By Tom Blass.

FPC Research Associate Tom Blass analyses the use of international sanctions and their humanitarian and political impact, examining if their current application is appropriate.

Download FPC Briefing: Time to reappraise sanctions? (340 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Chris Ogden .

As North Korea continues to flout international pressure, FPC Research Associate Dr Chris Ogden analyses the positions of the major regional powers – the US, Japan, China and Russia – on the current crisis.

Download FPC Briefing: High Stakes Gambit (520 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Kevork Oskanian.

Since their independence, the three South Caucasian states have come to adopt widely divergent strategic responses to the complex structural realities underlying their region's security landscape. Following the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia became unequivocally pro-Western: the goals of EU and NATO integration were firmly inscribed in two National Security Concepts, adopted in 2006 and 2011, which were recently confirmed in a rare bi-partisan parliamentary resolution uniting the otherwise fractious supporters of President Saakashvili and Prime Minister Ivanishvili. Over the past ten years, Armenia's pro-Russian orientation has, if anything, deepened, with Moscow gaining control of Yerevan's strategic industries and extending its basing rights till 2044; the Sargsyan regime has nevertheless maintained some elements of a 'complementary' foreign policy, most importantly an active engagement with the European Union, and, to a lesser extent, NATO. Azerbaijan's oil reserves, meanwhile, have allowed it to continue what it calls a 'multi-vectoral' approach, combining positive relations with Western states (mostly in the field of energy) with generally friendly interactions with Moscow.

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By Prof Jason Ralph, David Clark.

In this double-headed paper Jason Ralph examines the principles that might inform the kind of foreign policy that might be expected from a Labour government led by Ed Miliband. Ralph focuses on a Fabian Society paper, Labour's Next Foreign Policy by David Clark, to discuss the historical and theoretical context of Miliband's approach and to provide a framework for a wider discussion about Labour foreign policy. David Clark then provides a response to Ralph's analysis in this new format Foreign Policy Conversation Piece briefing paper. It aims to prompt further debate and reflection on the challenges and opportunities facing centre-left foreign policy makers.

Download FPC Conversation Piece: Labour's Next Foreign Policy (420 kilobyte PDF)

By Zeynep Dereli.

In this briefing Zeynep Dereli sets out some of the key challenges facing Turkey as it looks to expand its role as a regional energy hub, including the complex relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq and access to Caspian gas.

Download FPC Briefing: Turkey's Pivotal Role in Energy Supply (340 kilobyte PDF)

By Jan Gaspers.

Jan Gaspers sets out an evaluation of the EU's Nobel Peace Prize win against the three key judging criteria the Nobel Committee are required to use. He argues that the EU meets these criteria more than most recent most recent recipients and looks to possible future developments.

Download FPC Briefing: The European Union and the Nobel Peace Prize (370 kilobyte PDF)

By James Denselow.

Earlier this week the Telegraph's Chief Foreign Correspondent surmised that "the disaster in Syria is getting steadily worse, and no one has any idea what to do about it". I would agree with the first part of his argument but would suggest that the internal dynamics in the country don't reflect a stalemate absent of ideas, but rather the continued erosion of the regime's sovereignty over the country.

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By Dr Chris Ogden .

FPC Research Associate Chris Ogden sets out some the major challenges China and India face as they develop great power status. He discusses the history both of the two countries and others who have achieved global dominance, examining how China and India's past experiences may shape their future behaviour.

Download FPC Briefing: China and India's Common Challenges (480 kilobyte PDF)

By Martha Molfetas.

In this FPC Briefing Martha Molfetas gives a detailed analysis of the current and historical tensions between Sudan and South Sudan, exploring the role of resources and the needs for long-term development and peace-building.

Download Resource Curse and Peace Building- A Tale of Two Sudans (590 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Simon Mabon.

FPC Research Associate Dr Simon Mabon gives the background to the political unrest and human rights abuses that took place in Bahrain around the Arab Spring. The briefing sets out the geo-political competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran that forms the backdrop to recent events and critiques the UK government's relations with Bahrain.

Download Bahrain – between Geopolitical and Humanitarian Concerns (310 kilobyte PDF)

By Firdevs Robinson.

FPC Senior Research Associate Firdevs Robinson gives her analysis of the difficulties Turkey is facing with Syrian instability and deteriorating relations with the EU.

