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U.S. alliance rarely been strongerBy Grant Holloway SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- The strengthening of political and economic ties between Australia and the United States has been one of the defining aspects of John Howard's 10 years in power. While the relationship has always been solid -- as evidenced by the post-World War II ANZUS alliance -- under Howard the two nations have become almost inseparable allies on key international issues. This can be no more clearly seen by Australia's decision to steadfastly support the Bush administration in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq and the commitment of troops to that action as one of the few members of the "coalition of the willing." For his part, U.S. President George W. Bush dubbed Howard a "man of steel" during a visit by the Australian leader to Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch in May 22003. Less obvious but also significant has been Australia's agreement with Washington on issues such as the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and the United States' controversial missile defense shield -- the latter position put Canberra at odds with China, one of the nation's most important trading partners. On the economic front, Howard's government late in 2004 cemented, after years of tortuous negotiations, what it hoped would be an advantageous free-trade agreement with the United States. While there is an unquestionable upside to a strong alliance with Washington, there has been fallout in the region, especially among Australia's Muslim-dominated neighbors, over Canberra's role in Iraq. There are strong political forces in Malaysia and Indonesia who are angered by Australia's alliance with the United States -- an image only reinforced by the involvement in Iraq. Malaysian Prime Minster Mahathir Mohamad in 2002 summed up the anxiety across the region: "Australia has to choose whether it's an Asian country or a Western country. If you take the position of being a deputy sheriff to America, you cannot very well be accepted by the countries of this region." Australia's alliance has increased the nation's profile as a target for terrorism in the post September 11 climate. In September 2004 a car bomb attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, killed nine people and injured 180. Days after that attack occurred, the southeast Asian arm of al Qaeda, called Jemaah Islamiyah, and claimed responsibility for the attack and specifically cited Australia's Iraq policy as a motivation for the bombing. Howard, however, has maintained Australia has long been on the terrorists' radar, citing the 2002 Bali bombings -- in which 88 Australians were among the 202 people killed -- as a case in point. Speaking to CNN shortly after his election victory in November 2004, Howard said the U.S. alliance "added value" to Canberra's dealings with its regional neighbors. Those nations understood and respected the alliance as a defensive one that operated in Australia's best interests, he said. 'Benefits outweigh costs'"It is possible to be close to both the United States and the nations of Asia and we have demonstrated that," he said. That is a position supported, in part, by Dr Michael Fullilove from Australia's Lowy Institute for International Policy. "The benefits of the U.S. alliance to Australia far outweigh its costs," Fullilove, who is the Lowy Institute's program director for global issues, told CNN. "While it complicates aspects of diplomatic life, for example in parts of Muslin Southeast Asia, on balance it increases Australia's prestige in most of the world's councils. Most diplomatic roads still run through Washington." Also critical for Howard is his awareness that, despite misgivings over the Bush administration by many, the majority of Australians wholeheartedly support a strong bond between the two nations. Australia is, after all, the only country to have fought beside the U.S. in every major conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries. "For Australia, the U.S. is a powerful ally. For the U.S., Australia is a reliable ally," says Fullilove. "There are costs to the alliance, of course, but anything that is valuable has a price." 
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