The degree to which alliances transform companies varies with the type of alliance.

ECONOMIST: Mergers and alliances

During the Cold War, the United States used Wilson's approach to create a "community of power" against the Soviet Union chiefly through the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a new type of alliance that encouraged the defense and spread of democratic principles.

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Given that the Heat won the NBA championship last year, it's tempting to think that the secret behind Miami's success is a Marvel-Comics-type alliance of superheroes.

WSJ: LeBron James, Miami Heat: How 'The Heatles' Make Their Music

Now, because of that local decision to work out this temporary arrangement, there were some people who believed that we were giving the MEK special treatment, and there were even news stories that said that the Defense Department planned to use the MEK as a Northern Alliance-type organization making the analogy to Afghanistan as a Northern Alliance-type organization against the government of Iran.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: DOD Briefing on Intelligence Matters

Now, because of that local decision to work out this temporary arrangement, there were some people who believed that we were giving the MEK special treatment, and there were even news stories that said that the Defense Department planned to use the MEK as a Northern Alliance-type organization -- making the analogy to Afghanistan -- as a Northern Alliance-type organization against the government of Iran.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: DOD Briefing on Intelligence Matters

And the group Civic Alliance said 30% of voters it surveyed reported witnessing at least one type of irregularity.

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