Download FPC Briefing: Turkey's Juggling Act (230 kilobyte PDF)

By Ulvi Pepinova.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a holy land, a historical heritage claimed by Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics who gained independence in 1991, has encountered a lengthy tug of war rather than a celebration of a peaceful coexistence. On going peace-making efforts for almost two decades under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group remain fruitless and scepticism over the performance of the geopolitical actors prevails.

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By Dr Simon Mabon.

Dr Simon Mabon from Lancaster University sets out the ways in which Saudi Arabia is using new anti-terrorism legislation to restrict freedom of speech and online activity. The briefing examines changing Saudi social attitudes to women's political participation, calls for greater accountability from the regime and the UK-Saudi economic and political relationship that has a chilling effect on London's willingness to speak out against Saudi human rights abuses.

Download FPC Briefing: Saudi Arabia, 'New Media' and UK Relations (590 kilobyte PDF)

By Alexander Jackson.

FPC Research Associate Alex Jackson provides a detailed analysis of the recent conflict between the Turkish Government and the PKK, exploring the key dynamics behind recent events. Jackson's research is supported by a comprehensive database of recent attacks, casualties and other important information.

Download the article (530 kilobyte PDF)

By Firdevs Robinson.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu must be secretly dreaming of a world where past statements would vanish into thin air.

He had told Parliament in April that 'a new Middle East was emerging and Turkey would continue to be the master, the leader and the servant of this new Middle East' .

Barely four months later, on August the 20th with the number of Syrian refugees on its soil approaching one hundred thousand people, Mr Davutoglu declared that Syria is no longer a national or regional problem. He said 'It now poses a security risk to neighboring countries and the United Nations should intervene in accordance with its mission' .

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By Deen Sharp.

Control of urban space is key to the survival of the state and its institutions. It is in urban space, in the Middle East, where the final acts of authoritarian leaders have been played out, for example, in Baghdad, Tripoli, Cairo and Sana'a. In Syria the suicide bombing that killed Dawoud Rajha the Minister of Defence and the brother-in-law of Assad, the deputy head of the armed forces Assef Shawkat, along with the entrance into the city of lightly armed opposition fighters in the Damascene districts of Midan and Qaboon, mark the final spatial shift of the Syrian conflict to Damascus, the seat of power.

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By Firdevs Robinson.

FPC Senior Research Associate Firdevs Robinson gives a detailed and wide ranging account of the current challenges facing the long-running attempts to resolve the division and separation of Cyprus. She argues that unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is loosing hope that meaningful progress will be made in the near future and that as the Republic of Cyprus (Greek Cyprus) moves towards holding the EU Presidency, Brussels is no longer seen by the TRNC as a positive actor. She also draws attention to the growing rifts between the TRNC and Turkey on cultural and political lines, while exploring the current phase of tensions between Greek Cyprus and Turkey.

Download FPC Briefing: Cyprus: One step forward, two steps back (330 kilobyte PDF)

By Firdevs Robinson.

On 23rd February 2012, a major conference in London thrust Somalia back into the international spotlight.

For the past 21 years, Somalia has been one of the world's worst failed states with chronic famine, violence and piracy. The country has been without a functioning government for decades. Since 2006, parts of the country have been controlled by the militant Islamist group Al-Shabab, which pledged its allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2010. The European Union-backed military force, known as ANISOM, managed to push Al Shabab out of Mogadishu in recent months, considerably weakening the radical group but the al-Qaida sponsored al-Shabab militia still controls vast areas of Somalia. The largely ineffective Transitional Federal Government's mandate is coming to an end in August 2012 and the next six-months are seen as a critical period for Somalia. In fact, recovering from the regional crisis of various kinds, the whole of Horn of Africa will be facing a challenging year.

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By Toby Greene, Prof Alan Johnson.

As part of the FPC's new Israel and Palestine after the Arab Spring essay series Dr Toby Green and Prof Alan Johnson from BICOM (Alan is also a longstanding FPC Senior Research Associate) give us their take on the current state of the conflict. They argue that attempts to reach a two state solution are at a crisis and Palestinian refusal to enter negotiations without pre-conditions was a key problem. They argue that the US had made a policy error in insisting on a full-settlement freeze from which it later climbed down and that the Palestinian decision to go unilaterally to the UN was an error. They argue regional change put pressure on the Fatah and Hamas to form a unity deal and the regime changes in neighbours have removed important alliances. They argue that the international community needs to work with the political reality on the ground, focus on bottom-up not top-down initiatives, set realistic expectations and look for incremental steps forward.

