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The
War on Terrorism After the US Elections: Change or Continuity? |
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A one-day conference with Robert Cooper, Director-General for External and Politico-Military Affairs at the Council of the European Union in Brussels, Dan Plesch, author of The Observer's paperback of the week The Beauty Queen's Guide to World Peace and Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas Date:
Saturday 13 November, 10.30am-6pm, followed by drinks reception Birkbeck is offering a unique opportunity to explore the issues arising from the re-election of George Bush with high-profile experts on terrorism and US foreign policy a week after the impact of the election unfolds. Conference organiser Dr Alex Colás, course director and lecturer on Birkbeck's new MSc International Security and Global Governance, says: "The so-called 'war on terrorism' is at a cross-roads. By shifting the front to Iraq, the US and its war-allies are now hostage to developments in that part of the world. The next few months are crucial in determining the future of the war on terror, and the aim of the conference is to identify some of the options available to the various actors involved in the light of US electoral results." Dr Colás is author of International Civil Society: Social Movements in World Politics (Polity Press, 2002) and is currently writing Empire for the Polity Press 'Key Concept' series. Best-selling author and Birkbeck visiting fellow Dan Plesch, has just published The Observer's paperback of the week The Beauty Queen's Guide to World Peace, in which he proposes a progressive strategy for international security and political economy to challenge both neo-conservative and neo-liberal thinking. Plesch is co-author of A Case to Answer - the report on the potential impeachment of Tony Blair for high crimes and misdemeanours in relation to the invasion of Iraq. Dan Plesch believes that the "Iraq debacle has been a vindication of the effectiveness of the UN in containing Saddam, and a vindication of the popular opposition to the war. The challenge is to build this into a serious reform of international politics." Dan Plesch was engaged with the politics of weapons of mass destruction and intervention as founding Director of the British American Security Information Council. He is a commentator for the BBC and CNN, and has written extensively for national press in Britain. Robert Cooper,
who gives the conference's closing address, is Director-General for
External and Politico-Military Affairs at the Council of the European
Union in Brussels. Former Head of the Defence and Overseas Secretariat
in the Cabinet Office, Robert Cooper was also Special Representative
for the British Government on Afghanistan. Other speakers include: Alyson Bailes: Member of the WMD Commission (2004-05) under Hans Blix and Chair of the Advisory Council of the European Centre for Minority Issues. She became Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in July 2002 after resigning from her previous career in the British Diplomatic Service. Alyson Bailes is co-editor with Isabel Frommelt of the SIPRI/OUP volume Business and Security: Public-private sector relationships in a new security environment. Caroline
Lucas MEP: As a Green Party MEP representing the South-East of England,
Caroline sits on the European Parliament Trade and Environment Committees
as well as being Vice President of the Parliament's Animal Welfare Intergroup.
Her work - both within the Parliament and in her constituency - includes
peace and human rights, international trade and development, transport,
planning and health issues. Dr Tim Lynch: Lecturer in American politics and foreign policy in the Department of Politics at the University of Leicester. Dr Lynch's research interests include American foreign policy and the US presidency. He published Turf War: The Clinton Administration and Northern Ireland this year. James Wyllie: Reader in International Relations and Director of the Conflict and Security Studies Programme at the University of Aberdeen. Previously a Research Officer in the Ministry of Defence, since 1997 he has been a senior academic member of the RAF Higher Level Defence Studies Selection Board, and between 2001-2004 James was a member of the UK Council of Military Education Committees. He makes frequent contributions to BBC and independent radio news and current affairs programmes. Peter Gowan: Professor of International Relations at London Metropolitan University and course director of the MA International Relations. He is a member of the editorial board, and frequent contributor to, New Left Review. His book The Global Gamble (Verso, 1999) won the Isaac Deutscher Memorial Prize in 2000.
Roundtable 1: 10:30-12:00: The War
on Terrorism: An Audit Roundtable 2: 13:00-14:30: US Foreign
Policy After the Elections Roundtable 3: 15:00-16:30: Challenges
to US Hegemony: From Where, and by Whom? Closing
Address: 15:00-18:00:
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| Last updated: 9 November 2004 | |
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