About this blog
Welcome to my blog - I'm Charles Reed and I advise the Church of England on foreign policy issues.
This blog covers a variety of topics from US foreign policy to European politics and the Middle East - and whatever else happens to be in the news or catch my attention.
This is a conversational blog so please join in as your comments are an essential part of making the whole thing work.
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Monthly Archives: December 2010
Have a Happy Christmas
This is my last post before Christmas. I’ve picked up a last-minute deal and fly out next week for two weeks of horse riding in Andalucia. Its a tough job but someone has to do it. Usual blogging service will resume on Monday 10 Jan. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Photo of the Week – Come Hell or High Water
A Greenpeace activist holds a figure of the US Statue of Liberty, during their symbolic ‘Sinking Icons’ activity, by submerging icons of world-famous buildings, in Cancun, Mexico, on December 8, 2010 during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change … Continue reading
Time for a Reality Check – What Might a One State Solution Look Like?
Last Wednesday the Obama administration recognised publicly that attempts to bribe the Israeli government into agreeing a 90-day settlement freeze to resume talks with Palestinians had failed. So, one week on where do we go from here? Should we follow … Continue reading
Anglican Alliance and Sally Keeble – A Fresh Expression of Transformative Mission
Great news! Sally Keeble has been appointed the first Director of the Anglican development Alliance. It also means that the Alliance is now operational. The Alliance has been set up to connect and strengthen the development, relief and advocacy activities of the Anglican … Continue reading
Richard Holbrooke – The Death of a Raging Bull
I was really saddened to hear that Richard Holbrooke, the US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, died yesterday at the age of 69. I was a great fan of this raging bull of a US diplomat – hence this brief obituary. … Continue reading
Reflecting on Cancun- More Glacier Than Freeze?
Following my earlier post on the subject, what are we to make of the climate agreement reached in Cancun over the weekend? The Cancun Agreement usefully builds on the rather toxic Copenhagen Accord of the previous year. It begins to … Continue reading
Obama – The Emperor without any Clothes?
With Christmas fast approaching, here is a political riddle that you probably won’t find in your Christmas day cracker. Question: What do the Middle East Peace Process and the attempts to resolve the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula have … Continue reading
Europe’s crisis – An Animated view from Taiwan
Seeing one’s own problems through the eyes of others can sometimes be instructive and at times sobering. It can also be amusing. I found the following animated ‘You-Tube video’ from a Taiwanese film company particularly helpful when trying to make sense … Continue reading
Is it time to write Europe’s Obituary?
It is not every day that my work keeps me awake at night, but a colleague of mine, who reads my blog but refuses to comment publicly on it, accused me yesterday of political naivety following yesterday’s post. The main … Continue reading
Posted in The EU
Tagged Andrew Moravscik, Conference of European Churches, Euro Crisis, Europe, The EU, Tim Garton Ash
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Can we Learn to Live in Peace with Russia?
After a round of meetings in Poland yesterday with President Bronislaw Komorwski, the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, heads to Brussels today for the start of the EU-Russia Summit. Medvedev aims to secure EU approval of Moscow’s bid to join the … Continue reading