Download FPC Briefing: How do we create a future for two-states (430 kilobyte PDF)

By John Lyndon.

As part of the FPC's new Israel and Palestine after the Arab Spring essay series John Lyndon, Executive director of OneVoice Europe (a peace building NGO operating with communities in both Israel and Palestine) gives us his take on the state of the conflict. He argues that the Arab Spring risks the rise of new governments more hostile to Israel but that shifts to the right in Israeli policy have been 'insular' and 'troubling'. He argues that the last year has seen Israel and the international community disempower the moderate Palestinian leadership, through continued settlement building and the rejection of the statehood option, while the prisoner transfer agreement following the Shalit release strengthened Hamas. He believes support for the two state solution and hope for negotiations are at an all-time low but calls for an active response from civil-society.

Download FPC Briefing: Israel, Palestine, and the "Urgency of Now" (290 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Marc Herzog.

FPC Research Associate Marc Herzog explores the development of Turkey's Foreign Policy and its response to the Arab Spring, setting out the challenges faced and those still to come.

Download FPC Briefing: Weathering the crazy seasons (310 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug. Source: Politics First Magazine

As the coalition government (at least in its Conservative majority) on balance appears to show a greater preference than its predecessor for bilateral rather than multilateral approaches to international engagement, it is perhaps time for a brief re-appraisal of Britain's approach and objectives at the largest multilateral grouping of them all, the UN.

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By Gerard Russell. Source: Politics.co.uk

As Libya approaches a new dawn we must appreciate that some things will go wrong, but there is an advisory role for foreign powers to fulfil.

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By Andrew Southam.

FPC research associate Andrew Southam explores some of the key issues in US-EU judicial co-operation.

Download FPC Briefing: Where next for EU-US judicial co-operation? (330 kilobyte PDF)

By Alex Bigham. Source: Yorkshire Post

From Nick Clegg to Ed Miliband, via David Davis and Ed Balls, Yorkshire's MPs could never be accused of being shrinking violets. But the Foreign Secretary and Richmond MP, William Hague, could do with a period of time out of the spotlight.

From the infamous pictures in a baseball cap, via his dealings with Lord Ashcroft, to the rumours about his private life, he has often struggled to manage his own image. Which perhaps makes it the more surprising that he has proven to be such an effective political survivor.

His time as Foreign Secretary has not been without controversy. Questions over Hague's authority have focussed on how the Government handled the initial period of the uprising in Libya.

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By Andrew Southam.

New FPC Research Associate Andrew Southam gives us his take on the controversial 2003 UK-US extradition treaty, whether criticism is valid and what can be done to improve the situation.

Download FPC Briefing: Do we need to rethink UK-US extradition (390 kilobyte PDF)

By Tim Flatman.

Tim Flatman gives his take on the challenging situation in Sudan's Abyei region and makes the case for more robust US and UK engagement.

Download Abyei: Beyond expediency, towards sustainable peace (230 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Andrew Monaghan.

FPC Senior Research Associate Andrew Monaghan gives his take on the historical and political challenges to be overcome by both the UK and Russia in order to improve their relationship.

Download UK-Russia Relations: a Bad Case of Mutual Misunderstandings (330 kilobyte PDF)

By Stephen Minas.

New FPC Research Associate Stephen Minas analyses the China's evolving approach to climate change negotiations from Copenhagen to Cancun and beyond.

Download FPC Briefing: Crossing the river – China and Climate Change (360 kilobyte PDF)

By Dr Feng Zhang, Adam Hug.

This third paper in the Kazakhstan at a Crossroads series explores some of Kazakhstan's international relationships with the EU, Russia and China.

Download Kazakhstan at a Crossroads: Kazakhstan and the world (360 kilobyte PDF)

By Hema Kotecha.

This FPC Briefing by Hema Kotecha explores some of the major challenges facing the Otunbaeva-led interim government and the international community in Kyrgyzstan after the April uprising and June's ethnic violence.

Download FPC Briefing: The costs of believing you are not in the Game (260 kilobyte PDF)

By Ella Rolfe.

The death of the 300th British soldier in Afghanistan is, as David Cameron pointed out, no more or less tragic than the 299 who have died before him since 2001. It does, however, come at an interesting domestic political juncture for Britain's new government.

