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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Tag Archives: Libya
Syria in the shadow of Iraq
After two years of a bloody civil war in Syria the frustration in finding a diplomatic solution is seeing a number of governments openly talking about arming the more moderate elements of the Syrian opposition. With over 70,000 deaths to … Continue reading
Posted in Middle East
Tagged Jihad, Libya, Middle East, Syria, syrian opposition, UNICEF
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Do we have a responsibility to protect civilians in Libya post Gaddafi?
Following on from a post I wrote last week on the importance of continuing to reflect on the ethics of our intervention in Libya even after Gaddafi’s fall, I’m encouraged to learn that the Carnegie Council are bringing out a special edition of Ethics and International Affairs that … Continue reading
Posted in Libya
Tagged Alex Bellamy, Carnegie Council, Colonel Gaddafi, Ethics and International Affairs, Libya, R2P, Simon Chesterman, Thomas Weiss.
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…. but was it necessary, legal and right?
Earlier this week David Cameron used a statement on the rapidly changing situation in Libya to re-state his belief that the decision to deploy military force to support the Libyan people was necessary, legal and right. Do you agree? Military … Continue reading
Posted in Libya
Tagged David Cameron, Humanitarian Intervention, Just War, Libya, Pacifism, R2P, UN
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Reflecting on Libya’s Uncertain Future
Before you ask, yes, I had a good summer break – a break from work, email, i-phone, TV and texts. The isolated splendor of riding through the Weald of Kent meant I missed out on the summer disturbances that blighted … Continue reading
Managing Our Defence in an Age of Austerity
Tensions between politicians and the armed forces have once again spilled over into the public domain these last few weeks with the latter complaining once again that they are being asked to do more with less. Much of the existing ill … Continue reading
Posted in Defence
Tagged Britain's Role in the World, Defence, Euroopean Defence Spending, Libya, NATO, Robert Gates, Strategic Defence Review
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Syria – Paying the Price for Our Mission Creep in Libya?
Today the United Nations Security Council will debate Libya. It will take stock of the situation on the ground and assess the steps that have been taken to uphold UNSCR 1973. At the same time Britain and France will continue … Continue reading
Photo Essay: The Floating Cemetery of Lampedusa
This week’s photo essay tells the story of those innocents desperately trying to escape the conflict in Libya. The photo is of a floating cemetery of smuggler’s boats in Lampedusa. These rickety boats were used to transport people fleeing Libya … Continue reading
Time to Build Gaddafi a Golden Bridge?
If, like me, you think our military intervention in Libya is going horribly wrong politically, you might be interested in the following analysis from the International Crisis Group. The short report draws attention to the high risk political strategy that … Continue reading
Photo Essay: The Coalition One Year
This week’s photo essay takes us back a year to the press conference in the gardens of No 10 where David Cameron and Nick Clegg launched the Coalition Government. One year on what are we to make of the … Continue reading
Bishop Packs a Punch on Libya and the Arab Spring
The Rt Revd John Packer, the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, made a useful intervention in today’s debate in the House of Lords on Libya and wider developments in the Middle East The debate is still on going but you … Continue reading
Posted in Libya, Middle East
Tagged Arab Democracy, Houses of Parliament, John Packer, Libya, Middle East
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