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Robert Smith

Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University

the theory and practice of statebuilding; contemporary Iraqi politics; counterinsurgency strategies in post-conflict environments; and British foreign policy during the Blair era. His PhD thesis looked at the US-led reconstruction of the Iraqi state following the invasion in 2003.

Ongoing research considers the development of the Iraqi state since regime change, with particular interest devoted to the Kurdistan Regional Government. He is currently writing with Mark Garnett and Simon Mabon (Lancaster University) a textbook on British Foreign Policy since 1945. He has taught International Relations at Lancaster University and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He worked for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office within the Iraq Policy Unit in 2003-4, and recently operated as a political and security analyst based in Erbil, Kurdistan.

Research Areas:

Contemporary politics of the Middle East, especially Iraq
Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi Kurdish politics
Statebuilding and Nationbuilding
United States Foreign Policy
British Foreign Policy
Contemporary security issues and the “War on Terror;” Counterinsurgency
Human Rights.

Oil in Global Economy Series

Iraq: what happened to the oil after the war?

Jul 08, 2016 23:28 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Opponents of the Iraq war often highlight the importance of oil when explaining why the invasion took place. While leaders at the time denied it was a motivation there is no doubt the countrys huge oilfields did offer...

Economy

RBI Raises Repo Rate to 5.50% in Hawkish Shift on Inflation Risks

The Reserve Bank of India raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on Wednesday, delivering its first interest rate hike since February 2023 as policymakers respond to rising inflation risks and...

European Stocks Fall as Oil Rises Ahead of Fed Minutes

European shares moved lower on Wednesday as investors took profits following recent gains, with rising crude oil prices and caution ahead of the Federal Reserves meeting minutes weighing on market sentiment. The...

US Stock Futures Flat as Fed Minutes, Earnings Loom

U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged in Asian trading Wednesday after the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached record closing highs, with investors awaiting Federal Reserve meeting minutes and the upcoming...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Weakens, Dollar Holds Firm

Asian currencies traded mixed on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar remained near recent highs, while the Japanese yen weakened toward 158 per dollar amid uncertainty over the Bank of Japans policy outlook and renewed concerns...

Gold Prices Fall as Stronger Dollar Weighs on Bullion

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as a stronger U.S. dollar pressured bullion, while improving Middle East oil supplies and easing Treasury yields reduced expectations for further aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate...

Politics

JD Vance Says Iran Must Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity to meet Washingtons conditions for ending the seven-month war, putting Tehrans nuclear program at the center of efforts to...

Houthis Strike Aden Airport as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and explosive drones at Aden International Airport early Wednesday as fighting intensified between the Iran-aligned group and Yemens Saudi-backed government. Yemens Transport...

Rapidus Seeks Chip Customers as Japan Pushes 2nm Semiconductor Revival

Japans Rapidus is expanding partnerships with global chip design companies as the state-backed semiconductor manufacturer races to secure customers for its planned 2-nanometre production facility. Backed by roughly $15...

Vance Demands Iran Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity before Washington will agree to end the seven-month US-Iran war, stressing that concrete action rather than diplomatic...

North Korea Slams US Taiwan Arms Sales, Reaffirms Russia Support

North Korea has criticized the United States for supplying weapons and military support to Taiwan, accusing Washington of increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait as Pyongyang also reaffirmed its backing for Russia. In...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Intel Reaffirms Role in Elon Musk’s Terafab Chip Project

Intel will continue working with Elon Musk on the ambitious Terafab semiconductor project, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said, reaffirming the U.S. chipmakers role despite speculation that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)...

LG Electronics Shares Slide as Q3 Profit Misses Estimates

LG Electronics shares dropped sharply on Wednesday after the South Korean technology giant reported preliminary third-quarter operating profit that fell short of market expectations, despite delivering solid year-on-year...

SpaceX Seeks $40 Billion for Nvidia AI Chips

SpaceX is seeking to raise about $40 billion to finance a major purchase of Nvidia artificial intelligence chips, with Apollo Global Management expected to lead the fundraising effort, the Financial Times reported Tuesday....

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Warns Mythos AI Raises Cyber Risk Tenfold

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that advanced artificial intelligence systems are dramatically increasing cybersecurity risks for global banks, calling cyberattacks the financial giants biggest threat. Speaking...

Anthropic Expands Claude Access for Cyber Defense Teams

Anthropic has expanded access to its most advanced artificial intelligence models for verified cybersecurity professionals and select government partners, aiming to strengthen defenses against threats targeting critical...