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DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Joining me now is the outgoing American Ambassador to the UK, Louis Susman, a very good morning to you and for the last time as Ambassador I suppose, when do you leave London?

LOUIS SUSMAN: Well it’s not determined but it will be some time in the spring, I would assume.

DM: Okay, well let’s look forward to this inauguration and picking on something that Pat Buchanan was saying there, I know you don’t necessarily agree politically but he did point out there the scale of the task ahead for the next four years for President Obama, that he faces an uphill struggle with a divided country, a divided party, divided within his own party.

LS: I would say that it’s similar to the first term, we had the same problems. I am not in total agreement with Pat on the division in the Democratic Party, we had 55 Senators, we gained seats in the House of Representatives and everything that I have been briefed on and that I have been told is while there may be nuances, the President has the ability to gather those votes in the Senate and hold a cohesion in the House. I think it’s quite clear though that the Republican party is divided. The Speaker of the House has trouble getting his representatives to follow him and I honestly believe that we’re going to see an intense battle over the next couple of years.

DM: How does the President play that politically then in your analysis? Does he attempt to divide the Republicans even more. I mean at an inauguration we hear Presidents, and we heard him last time round saying let’s pull together as Americans, we have huge, huge problems here.

LS: I think the President is going to go to the people. He is liberated in the second term, he doesn’t have another election. You may have noticed that his get out the vote operation is staying a fact and it is to get the grassroots to go to both parties, to put grassroots pressure on them to do what’s best for the country, not for their party or their own ideological beliefs.

DM: And what’s his approach going to be given what we’ve been discussing over the last week, going on in Algeria, this huge threat that people have suddenly become aware of, it’s been there for a while, from Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda affiliates? Does the President say well this is closer to you in Western Europe and you mainly deal with it, we’ve got huge domestic problems and I’m going to deal with them?

LS: I do not see any lessening of the President’s intense effort to stop all forms of terrorism, mainly against the United States and against our allies. Secretary Panetta was here this weekend and made it very clear, we will not tolerate terrorism, especially from the Al Qaeda group, anywhere in the world. In Algeria we were in contact with the Algerian government, we worked with them as they wished, providing the logistics in some cases, intelligence in some cases so this concept that we’re going to go inward I don't think is appropriate. The President’s job is that he has to do both, he has to do domestic and …

DM: But if there is a campaign, a long and on-going campaign across a vast region, across the Sahara, across North Africa, you can see the American help is going to be logistical, intelligence, are we talking about drones and satellites?

LS: I think that’s what we will offer and if it’s accepted we will do it. Remember, both Mali and Algeria are sovereign countries and just can’t normally go in unless you have a direct threat on your own sovereign interest.

DM: Give me your take on your years in London as the Ambassador to the Court of St James – I love that phrase, how has the US-UK special relationship developed or has it rather been left unattended, the sense that President Obama, he likes the UK but we’re not the most important country in Europe from his point of view?

LS: Derek, I never like to disagree with you but I must tell you, this relationship couldn’t be any stronger. The President’s first call was to Prime Minister Cameron, we are involved in depth with the UK in all military matters, in all foreign policy matters, there isn’t a shred of light between our positions. I’ve lived it for four years and I can tell you under any set of circumstances, putting my total credibility on the line, I couldn’t imagine it being any stronger.

DM: But Germany are the most powerful country in Europe, isn’t that the place that America looks first for Europe-wide issues?

LS: We have a very close relationship with Germany and the President thinks very highly of Chancellor Merkel but I would tell you that most of the time he discusses the initial issues with the Prime Minister.

DM: Okay but on this issue of Britain’s engagement with Europe, as we all know now we’ve heard that the Prime Minister’s speech on Europe is going to be this week, that there is going to be some sort of referendum on offer. If you offer a referendum with ‘out’ as one of the options, there’s a possibility the UK could leave the European Union and as we’ve heard from other people from within the administration in the United States, does that then lessen the attraction of the UK for America should Britain leave or even if it’s talking about leaving?

LS: Well I want to say, and I’ve said it for three and a half years now and it was echoed by Secretary Gordon, this does not affect the special relationship. We believe in a strong EU, we can’t imagine a strong EU without a vibrant partner in the UK and that’s what we hope will come about but it’s up to the British people to decide what they want. America, the relationship with the UK will always be strong. I want you to know that President Obama doesn’t really call it a special relationship, he calls it an essential relationship and I think that says it all.

DM: But with your businessman’s hat on, your American business, it’s huge inward investment into the United Kingdom for so many, many decades and indeed centuries, doesn’t from their point of view the UK become less attractive if it’s not plugged in to the European Union?

LS: Only time will tell when you see what the end result is. I think that everyone believes that the relationship on the commercial business end between the United Kingdom and the EU is very important. I saw a hundred businessmen at the CBI who are very supportive, I just saw the Ford motor representatives at the same thing so yes, it’s important that we keep the single market and we keep this relationship going and that in and of itself will encourage inward investment here.

DM: Have you any thoughts, just before we end this, on your successor in the role of Ambassador to London? Anna Wintour has been mentioned, the Vogue Editor-in-Chief.

LS: Well I’m just like everyone else, I have a lot of thoughts. I would suggest to you that the President of the United States is the sole authority, decides who is going to be an Ambassador to any country and in particular the United Kingdom. I know he takes his responsibility very intensely, he studies it, he looks at it and he will make the right decision.

DM: And a last question before you go from this studio, before you go from London, are you going to pay up on the unpaid congestion charge bills that you owe London? We know the previous Mayor, Ken Livingstone, called your predecessor a chivelling little crook, you’ve got about seven million in unpaid fines from last year haven’t you?

LS: Well I think you have to be careful when you say it is owed. There’s a treaty that we live by and the British basically live by, the Mayor has different views on it. We and other major embassies are saying that if we were to pay it, it may be not only incorrect but it would set a precedent in other countries etc, so until it’s decided in the courts I think we’ll hold it in abeyance.

DM: Okay, well Louis Susman, thank you very much and thank you for your time here in London, best of luck with the future and President Obama will let us know who your successor is presently.

LS: I’m sure he will.