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Afzal
@affikam
International Relations, Diplomacy, Terrorist Ideology, Counterinsurgency, Airpower, New Confict - Ex-practitioner Academic. Views own. Retweets not endorsement
Joined November 2013
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452 Followers

Afzal’s Tweets

Afzal
@affikam
Agreed, disappointing and irrelevant
@BBCNews
. More relevant headline should've read "Best World Leader Resigns". This would give better reason to feel sad.
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Dr Kate Womersley
@bykatewomersley
This is a disgrace @BBCWorld. Jacinda Ardern has been a longstanding leader and international hero. Because of her, many more women have bigger aspirations and will enjoy bigger successes. She did it all.
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Afzal
@affikam
If this is true then why is UK media silent? (
@BBCNews
@SkyNews
). Do we have different standards for measuring will of people against external aggression?
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sarah
@sahouraxo
twitter.com/thecradlemedia
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Afzal
@affikam
If I were in MOD PR, I would be happy with this. Next time journalist or other source alleges UK covert ops in Ukraine, they will be pointed to this "nothing to see here" report. Of course, UK or NATO SF would never be involved in Ukraine .... (?)
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Dr. Dan Lomas
@Sandbagger_01
Pretty irresponsible reporting likely to be used as evidence by those sharing misinformation about 🇬🇧 in UK. Covert ops boils down to re-establishing an Embassy and guarding diplomats in a "risk" environment. 🔗thetimes.co.uk/article/royal-
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Afzal
@affikam
At Max Hasting’s new book launch on Cuban Missile Crisis with my son. Take aways: “be afraid” of current Ukraine war and UK’s leadership is incapable of understanding and responding to seriousness of Ukraine
@LboroIRPH
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Afzal
@affikam
Fascinating. Disinformation was ubiquitous during Cold War. Now its out of secret gov offices to NGOs & citizens - more widespread, nefarious & tribal. Are these roots of deep state, fake news & increasingly fractured identity greater threat to democracy than USSR?
@LboroIRPH
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Zoe Flood
@Zoe_Flood
"The British government targeted the American civil rights leader Stokely Carmichael and sought to weaken the Black Power movement with covert disinformation campaigns, recently declassified documents have revealed" @burke_jason on @RoryCormac's findings: theguardian.com/world/2022/sep
Afzal
@affikam
This trend may get worse as economic downturn bites. Once these groups get past a certain mass they become mainstream and more dangerous. Worth reading prescient commentaries written in Germany in late 1920s and 1930s. t.co/lliHt5Uimo
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Afzal
@affikam
Agreed except they also may encourage "enemies" in using covert action & assassinations when these activities tolerated by "friends." Increasingly relevant non-aligned world sees more evidence of Western double standards. Tactical successes contributing to strategic Failure?
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Rory Cormac
@RoryCormac
Assassination and sabotage - like any form of covert action - aim to buy time, disrupt, enable other means of policy execution. They are rarely, if ever, decisive in themselves. twitter.com/Nick_L_Miller/…
Afzal
@affikam
Not surprising when Loughborough University is number one in the world for teaching sport but a source of pride all the same!
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Loughborough University
@lborouniversity
If Loughborough were a country we'd be 6️⃣th in the @birminghamcg22! 🎉💜 Loughborough linked athletes won an incredible 47 medals across the Games. 🤯 Congratulations all! twitter.com/Lboro2Birm/sta…
Afzal
@affikam
al-Zawahiri killing also payback for his leadership of #CampChapman bombing that killed 7 #CIA operatives inc Station chief. Repercussions against Taliban for sheltering him could mean more horror & misery for innocent Afghan civilians. Discussing on
@FRANCE24
as
@LboroIRPH
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Afzal
@affikam
al-Zawahiri killing ends 9/11 Al Qaeda leadership generation. His sheltering, presumably by #Haqqani network, likely to cause disruption within Taliban leadership - many will regard this as betrayal of Doha agreement and further weakening. My interview
@BBCNews
as
@LboroIRPH
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BBC Breaking News
@BBCBreaking
The US has killed the head of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden says bbc.in/3SiktiY
Afzal
@affikam
Deeper analysis indicates this is less about Putin and more about a geopolitical choice between a unipolar (US hegemony) and multipolar world order. In the battle between these options, millions of innocent lives are at stake.
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Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
@kennedycdog
Serbia Kosovo crisis, for Putin, is all about the US - analysis jpost.com/international/
Afzal
@affikam
Will solution be implemented? "dialogue, to .... build trust and counter disinformation, and ... renew confidence-building measures and to contribute to, reduce, or even eliminate the causes of mistrust, fear, tensions and hostilitie." Absence of dialogue can be seen as a threat!
