Britain’s new national security adviser argued that the West should negotiate with ISIS extremists to bring peace to the Middle East.
Jonathan Powell, who was former prime minister Tony Blair’s chief of staff, was a leading player in bringing a peace agreement to Northern Ireland after he engaged in long-running talks with the Provisional IRA, a terrorist organisation.
But the man appointed as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s senior adviser on shaping Britain’s foreign policy, stated in 2014, when ISIS was at the height of its terrorism campaign, the need to engage in diplomacy.
“While ISIS may not want to talk to us at the moment, we need to start building a channel to them, as we did with the IRA in 1972, so we can communicate,” he wrote in the Guardian. “At some stage, we will need to negotiate with violent Islamic extremism, whether in this form or another one, if their ideas continue to have political support and we want to find a lasting solution to conflict in the region.”
ISIS was largely defeated by a western-led military operation by 2019.
Mr Powell was also appointed by prime minister David Cameron in 2014 to be his special envoy to Libya with orders to help resolve the civil war.
His focus in his new role will be to build relationships with Donald Trump’s administration after January 2025.
Mr Powell, chief of staff for 10 years under Mr Blair, was welcomed by political figures as an “excellent choice” at a time when the world is experiencing major conflicts.
But others have raised concerns that as a key figure in Mr Blair's cabinet he was part of the failed British role in the Iraq occupation from 2003.
Mr Starmer said Mr Powell's experience in helping to negotiate the Good Friday Agreement and his work on “some of the world’s most complex conflicts” meant he was an ideal fit to advise the government on global challenges.
Alistair Campbell, Mr Blair’s former director of communications who worked closely alongside Mr Powell in Downing Street, described the move as an “excellent appointment”.
“Jonathan is one of the most impressive, dedicated, hardworking and clever public service professionals I have ever worked with,” he wrote on social media network X. “It shows Keir Starmer is serious about the scale of foreign policy challenge. He could not have anyone better alongside him at such a dangerous time for the world.”
He added that Mr Powell was a “total grown up” who would avoid the “power games” sometimes played out in government.
But while Mr Powell might have been “a great political negotiator” as he demonstrated in the Northern Ireland peace process, “he failed to exercise the necessary level of strategic leadership” in the Iraq War, said Brig Ben Barry, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.
“He was chief of staff when Blair was in charge of the Iraq War and the British contribution there failed,” Brig Barry told The National.
“The Iraq inquiry (Chilcot) report lays out how the war was inadequately led and managed, including very poor co-ordination of all the different national security actors, so Mr Powell ought to explain his performance with regard to the Iraq War and the Afghanistan war, too.”
Mr Powell is currently chief executive of charity Inter Mediate, which works to resolve international conflicts.
“Jonathan has devoted his career to protecting the interests of the country, having served for 17 years as a diplomat in the Foreign Office and 10 years as chief of staff in No 10, and I am delighted to appoint him to this important role,” Mr Starmer said.
“Together with his experience helping to negotiate the [Good Friday] Agreement and work on some of the world’s most complex conflicts, he is uniquely qualified to advise the government on tackling the challenges ahead and engage with counterparts across the globe to protect and advance UK interests.”
Mr Powell said the job was vital at a time when “national security, international relations and domestic policies are so interconnected”.
He previously warned the international sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine would fail to end the conflict.
“I'm not convinced that sanctions do what we think they do, I'm not sure they ever have done what we thought and I not sure the Russia sanctions will make much impression on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin at all,” he said in 2022.
“They make us feel a bit better about things and make life worse for the Russian people. In Iraq, they made life worse for the Iraqi people and those near Saddam found a way around it.”
Charles Grant, of the Centre for European Reform think tank, said that Mr Powell’s “diplomatic skills are proven” in helping cement the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
“He is a convinced pro-European who will, I think, understand the importance of closer EU-UK ties,” he added.
In the light of Donald Trump’s election he made the point that Mr Powell was also pro-American, being a “strong Atlanticist”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
