And here is Edward Lucas castigating the latest EU signs of ‘moving on’ following the Russian dismemberment of Georgia, not least the UK position: Britain’s decision to allow France to lead the European Union back into normal relations with Vladimir Putin’s ex-KGB regime in Russia is one of the most […]
A reader responds to the Mr Incredible example in my piece about how far one is prepared to inflict – and take – pain in a vital negotiation: Well yes, but that was a crucial moment, because it showed Mirage that this was not simply a contest of strength. It allowed her […]
Iain Dale identifies the top ten qualities a ‘good’ Prime Minister needs: 1. Decisiveness2. Conviction3. Understanding the motivations of Middle England4. Being a good negotiator5. Being a good conciliator6. Having a good TV presence7. Being a good parliamentary performer8. Having a thick skin9. Being able to cut through civil service bullshit10. […]
Back from my Negotiations seminar with those perky young diplomats. If you can force X to do something, no need to negotiate. If you can persuade X to do something by your eloquence, ditto. But if those options fail, you have two choices. Negotiate. Or give up the whole idea […]
Lord Ashdown and Richard Holbrooke have penned a long joint letter to the Guardian warning about the risks of the international community taking its eye off the Bosnia problem. They focus on what they see as the basic aim of Republika Srpska PM Milorad Dodik: His long-term policy seems clear: to place his […]
Insofar as anyone thinks about it all these days, the UN just sort of ’emerged’ after WW2, at that conference in San Francisco, didn’t it? Dan Plesch at SOAS has been looking deep into the history of those times and is pulling together a goodly bunch of fascinating material showing […]
Foreign policy is – at root – simple. Identify a clear and fair-minded position. Then use all available sticks and carrots to pursue it. And don’t give up quickly, lest you lose impetus and credibility. Thus one might think that Russia’s August power-play to slice off parts of a fellow […]
Feuding as he already is with his lead FCO department, Craig Murray sits down to write a strong speech on Uzbekistan human rights issues. He sends a draft to London, to FCO Human Rights Department led by his old pal (and mine) Jon Benjamin – himself something of a post-Sovietologist […]
Chapter 7 of Craig Murray’s book describes his first serious skirmish with the FCO, over a speech he makes about human rights. By the date of the speech he has been in Uzbekistan exactly 56 days. His nonetheless bold aim: … to fracture what I believed had become a conspiracy of silence by […]
After a long break (exhaustion) we return to working our way through Craig Murray’s Murder in Samarkand. Chapters 5 and 6 give us a lively account of Craig’s first major foray deep into Uzbekistan (the Ferghana Valley), complete with accompanying local KGB-style minders. He stays in dirty, basic hotels ("I felt […]
