HONOLULU -- Two journeys to Tokyo this past week have underscored the forging of a new, albeit informal, triple alliance comprising Japan, Australia and Britain that stands alongside the United States in the war on terror.
First, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia met with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to concur that North Korea must be dissuaded from its nuclear ambitions by a multinational effort. That is the demand of U.S. President George W. Bush, who has lumped North Korea with Iraq and Iran as an axis of evil.
Then, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, fresh from a visit to Washington, followed Howard to Tokyo to agree that both pressure and negotiations were needed to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program.