Published by The Observer (24th July, 2016) Does Terrorism Work by Richard English (Oxford University Press) Two decades ago I had tea with one of Ulster’s most infamous […]
Africa’s Afghanistan
Published in The Spectator (July 13th, 2012) For centuries, the people of Timbuktu have sought guidance from their Sufi saints. They took pride in the mausoleums of these […]
Accidental coup has undone decades of steady progress
Published in The Independent (April 7th, 2012) Arriving in Timbuktu after a long, hot journey across the Sahara, you come to a striking monument to peace, with guns […]
MI6 role in Libyan rebels’ rendition ‘helped to strengthen al-Qaida’
Published in The Guardian (October 25th) British intelligence believes the capture and rendition of two top Libyan rebel commanders, carried out with the involvement of MI6, strengthened al-Qaida […]
The day that shook the world
Published in The Observer (September 11th, 2011) The Eleventh Day by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan (Doubleday); The 9/11 Wars by Jason Burke (Allen Lane); Granta 116: Ten […]
The troubling aftermath of Bin Laden’s killing
Published in The Mail on Sunday (May 8th, 2011) It was a scene familiar from coffee bars around the world. A student in designer clothes tapping away on […]