re: Allies
Has it now become an established fact that America has only one issue of foreign policy: the "war on terrorism", with its resultant invasions and occupations? Weren't there other issues of planetary import - environment, arms control and economy come to mind immediately - before 9/11/01?
Allies isn't a word that only makes sense in wartime, Tom... but if you insist, you might want to consider including Canada, Russia and Spain on your too-short list. Add other issues, the list gets longer.