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Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
@kennedycdog
World entering dangerous new age, warns UK’s national security adviser independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n
Afzal
@affikam
Yes and most significantly it simplifies political and military challenges for USA and its historic ally by minimising pressure for Palestinian autonomy and by refocusing perceptions of internal security threat to an external threat from Iran.
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Louise Kettle
@LouiseSKettle
There is a fine line to tread here. Many changing dynamics are precisely BECAUSE states see the US LEAVING the region It has forced a realignment of regional security and encouraged diplomacy from within atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atla
Afzal
@affikam
Yep, and proves extremism has no religion and no identity. It is pure hate that blinds reason and compassion.
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Phil Gurski
@borealissaves
Right-wing Israeli Jewish settlers call for mass raids of Al-Aqsa Mosque to mark the so-called "Destruction of the Temple" on 9 August - yep, this is Jewish extremism #terrorism middleeastmonitor.com/20220726-settl
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Afzal
@affikam
This issue needs urgent independent investigation. Kill or capture missions are authorised at highest level in MOD, outside SF command chain. It's inconceivable that senior military and political officials were unaware that large numbers of innocent individuals were being killed
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Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
@kennedycdog
‘Political pressure’ claims in inquiry into alleged SAS killings of Afghans theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/j
Afzal
@affikam
A thoughtful and well argued point, as ever. I have some reservations on a blanket approach. Should your proposed approach not have been equally applicable to every German soldier & civilian official who should've paid for even more horrendous crimes of the Holocaust?
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Phil Gurski
@borealissaves
The latest Borealis Perspective is out! Why the Lisa Smith ISIS terrorist sentence shows that we cannot and must not 'repatriate' these 'foreign fighters' but rather try them in situ. Have a read! #terrorism borealisthreatandrisk.com/yet-again-why-
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Afzal
@affikam
If I could remember my A-level maths then I might come up with something like: if 1960=2022 then covert propaganda = public Intel which means (selective) covert Intel = equals public propaganda! i.e what's difference? Same great power politics using different means? 😉
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Rory Cormac
@RoryCormac
If I was a good Twitter historian I’d dig out the file which says almost the same thing word for word. But I’m not. So I won’t. Another huge similarity is the desire to expose Russian activity. Big difference is the means though: 1960s = covert propaganda 2022 = public intell
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Afzal
@affikam
Congratulations on your good work which should bring much-needed positive change in Bangladesh
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Michael Stephens
@MikeRStephens
Been fantastic to spend a few days out in Bangladesh working expanding our @globesight footprint. Working with loads of bright young people innovating and bring positive change to their country.
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Afzal
@affikam
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Hedayah
@Hedayah_CVE
We are proud and humbled that @potus recognized the global impact of #Hedayah and our work in creating a more peaceful and tolerant world during his meeting with @MohamedBinZayed. We thank both leaders for their support and commitment to Hedayah. ➡️ bit.ly/3o9ZfG1
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Afzal
@affikam
This is significant. There is a question to be asked of the veterans community!
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Raffaello Pantucci
@raffpantucci
Right wing terror threat rising, groups recruiting from military reuters.com/world/uk/right
Afzal
@affikam
Anyone who’s worked with SF will confirm their professionalism. All this points to serious and complex issues. My theory is that, if true, these allegations are symptoms of cultural changes caused by the semidetached nature of UK SF ops, led by US SF.
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Edward Burke
@Edward__Burke
This is a very important thread. Thank you @PhilipIngMBE twitter.com/PhilipIngMBE/s…
Afzal
@affikam
Useful to know it takes a lot of work to plan a coup. I wonder if it takes a bit of money too? No need to worry about ethical stuff like infringement of sovereignty and loss of innocent life’s because of course we are the good guys!
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Rory Cormac
@RoryCormac
Just waking up to this. Surely it calls for a game of “name that coup plot” (With the caveat that “helped to plan” covers a ridiculous range of activities from active assistance to fantasies scribbled on the back of a beer mat) twitter.com/NatashaBertran…
Afzal
@affikam
Surely That’s the worst form of child cruelty?
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Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
@kennedycdog
Lego pulls out of Russia 'indefinitely' bbc.co.uk/news/business- via @BBCNews
Afzal
@affikam
This thread provides an excellent example for IR students (and others) on how to clearly conduct effective analysis by applying political theory to political reality.
@LboroIRPH
.
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Paul Poast
@ProfPaulPoast
What is meant by "Second Image Reversed"? 🤔 Let's have Boris Johnson illustrate it for us.😬 [THREAD]
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Afzal
@affikam
Surely real security threat is citizens electing such irresponsible leadership and tolerating 'impunity' elected parties enjoy for 5 years? Need stronger & more immediate accountability esp for populist rule breakers. Oath putting country before party a starting point?
@LboroIRPH
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Edward Burke
@Edward__Burke
“Covering up over national security is a disgrace.” Well indeed. Amazing how many seem to be OK (or at least silent) on this. twitter.com/MarinaPurkiss/…