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By Dr David Tickner, Head of Freshwater Programmes, WWF-UK, Josephine Osikena.

Understandably, the world has become increasingly preoccupied with risk and insecurity. The uncertainties produced by global challenges such as financial crises, economic slowdowns, health pandemics, the international narcotics trade, terrorism and conflict and indeed the impact of climate change are just a few pressing examples causing concern. However, the earth's environmental resources are increasingly under enormous strain and nowhere is this stress more apparent than in the case of the earth's finite supplies of freshwater.

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By Luke Bailey.

In this new FPC Briefing, Luke Bailey explains that more than 740,000 people are killed as a result of armed violence every year. Many others are assaulted, forcibly displaced or otherwise left with lasting psychological and physical injuries. Through these and other consequences, armed violence generates an estimated 'global cost of insecurity' of US$400bn per annum. Supporters of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) seek to reduce the burden of armed violence through negotiating a global, legally binding instrument to regulate the trade in conventional arms.

Download Towards an Arms Trade Treaty by Luke Bailey (300 kilobyte PDF)

By Zeynep Dereli.

New Senior Research Associate Zeynep Dereli gives her take on how Turkey needs to reformulate its approach to energy to create an outward looking strategy where energy policy and foreign policy work together towards common economic and political goals.

Download FPC Briefing: Toward a Grander Turkish Energy Strategy (320 kilobyte PDF)

By Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Tahirih Danesh.

FPC Senior Research Associate Tahirih Danesh and Wahied Wahdat-Hagh, Senior Fellow at European Foundation for Democracy have produced a hard hitting and challenging briefing that explores the way in which the Iran regime's revolutionary character defines the way it operates both within and beyond its borders.

Download FPC Briefing: Terroracracy (220 kilobyte PDF)

By Anna Owen.

A version of this article first appeared in Progress:

http://www.progressonline.org.uk/Magazine/article.asp?a=5001

Democracy has failed in Afghanistan. That statement can't make easy reading for Barack Obama, Gordon Brown or indeed anyone that believes in democracy. But has democracy failed irreparably and irreversibly in Afghanistan, or was it simply always the wrong solution? What are the reasons for the current political situation? And what are the implications of this for Afghanistan itself, for the region and for the international military, political and civilian strategies that are currently being pursued there?

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By Ella Rolfe.

Recent curbs on civil liberties are attempts to grasp slipping control over population

While Pakistan may seem to be descending into a pitched battle between state and Taliban, the current power relations are much more nuanced than this. To be sure, the Pakistani authorities are engaged in a large military operation against the Taliban in the country's north-western tribal areas; but there is a power struggle within the Pakistani polity as well. And the army, not the civilian government, is firmly in charge of efforts against militancy.

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Source: Guardian Comment is Free

To view original article visit Comment is Free

Just over a decade ago, Turkey's army gathered on its southern border in anticipation of a war with Syria that was narrowly avoided. Just over a fortnight ago, the two neighbours signed accords allowing for visa-free passage between the two states. Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, now describes Turkey as Syria's best friend, while Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, publicly calls Syrians his brothers.

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By Chris Phillips. Source: Guardian Comment is Free

The gradual return of international diplomats to Damascus signals a thaw in Syria's intractable feud with Saudi Arabia

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Source: The Majalla

Until very recently, the political climate regarding Syria's relationships with Israel, US and the West improved considerably, and an agreement on the Golan Heights issue seemed likely. However, elections in Israel changed the whole rationale, and the main question now seems to be whether the West-Syria rapproachement is possible, without negotiations and the improvement of relations with Israel.

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By Chris Phillips.

The recent meeting between Obama and Netanyahu focused on the several issues that shape the relationship between the US and Israel in the Middle East. One issue in particular, the peace talks between Israel and Syria, was left out of the press conference that followed the meeting between the two leaders, leaving plenty of space for speculation regarding the future of the talks.

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By Niall Ahern.

After 26 years and with over 70,000 deaths, the war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has ended. Footage of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tiger's dead leader across news channels and the internet has initiated street parties across the capital Colombo as some citizens, who have previously only known war, ponder the prospect of peace at last. In President Rajapaksa's victory speech to Parliament, he declared: 'Today we have been able to liberate the entire country from the clutches of terrorism. We have been able to defeat one of the most heinous terrorist groups in the world.' What President Rajapaksa says is true. The Tigers have been carrying out attacks over land and sea since the war began in 1983. In more recent years, suicide bombings have become a notorious feature of the Tigers' strategy. Over the course of the war, they successfully set up and ran a separate administration in the north and east of the island which we only got some glimpse of when the army liberated Kilinochchi earlier this year.

