>That treaty is the biggest mistake we ever made; it's kept us from exploiting a vital area of defense!
>That treaty has kept us in peace for 60 years! And as a Starfleet Officer, you're supposed to uphold it.
-- Rear Admiral Erik Pressman and Captain Jean-Luc Picard
>In order to justify all of the measures of this edict (Treaty of Algeron), the Federation had to be branded as the guilty party. This is a procedure which is, however, just as simple as it is impossible. This would mean that in future, the vanquished will always bear the blame for conflicts, for the victor will always be in a position to simply establish this as a fact.
-- President of the United Federation of Planets, Jaresh-Inyo
Was the Treaty of Algeron indeed the biggest mistake in Federation history? And is there a rift between Starfleet Command and the Federation Council as it seems that Starfleet Command doesn't care about it all? Even with the treaty in effect Starfleet sent Kirk and the Enterprise into Romulan space to steal a cloaking device. The elaborate ruse was successful and they acquired the cloaking device. Years later they tried to refine this technology on the Pegasus - again under direct order from Starfleet Command. And 12 years later, after the remains of the Pegasus were discovered, Starfleet Intelligence sent admiral Eric Pressman to recover the device. Why did they chose the Enterprise for that mission and not a ship with a more 'hawkish' captain like, Benjamin Maxwell, who would do anything for the survival for his species. Weren't they aware what an apparatchik Picard was and that he would betray his race because of 'muh orders'?