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: January 2012
Preliminary Reflections of a Reluctant Pilgrim
In an earlier blog I questioned whether it is possible to hold together a journey though the historical landscape of Jesus and its 21st Century reality? Since arriving in Tel Aviv on Friday, this reluctant pilgrim has visited a number … Continue reading
The Reluctant Pilgrim – What does one pack when doing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land?
What do you pack when undertaking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land? Hair shirt or tin hat? As I prepare for a week-long pilgrimage to the Holy Land this question is becoming ever more pressing. As a result I’m feeling … Continue reading
Posted in Middle East
Tagged Christians in the Holy Land, Holy Land, Pilgrims, Spirituality
4 Comments
Europe and the Primacy of Domestic Politics
Faced with the growing fragmentation of Europe and the prospect of failed and failing states within its borders, Europe’s politicians appear incapable of providing the necessary political leadership to navigate the EU through its current economic ills. Mainstream political commentators might lament … Continue reading
Negotiating with the Taleban
The video of four Marines urinating on Taleban corpses has rightly been condemned by relevant US authorities. Indecent and inappropriate acts like this inevitably and rightly shock public sensitivities. Perhaps the most surprising element in this story, however, has been … Continue reading
Posted in Afghanistan
Tagged Afghanistan, Hilary Clinton, President Karzai, Taleban, Urinating Marines
1 Comment
Afghanistan: To 2015 and Beyond
Rather than face the inevitable tsunami of emails that arises from being holiday, I decided to escape the office today for the relative sanctuary of the IISS where resident scholars were launching the results of their research project on the … Continue reading
Posted in Middle East, Uncategorized
Tagged Afghanistan, Haqqani, IISS, Iran, Middle East, nuclear proliferation, Taleban
2 Comments