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By Chris Phillips. Source: www.majalla.com

After four years of isolation, Syria is back from the cold. Visitors from the US Congress and Western-aligned Arab states have all recently arrived in Damascus echoing President Obama's sentiment of engagement with the Ba'ath regime. Despite uncertainty surrounding the peace intentions of the new Israeli government, many in Washington hope Tel Aviv will soon resume peace talks with a seemingly compliant Damascus. By dangling the occupied Golan Heights as reward, it has been argued that President Bashar al-Asad can somehow be 'flipped' from his long-standing alliance with Iran, leading to a Sadat-esq realignment with the West. Yet such an assessment misunderstands the nature of the Iran-Syria relationship. With or without a peace with Israel, Damascus has no interest in forsaking Tehran.

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By Chris Phillips. Source: The Guardian Comment is Free

As the battle lines are drawn for the Lebanese elections in June, reports suggest the surprising kingmakers could be Lebanon's Armenians. This small community of barely 150,000 look set to abandon its traditional neutrality and back the Hezbollah-led opposition. While this appears to be yet another example of the complex interconfessional horse trading that has characterised Lebanese politics for years, it could be a sign that the state is finally taking slow steps away from its long-standing sectarianism.

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By Ella Rolfe.

What are the ways in which a group can be made stateless? Is expulsion from the state only physical, geographical or legal; or can it be effected through more metaphorical means? A recent example from Pakistan illustrates the diverse ways in which statelessness can be approached, and the many stages along the road to total abandonment by the state.

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By Christopher Jenkins.

An FPC 'Fresh Insights' paper

Download Back to Basics - Deterrence and the IDF (280 kilobyte PDF)

By Adam Hug.

With an aerial bombardment, Israeli troops on the streets of Gaza, a humanitarian crisis and frustrated diplomats, the parallels between the current crisis and the events of summer 2006 are pretty clear. That history has repeated itself with added ferocity and loss of life is testament to the diplomatic and political failure to which Israel, the Palestinians, the US, EU and neighbouring states have all been party. The bitter cycle of rocket attacks and economic blockade set against a backdrop of warring factions and glacial progress towards a final status agreement gives little credit all round.

The pressure from within the Israeli Government for mission creep to achieve the complete obliteration of Hamas appears to be subsiding as Egyptian and French diplomacy begins to make some progress, the scale of the humanitarian crisis and its global political impact becomes clearer to the Israelis and the task of finding suitable Hamas targets becomes progressively more difficult. As hopes of a possible resolution begin to flicker into view, thoughts are turning to what must be done to prevent this happening again.

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By Anna Owen.

John Hutton chose Remembrance Day to deliver his maiden speech(1) as Defence Secretary, and as the subject, a conflict described only just over a year ago as Britain's 'forgotten war'(2): the conflict in Afghanistan. In an address titled 'Afghanistan – Worth the Sacrifice,' Mr Hutton asserted that the war may yet become the 'defining conflict of this century.'

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By Dick Leonard. Source: The European Voice

It is ten years since the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) was launched, at an Anglo-French 'summit' at St. Malo, and there is now precious little to be shown for it. The French presidency of the EU is acutely aware of the failure of the policy, and is actively preparing a new European Security Strategy which will be presented for adoption at the December meeting of the European Council.

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In 2007 the Foreign Policy Centre, in conjunction with Channel 4, set up an independent, cross-party Commission tasked with producing a blueprint for Britain's future involvement in Iraq.

THE IRAQ COMMISSION REPORT CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT:

http://fpc.org.uk/publications/iraqcommissionreport

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By Alex Bigham. Source: The Guardian Comment is Free

A new order is taking shape in the Middle East with Iran and Syria at its centre, but will human rights and democracy be the losers?

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By Richard Gowan. Source: The Globalist

26 June 2006

The run up to the 2007 elections in France are bound to be a bitter, hard-fought contest. Though France has no need for a mass conscription army, Richard Gowan writes that the military may become a central campaign issue. In fact, socialist candidate Ségolène Royal is recommending one in an effort to give the government a new option in dealing with civil unrest among its rebellious youth.

