Global Strategy Forum
'Afghan Scenarios - A Nation in the Balance'
House of Lords, Monday 8th March 2010
Global Strategy Forum and the Windsor Energy Group hosted a seminar entitled 'Afghan Scenarios - A Nation in the Balance' in the House of Lords on Monday 8th March 2010. The seminar provided a series of expert perspectives, both on the present situation in Afghanistan and on the question of how it might be possible to withdraw from Afghanistan without leaving regional chaos and potential serious security consequences for the Middle East. The following speakers took part: Professor James C Clad, National Defense University, Washington DC; Professor Michael Clarke, Director, Royal United Services Institute; Anthony Fitzherbert, Consultant, Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Land Management; General The Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB LVO OBE, UK Chief of the Defence Staff 1997-2001; Adam Holloway MP, Member, Defence Select Committee; Professor Anatol Lieven, Department of War Studies, King's College London; and Andrew Wilson, News Presenter, Sky. The seminar was chaired by the Rt Hon Michael Ancram MP, Chairman of Global Strategy Forum and the Rt Hon The Lord Howell of Guildford, Chairman of the Windsor Energy Group.
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO
Rt Hon Field Marshal The Lord Inge, KG, GCB, DL, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO, Michael Ancram MP
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was Global Strategy Forum's second guest lecturer in January. Speaking on 'Britain in Afghanistan' under the Chatham House Rule, he gave a compelling prediction of how success could be achieved in Afghanistan and what that success might look like.
Dr Jack Caravelli
Guest speaker
On 21st October, Ambassador Denis Bauchard, Dr Jack Caravelli and Professor William R Polk shared their thoughts on the subject of 'Iran's Nuclear Ambitions and Energy Security' in a roundtable which was co-hosted by Global Strategy Forum and Gulf Policy Forum. A summary of the meeting is available by clicking the link above.
'Kurdistan Region in Iraq - what prospects for the future?'
Sir Hilary Synott KCMG, Minister Falah Mustapha Bakir, Michael Ancram, Mike Gapes MP and Huseyin Gun
We were delighted to welcome Minister Falah Bakir, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Govenrment Department of Foreign Relations, to Global Strategy Forum. Together with Mike Gapes MP, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Sir Hilary Synnott, KCMG, whose new book, 'Bad Days in Basra, was published in March by IB Tauris, he gave his views on the future prospects of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq and the various challlenges that it faces.
Lord King, Sir Peter Tapsell, Hazhir Teimourian
Guest Panellists - 22nd Januray 2008
The three distinguished panellists explored the possible outcomes for Iraq. Sir Peter Tapsell outlined five possible scenarios and went through them in some detail. Hazhir Teimourian spoke quietly but with great passion. His personal recollections of his Kurdish childhood were both informative and poignant.
Ambassador David Satterfield
Guest Speaker - 21st January 2008
Ambassador David M. Satterfield has been Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Coordinator for Iraq since August 2006. His insight was detailed, as one would expect, and his thoughts provoked many questions from a packed audience. He did not baulk at the subject, covering the violence, the economy, governance, oil and Iraq's neighbours. In questions he dealt with the refugee issue as well as the threat from militias, the PKK, Syria and lessons learnt in the State Department. [the sound quality of the questions is not ideal but by way of compensation the answers were very detailed, making it obvious as to the original question]
Andrew Krepinevich
Guest Speaker - 18th July 2006
Dr Andrew Krepinevich examines the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan and asks what lessons can be learnt. The seven areas he looks at in detail are illuminating, not least his point on who exactly is in charge in Baghdad, "...the Americans do not have unity of command in Baghdad. There is no single person in charge...Khalilzad is not in charge; General Casey is not in charge. They have to negotiate with one another to see what we are going to do." On Afghanistan he is amazingly blunt when he says that NATO needs a lot more troops and equipment in theatre, and those troops are going to be there a long time...its about time the politicians started telling it like it is.
Hüseyin Gün
Advisory Board member
In this detailed paper, Mr Hüseyin Gün, a GSF Board member, sets out his thoughts on what must be done to get Iraq on the road to prosperity. He not only focuses on what the international powers should be doing but also examines what the Iraqis should be doing for themselves. His recommendations, and more specifically his attention to detail - especially those facts which relate to daily life - make for interesting reading.
Sir Jeremy Greenstock
June Lecture guest
In this tour de force Sir Jeremy Greenstock examines the prospects for the region and what are the key ingredients that constitute a successful democracy. Starting with a startlingly realistic analysis of post-conflict Iraq, he moves on to examine the current situations in Iran and in Palestine. If this were a book it would be on the bestsellers list.
Lord Ashcroft KCMG
Conservative Peer
Lord Ashcroft KCMG, writing for the Forum, poses some serious questions of the United Kingdom's military deployment to southern Afghanistan; questions which have yet to be answered by the British Government. With reports that UK forces could be in Afghanistan for up to ten years Lord Ashcroft asks whether all sides are equally committed to the process of rebuilding the country, tackling the drugs trade and dealing with a resurgent Taliban. Lord Ashcroft has been a frequent visitor to Kabul and to Herat.
Michael Ancram PC DL QC
Chairman - Global Strategy Forum
Michael Ancram thinks that UK Forces have achieved about all they can in Iraq. From starting out trying to solve problems they are fast becoming part of the problem. This he says is a sure sign that the time has come to withdraw UK Forces.
