Is Palau now America's most dependable ally?

Posted By Joshua Keating Thursday, October 29, 2009 - 11:56 AM Share

Only two countries supported the United States in a U.N. General Assembly vote condemning the embargo on Cuba yesterday: Israel (not exactly a surprise) and Palau. While these votes do little more than force commentators to write that "virtually the entire world opposes the embargo" rather than "literally the entire world opposes the embargo," it is interesting to see how Palau seems to be going out of its way to support the United States's most controversial policies.

Remember, Palau famously joined the "coalition of the willing," supporting the invasion of Iraq (despite not having a military) and agreed to take in Uighur detainees from Guantanamo Bay. (Granted, Palau was a U.S. protectorate until 1994 and still depends on the U.S. military for its defense.)

It would be nice to think that the U.S. might return the favor by taking significant action to prevent the global climate change that is literally wiping Palau off the map.

EXPLORE:PACIFIC, DIPLOMACY
 

ITONLYSTANDSTOREASON

9:00 PM ET

October 29, 2009

Key details

It also helps to know that Palau's continuing relationship with the US extends to details such as mail service from the US postal service, and that Palau is now engaged in negotiating the renewal of the financial provisions of it Compact of Free Association with the US. The US funding accounts for some 17% of Palau's GDP.

 

BRETT

11:23 AM ET

October 30, 2009

Palau is more or less a

Palau is more or less a protectorate of the US anyways, which appears to work out well for both parties most of the time.

 

DKLECKNE

12:41 PM ET

October 30, 2009

It makes me want to cry when

It makes me want to cry when there are misspelled words in published articles. Invasion, not "invation."

 

JPWREL

4:27 PM ET

October 30, 2009

Lets see how 'dependable'

Lets see how 'dependable' Palau is when the US stops footing the bill.

 

ITONLYSTANDSTOREASON

7:13 PM ET

October 30, 2009

The interesting question is

The interesting question is how the other Compact countries voted?

Abstain: Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of).

And that's the total list of abstentions. Can we call the vote an index of dependency on US funding and the salience of negotiations?

 

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