Whenever French youth take to the streets, as in March this year, it is not long before Anglo-Saxon commentators are citing "the legacy of 1789" and "the spirit of 1968."

These dates, they imply, demonstrate the anarchic underpinnings of France's politics. But recent Parisian political debate has echoed another tradition stretching back to the 18th century: the idea of the French citizen not as a revolutionary — but as a soldier.

Those who believe Europe has lost its taste for the armed forces may be surprised to see the run-up to next year's French presidential election take a distinctly martial turn.

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By Alex Bigham. Source: The Spectator

24th June 2006

Is there another Iran? One where people care about things other than turning yellowcake into uranium hexafluoride gas? One where the fashion accessories are not just nuclear worker's face masks or chadors? One where the price of watermelons is more keenly debated than the scale of the Holocaust?

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By Alex Bigham. Source: The Guardian Comment is Free

In the hall of mirrors, Iran may quietly be welcoming Washington's offer of talks.

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On September 15 2005, Stuart Fraser of the Corporation of London gave a welcoming address at the launch of the FPC's Energy Security Programme.

He commented:

Tonight, with the launch of Re-engineering the Home Front, I believe we are taking the first steps in the construction of an atlas which will show us the way to a secure and prosperous future.

Download the article (40 kilobyte PDF)

By Greg Austin, Ken Berry. Source: 31 March 2005, The Globalist

Is the United Nations in any shape to face current global security challenges? Or has the gap between the West and the rest become too wide to realistically reflect the demands of a changing international order? Greg Austin and Ken Berry argue that the UN's High Level Panel on Reform falls far short of the full-scale reformation really needed.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has had his High Level Panel on UN Reform. And Jeff Sachs has issued his report on accelerating progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

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By Richard Gowan. Source: The Globalist, 14 January 2005

Africa's ongoing crisis — from the genocide in Darfur to civil conflicts in other countries — continues to defy easy solutions. Richard Gowan of the Foreign Policy Centre argues that the EU should partner with the African Union to provide security and stability. He outlines how an organization modeled on the role NATO played during the Cold War could get the job done for Africa.

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By Dick Leonard. Source: European Voice, 13 January 2005

Last month, the EU quietly took over from NATO responsibility for maintaining law and order in Bosnia-Herzogovina. Should it now prepare also to replace NATO's K-For in Kosovo, or even – as German Christian Democratic MEP Doris Pack recently suggested – assume a protectorate for the territory in place of UNMIK (the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo)?

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By Rob Blackhurst. Source: Middle Eastern Review

Rob Blackhurst reviews Dan Plesch's latest book.

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By Dick Leonard. Source: European Voice, 14 October 2004

On Monday (11 October), EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, reached a series of decisions which could breathe new life into the largely dormant relationship between the European Union and Serbia-Montenegro. This followed last week's visit to Belgrade by External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and High Representative Javier Solana, and closely followed their recommendations.

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Source: The Moscow Times, 30 September 2004

As citizens of the Euro-Atlantic community of democracies, we wish to express our sympathy and solidarity with the people of the Russian Federation in their struggle against terrorism. The mass murderers who seized School No. 1 in Beslan committed a heinous act of terrorism for which there can be no rationale or excuse. While other mass murderers have killed children and unarmed civilians, the calculated targeting of so many innocent children at school is an unprecedented act of barbarism that violates the values and norms of our community and which all civilized nations must condemn.

At the same time, we are deeply concerned that these tragic events are being used to further undermine democracy in Russia.

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By Fiona Hill. Source: The Globalist, 26th August 2004

Russia is back on the global strategic and economic map. For starters, it has regained the prominence in global energy markets it enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, when the Soviet Union - not Saudi Arabia — was the preeminent world oil producer. But Russia now has a "new soft power" role that extends far beyond its energy resources.

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By Ceren Coskun.

Suits and Uniforms: Turkish Foreign Policy since the Cold War, Philip Robins

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By Dr Greg Austin, Ben Koppelman. Source: The Globe and Mail, 30th July 2004

The Sudanese government and Arab militias will only respond to direct threats and payoffs.

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By Dr Greg Austin.

Why Is Hamid Karzai, the leader of strife torn Afghanistan, taking time to go to Tashkent in Uzbekistan this week?

