore.
The MOU was amended in 1999 to permit U.S. naval vessels to berth
at the Changi Naval Base, which was completed in early 2001. In
July 2005, the United States and Singapore signed a Strategic
Framework Agreement to expand cooperation in defense and
security.
What is a Memorandum of Understanding? Please do your own
homework by following the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorandum_of_understanding
Did you read the explanation and educate yourself to the
meaning of what was written, or did you simply "cut and paste" and
let the words do the job for you ?
The following is a paragraph extracted from your 'wiki'
reference site:
A memorandum of understanding
(MOU or MoU) is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It
expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an
intended common line of action. It most often is used in cases
where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in
situations where the parties cannot create a legally enforcement
agreement. It is a more
formal alternative to a gentlemen's agreement.
Now it seems that 'wiki' describe the MOU between the US and SG
Government as a "more formal
alternative" - which means that what you had
written on Pg 4 is no longer valid, that the SG Govenment need to
hide from being an US Ally.
This pretty much confirms what I had posted in my reply to you
on Pg 4, that - "In 1998, Singapore has a FORMAL Agreement with
the USA that allowed the US Navy to dock at the Changi Naval Base
and take on resupply".
Wiki also explain that the MOU "expresses a convergence of
will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of
action" - if SG and USA do not see things with the same
vision and have any convergence of will on isssues of economics and
security, will such an MOU exist - in place of more Formal
Alliance that may brush the bristles of our ASEAN neighbors ?
Put it this way, the MOU is a 'half-way' to a more Formal
Alliance - by itself, it already formalise the Formal Ties, and at
the same time meets with the requirement of the SG Government not
to brush our neighbors on the wrong side.
How do you wish to re-interprete what your 'wiki' site has
printed that will favor your position and educate me further ?
Let's see what ELSE does the US State Dept say about
Singapore...
Singapore is nonaligned. It is a member of the
United Nations and several of its specialized and related agencies,
and also of the Non-Aligned
Movement and the Commonwealth.
Again, please do your homework by following the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Aligned_Movement
After reading up on all this. Can you tell me which part
of MOU, and Non-Aligned movement can possibly spell a foreign
policy of US-Singapore Alliance?
Have you read the contents of your referenced wiki site
concerning the Non-Aligned Movement, or is this another
'cut-and-paste' job ?
Is Singapore a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, or is it
like all that the LKY Administration has said and done with
supposed cold pragmatism - towards Singaporeans, as well as towards
the international community ?
Say one thing, and doing another.
The opening paragraph of your wiki site had stated - "The
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is
an international
organization of states considering
themselves not formally aligned with or against any major
power
bloc".
If Singapore is truly a member of the Non-Aligned Movement -
would it have invited the US Military to have free access to its
deep water Naval Base, and re-supply services of the SAF air bases
?
Is it not very unusual for a member of the Non-Aligned Movement
to send a aerial refuelling tanker, and an armed LST in support of
the US led Iraq War that is strongly opposed by all other members
of the Non-Aligned Movement ?
Has Singapore not contravened the very principle of
non-alignment by such close association with the USA, and in
support of its military services and military adventures
?
Can you appreciate the significance or gravity of the actions
that the Singapore Government has taken in its deliberate actions
in support of the US policies ?
Atobe, you're a pretty enthusiastic user on sgforums, and its
really fun to see some of your views sometimes, but please do your
research about such "inferences" that may not necessarily be true.
Especially so when people have TOLD you, you are wrong.
We exist in a sensitive region where it is better for us to
pursue multi-lateral relations than to bank on the help of one
"Ally." Even if we do have some relations with particular
"superpowers", we need to maintain a form of "deniability" by not
officially stating that we are aligned with any one
power.
It is interesting to note that my post in sgforums had
your attention, and that you are amused by some of my views.
"Inferences" are a matter of opinions, as much as how details
and facts are interpreted, or re-interpreted - and I accept all
reasonable and reasonably presented arguments.
I am not sure who are "those people who have TOLD me that I am
wrong, as what had been written by them were also given my
counter challenge with logic and substantiated
arguments that their valued positions are mistaken.
Unfortunately, while Singapore is pursuing multi-relations with
different countries, the Singapore Political Leaders are banking on
the US to come to our aid, as the US did when Kuwait was taken over
by Sadam Hussein - even when there is no Formal Alliance between
the US and Kuwait.
