LATEST ANALYSIS:
A Russian Spy Ring at the Heart of the British Establishment - Book Review of A Spy Alone by Charles Beaumont
When the truths of our politics are stranger than even the most fanciful fiction, is there any merit in reading political fiction? Furthermore, can serious students, scholars, and civil servants derive real educative or entertainment value from fictionized accounts of today’s politics? A Spy Alone answers these questions in the affirmative, written by Charles Beaumont. Jason Pack reviews the book in The Cipher Brief
How the war on terroir was won – Part 2
Geographical indications (GIs) were also a big factor in the EU’s growing export performance. But the globalisation of the EU’s approach also triggered two unplanned and unintended developments, writes a former top EU trade negotiator John Clarke in Euractiv
How the war on terroir was won – Part 1
In just a decade, geographical Indications (GIs) have passed from being a largely European niche – a Eurobsession, some say – to a globally recognised and appreciated form of intellectual property right, writes a former top EU trade negotiator John Clarke in Euractiv
Hardliners Ride High In The Middle East – Analysis
On Eurasia Review, James M. Dorsey analyses a recent Lebanese public opinion poll that suggests that there may be limits to Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah’s restraint in confronting Israel
The Palestinians and Israel: A Modern Day ‘Trail of Tears’
The treatment of Native Americans more than 100 years ago cannot provide an exact comparison to the situation of Palestinians today – but there are striking similarities, writes Alexandra Hall Hall in Byline Times
Net Zero Secretary Claire Coutinho Took Donation From Climate Science Denial Funder
Michael Hintze, one of the early backers of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, also donated to Environment Secretary Steve Barclay in 2023. Sam Bright writes about it in DeSmog
Tory donor linked to Post Office scandal IT firm now under fire for £400m broadband contracts
Peter Geoghegan’s Exclusive: Simon Blagden, a former Fujitsu UK chair, was paid to lobby for a firm that landed lucrative contracts - from the government agency he now runs. In Democracy for Sale
A Psychiatrist’s Take on Those Holding Global Power in 2024
As President Joseph Biden enters a key election year in which many national polls show him trailing former President Donald Trump – his administration struggles with a complicated ‘multipolar’ world. Kenneth Dekleva discusses the challenges faced by the US in the Cipher Brief.
Blame Netanyahu for Gaza, not ‘the Jews’
The Israeli prime minister’s failed, immoral policies are a deadly own goal and they are pure neopopulism, Jason Pack discusses the topic in The New European
The Israel-Hamas War: Searching for Moral Clarity Amid Conflict
Former British diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall reflects on the complexities involved in the conflict and why there are no easy answers – if any
Is the Israel-Hamas War Spilling Over Into Europe?
Unpacking the rise in antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents beyond the Middle East.
Battleground Podcast: How the nature of war is evolving
In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, David Patrikarakos discusses what he's witnessed recently in and over the whole of his time in Ukraine and how the nature of warfare is changing both on the battlefield and on the propaganda front.
Battleground podcast: Possible post-conflict solutions for Gaza
On Battleground Podcast, Jason Pack shares his thoughts on how a start could be made by handing over Gaza to joint administration by a coalition of Arab states.
Essential questions about the Russia-Hamas link: The evidence and its implications
As the war in Gaza continues to unfold, essential questions about Russian and Iranian support for Hamas remain. They include whether Russia played any role in providing support to Hamas ahead of its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Evidence available from foreign-language publications in Russian, Persian, Arabic, and Hebrew, as well as those in English, provides provocative leads, which, if accurate, have serious potential implications. Jonathan M. Winer explains.
Keen on: Is the current Gazan ceasefire a mirage?
In this KEEN ON show, Andrew Keen talks to Jason Pack about Qatar, Iran, Biden, Hamas, Israel and the road to order in the disordered Middle East.
Israel’s Actions in Gaza Will Come Back to Haunt It
Israel’s concept of itself as a peaceful and democratic nation risks being irrevocably damaged by such excessive violence, writes Alexandra Hall Hall in Byline Times.
The Road to Middle East Peace Runs Through Doha
Bringing together Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to administer postwar Gaza could weaken Iranian and Russian regional influence. Jason Pack discusses the matter in Foreign Policy
Qatar is the key to peace in postwar Gaza
American and British diplomats should be working on creating a pan-Arab coalition to administer postwar Gaza — and Qatar’s role would be particularly important. Jason Pack writes in the Boston Globe.
Israel and Hamas: ‘Finger-Pointing Will Get Us Nowhere’
The ripple effects of this latest upsurge in violence will go far beyond Israeli and Palestinian territory, writes Alexandra Hall Hall in Byline Times.
Historically Thinking: Disorder
Jason Pack discusses Disorder and history on Historically Thinking.