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By Phoebe Griffith. Source: March 2004, The Foreign Policy Centre

One of the earliest announcements of the Bush camp's re-election campaign was the introduction of a temporary worker scheme. Although questions about the reality of the promise started to emerge soon after, at the time this transparent attempt to win over the Latino vote was declared a landmark victory for US business and migration activists. But judging from the beam on the face of his Mexican counterpart, President Vicente Fox, Mexico's government seems to have emerged as the biggest winner.

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By Richard Gowan. Source: Monday April 19 2004

Richard Gowan argues that Europe has nation-building shortcomings of its own.

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By Richard Gowen, Phoebe Griffith. Source: Tuesday 13th April 2004

There is a widely held belief among development practitioners that foreign policy makers are out to get them 'in the national interest', argue Richard Gowan and Phoebe Griffith.

The main reason for this is that the political function of aid is deeply resented by aid practitioners. In the ultimate analysis, development is inevitably political: it shapes the capacity and accountability of governments and helps to define the place of recipient and donor states in the international system. This does not mean that we should further politicise aid. It does, however, imply that there is need for a fuller dialogue between the development and foreign policy communities.

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By Richard Gowan. Source: Monday 29 March 2004

Richard Gowan argues that European drift has contributed towards ethnic strife

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By Rob Blackhurst. Source: March 22 2004

The message from politicians has been simple. For Ken Livingstone it would be "miraculous" if "some terrorists didn't get through" while for the Prime Minister and the Head of the Metropolitan police it's a question of "when not if". Their plea for us to be "alert but not alarmed" is difficult to internalise when the scenarios range from a lone suicide bomber, through a Madrid style attack, to an unconventional chemical, biological or nuclear attack. "Prepare for every eventuality" is a cliché that has ratcheted the nation into a febrile state. But won't help you survive an attack. In amidst this maelstrom of fear, there is what Donald Rumsfeld might call "known knowns".

Download the article (70 kilobyte PDF)

By Mark Leonard.

Four major European countries joined the United States as allies in the Iraq conflict. Now one has been punished in the most brutal fashion, and instead of rallying around the commander in chief as Americans did after 9-11 the Spanish people turned against their leader. As Prime Minister elect Zapatero talks about recalling troops from Iraq, the Bush Administration will be wondering how the tragedy in Madrid will play out with the remaining three. Is this a uniquely Spanish phenomenon – or should they worry about Blair, Berlusconi and Miller too?

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By Andrew Tyrie MP, John Lloyd.

On 11 March 2004 the Foreign Policy Centre brought together John Lloyd and Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie to take part in a seminar on the Iraq War, one year after they had written contrasting pamphlets on the subject. Transcripts are available below.

By Mark Leonard, Rouzbeh Pirouz. Source: International Herald Tribune, 6 Feb 2004

Last May the Iraqi people celebrated the end of Saddam Hussein's stranglehold over what they saw and heard through the media. However,Washington's controlling attitude to broadcasting in the region has left many Iraqis feeling that US commitments to free speech are more rhetoric than reality.

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By Jeff McAllister, London Bureau Chief for Time.

Jeff McAllister suggests that 'tepid non-unilateralism' is likley to be adopted by the US administrtaion in dealing with the the UN, Middle East and North Korea

Download the article (10 kilobyte PDF)

A public roundtable on Empire chaired by Michael Portillo with Mark Leonard, Phillip Bobbitt, Robert Cooper, Lindsay Hilsum, Michael Gove and Naomon Muna

Download the article (80 kilobyte PDF)

By Michael Lind, Baroness Williams, Robert Harvey, Phillip Bobbitt.

Read the transcript of the Prospect/Foreign Policy Centre Event "After the War"

Download the article (50 kilobyte PDF)

By Robert Kagan. Source: Guardian, 3 March 2003

Robert Kagan, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, writes that the ideas expressed by Robert Cooper in the FPC-published 'The Postmodern State and World Order' provide the intellectual framework for understanding transatlantic foreign policy differences- and how Tony Blair can resolve them.

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By Mark Leonard, Conrad Smewing. Source: Financial Times, 27 M arch 2003

Following the launch of their British Council-commissioned report 'Public Diplomay and the Middle East'- and against a background of conflict in Iraq- Leonard and Smewing argue that radical policy reform is needed to change Britain's standing in the Arab World.

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By Mark Leonard. Source: Observer, 2 March 2003

Western governments will not overcome Middle East hostility unless they are ready to change their policies and tackle fears that Islamophobia is rife in the west

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By Rachel Briggs.

