Redemption: Was Non-Interference the Correct Path?
- Thread starter Kruezerman
- Start date
The Treaty of Alliance is for mutual defense against foreign aggressors. There is no obligation for the Federation to assist the Klingons in fighting either the Duras rebellion or the Kriosian rebellion from another episode.
This would be like a civil war between Britain and Scottish separatists. I don't think NATO will jump at the chance to invade Scotiand even if London asks them to help defend the "legitimate" government of Britain. Like the Klingon Federation alliance, NATO only covers attacks from external aggressors.
So unless Duras' ships directly threatened or opened fire on the Enterprise first, Picard can't really do anything except withdraw his ship safely from the battle zone.
If the Federation is to commit troops and ships to a civil war that could cost many lives and last who knows how long, that's probably not something for Captain Picard to decide on his own. And Starfleet Command made it pretty clear in part 2 that they were not willing to commit its forces in direct battle with the rebel Duras forces
This would be like a civil war between Britain and Scottish separatists. I don't think NATO will jump at the chance to invade Scotiand even if London asks them to help defend the "legitimate" government of Britain. Like the Klingon Federation alliance, NATO only covers attacks from external aggressors.
So unless Duras' ships directly threatened or opened fire on the Enterprise first, Picard can't really do anything except withdraw his ship safely from the battle zone.
If the Federation is to commit troops and ships to a civil war that could cost many lives and last who knows how long, that's probably not something for Captain Picard to decide on his own. And Starfleet Command made it pretty clear in part 2 that they were not willing to commit its forces in direct battle with the rebel Duras forces
Oddly enough, we don't know if the Treaty of Alliance is for anything much. Supposedly, Klingons have been allies for a long time, yet we hear nothing of their involvement in the Cardassian War on the UFP side, or of UFP involvement in the Klingon fight with the Cardassians several decades earlier.
Possibly a key condition in the Treaty is that each side lets the other one fight its own fights; Klingons might not have it any other way!
Timo Saloniemi
^ Well we know the Klingons and Cardassians fought an 18 year conflict over some nebula. That may very well overlap and be related to the Federation's war against the Cardassians. Although Garak described the Klingon war as "ages ago" that could mean anything. Especially since he also described the 18 year long conflict as a "minor skirmish"
Also to the Klingons' credit, they did send warships to engage the Borg when Federation was invaded. They also sent three warships to cover the Enterprise on a preemptive strike into the Romulan Neutral Zone, when Starfleet's own reinforcements were still trailing behind.
And of course when the Dominion first deployed their fleet to the Alpha Quadrant, the terms of the original treaty was brought back to life so that the Federation and Klingon fleets could form a combined task force
I'd say the Klingons did their share. It was the Federation that refused Klingons' request for assistance. First time was as we discussed, in the civil war with Duras which Gowron just shrugged off since he knew it was an internal conflict and the treaty wouldn't apply. But he doesn't lose anything by asking anyway. And second, when the Klingons invaded Cardassia, they did thinking they were stopping a civilian uprising that was orchestrated by the Founders (which if it had been true does kinda represent an external threat). This time Gowron was like WTF, you guys are not helping again? you guys are pussies. Take your diplomats and GTFO. Treaty is over
Also to the Klingons' credit, they did send warships to engage the Borg when Federation was invaded. They also sent three warships to cover the Enterprise on a preemptive strike into the Romulan Neutral Zone, when Starfleet's own reinforcements were still trailing behind.
And of course when the Dominion first deployed their fleet to the Alpha Quadrant, the terms of the original treaty was brought back to life so that the Federation and Klingon fleets could form a combined task force
I'd say the Klingons did their share. It was the Federation that refused Klingons' request for assistance. First time was as we discussed, in the civil war with Duras which Gowron just shrugged off since he knew it was an internal conflict and the treaty wouldn't apply. But he doesn't lose anything by asking anyway. And second, when the Klingons invaded Cardassia, they did thinking they were stopping a civilian uprising that was orchestrated by the Founders (which if it had been true does kinda represent an external threat). This time Gowron was like WTF, you guys are not helping again? you guys are pussies. Take your diplomats and GTFO. Treaty is over
