I realized early on that foreign policy and national security were not things that happened to ‘other people’ – when a family member was kidnapped in Colombia these big and scary things became an every day part of my life.
foreign policy
state hostage taking – five pledges for the uk government
State hostage taking by countries like Iran is on the rise. The UK has an opportunity to lead the way by raising the standard of support for hostages and their families, enhancing understanding of the problem, and bringing allies together to end this once and for all.
we can do better – failures in US consular services
I recently came across this piece in the New York Times Magazine by Doug Bock Clark, whose work on Americans in trouble overseas I have come to respect and admire. He describes the plight of Americans held in Kuwait –… Read More ›
we are bellingcat: an intelligence agency for the people
Bellingcat have been key players in solving puzzles related to some of the most important intelligence challenges of the last decade; chemical attacks in Syria, the downing of Malaysia Flight 17 over the Ukraine and the Salisbury poisonings, to name just a few.
Do they replace our intelligence agencies? No, of course not. Should they make those agencies think again about what’s possible and how to make the most of open source data? Absolutely.
trauma of children in Gaza
It doesn’t matter what side of the political divide you are on, how you judge history, or whether you are for a two-state solution or not. The effects of conflict on the children of Gaza are heart breaking. In an excellent… Read More ›
happy birthday FARC
On Tuesday, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) turns 50. Formed by Pedro Antonio Marin Marin aka Marulanda on 27 May 1964, they have been embroiled in one of South America’s deadliest battles for control of the land, the… Read More ›
foreign fighters: how to win the war of ideas
Here is an article I have with Ross Frenett on HuffPo arguing for the need to invest resources in films, campaigns and digital activities to push back on the messages that violent extremists use to attract young people to travel… Read More ›
5 messages for ed miliband on foreign policy
Here’s a piece I’ve got on HuffPo this morning, setting out 5 messages for Ed Miliband on foreign policy. It draws on a chapter I wrote for a new Fabian Society collection, One Nation in the World, that was launched… Read More ›
