Our Allies and Strategic Partners, the Pentagon, and White House officials throw these words out a lot. What do they mean? I have a basic understanding of the words but they sort of have the same meaning don't they? They do! When we hear our Defense Department officials use these words, they are very careful about how they use them. How so? In the world of international relations, they have two different meanings.
Alliances
Where we have alliances, we have formal agreements with other countries. Agreements in national defense that other countries promise they will support each other, especially during a war. The U.S. is in alliance with NATO -- the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NORAD -- the North American Aerospace Defense Command (with Canada), ANZUS -- Australia, New Zealand and U.S. Security Treaty, and the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship -- Which is America's oldest unbroken treaty.
Documents that make alliances official are treaties, aka "treaty ally." Boundaries, human rights, and trading rules set the rules for treaties.
Partnerships
Often called "strategic partners", not as formal as alliances, partnerships help organize and build trustworthy relations with other nations or organizations. Partnerships benefit members, but don't involve any treaties - they can also be short-termed.
Our DOD -- Department of Defense is in partnership with many other countries and foreign militaries in a military-to-military exchange agreement to help each other build a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship. It is advantageous for the U.S. to be in these partnerships.
There is much more to understand about our national Alliances and Partnerships, way too much for me to offer here. However, out of my own curiosity with these terminologies, I researched and wrote this very brief explanation to help you and me have a little better understanding of these words since we hear them so often in the national news. This information and $4.75 will get you a cup of plain coffee at Starbucks!
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