This is a copy of the speech delivered by Risk and Security Manager Rachel Briggs at the recent launch of the policy report on FCO Travel Advice. Other speakers included Austrailian High Commissioner H.E Michael L'Estrange, James Watt of the FCO Consular Section and Manny Fontenla-Novoa of Thomas Cook.

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By Rachel Briggs.

This article appeared in Security Monitor, the journal published by the Homeland Security and Resilience Programme at RUSI.

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The Unlikely Counter-Terrorists argues that business involvement in counter-terrorism policies and activities is vital to the success of the UK's response. See below for the key findings from the launch event

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By Mark Leonard. Source: Observer, 11 August 2002

Caricatures of the left as pacifist are false. But President Bush is making the wrong case for war if he wants to win over his critics, argues a leading foreign policy analyst.

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By Mark Leonard. Source: Observer, 16 June 2002

In the latest of his monthly online commentaries for Observer Worldview, Mark Leonard examines the Bush administration's efforts to change the way the United States communicates with foreign publics. This may cut against the grain of American foreign policy, but it offers important lessons for Europe's own efforts to win friends and influence people.

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By Mark Leonard, Director of The Foreign Policy Centre. Source: Introduction to Reclaiming Britishness

Mark Leonard outlines how a modern, inclusive, outward-looking notion of Britishness can be used as a guide to policy in this introduction to Reclaiming Britishness.

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By Rachel Briggs. Source: Observer, 25 August 2002

With more Britons getting into trouble abroad, the Foreign Office should rethink the way it gets advice to travellers, argues Rachel Briggs the author of Travel Advice

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By Andrew Geddes.

Immigration is not a magic solution to an ageing population, argues.

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By Mike Edwards.

Consultation rather than crowd control is the way for global institutions to deal with civil society.

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By Rowena Young.

Read the event report from the launch of "From War to Work," held at the Design Council on Monday 20th May 2002.

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By Mark Leonard, Rob Blackhurst. Source: The Foreign Policy Centre

Mark Leonard and Rob Blackhurst meet former US Defence Secretary Robert McNamara.

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By Robert Cooper. Source: Re-Ordering the World

Robert Cooper's chapter from the recent Foreign Policy Centre publication Re-Ordering the World: The long-term implications of September 11th has caused quite a stir with its call for "a new kind of imperialism". Read the full article here and judge for yourself.

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By Lord Cairns.

Given at the Foreign Policy Centre's Managing Migration conference at Canada House on Tuesday 15th January

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By Rt Hon David Blunkett MP.

Given at the Foreign Policy Centre Managing Migration Conference on Tuesday 15th January at Canada House

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By Ram Gidoomal.

Given at the Foreign Policy Centre Managing Migration Conference on Tuesday 15th January, Canada House

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By Rachel Briggs. Source: Guild of Security Controllers Newsletter

The following article appeared in the November edition of the Guild of Security Controllers Newsletter.

It is the first article in a series of four looking at different elements of kidnapping: the trends, how companies can reduce their risks, what companies should do when a kidnapping happens and what companies should do once a case is resolved.

Copies of the report The Kidnapping Business by Rachel Briggs can be ordered using the order form on this site. For more information about the report, see 'Publications' and more articles in this section below.

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By Rachel Briggs. Source: Guild of Security Controllers Newsletter

The following article appears in the Spring edition of the Guild of Security Controllers' newsletter.

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By Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP.

Speech Delivered at The Foreign Policy Centre Fringe Event, Labour Party Conference 2001

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By Tonino Picula, Croatian Foreign Minister.

In June 2001, the Croatian Foreign Minister, Tonino Picula, spoke at a breakfast roundtable at The Foreign Policy Centre on achieving security through democratisation in South-East Europe. Please click below to read a copy of his speech.

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By Rowena Young. Source: Global Thinking

Rowena Young argues that we must learn from Asia if our drug policies are to stand a chance of success.

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By Rachel Briggs. Source: The Foreign Policy Centre publication

This report, published by The Foreign Policy Centre outlines the problem of economic kidnapping and sets out a new framework for policy makers in tackling the crime.

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By Rachel Briggs.

The following text is the speech delivered by Rachel Briggs, report author, at the event to mark the launch of the report.

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By Rachel Briggs. Source: The Foreign Policy Centre

Holy Wars Against Drugs are doomed to failure, says Rachel Briggs

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