In late 2013, a colleague @WaelAlzayat brought a data file to my office in the State Department. It contained photos reminiscent of the Holocaust, cataloguing the bodies of thousands of individual Syrians who'd been tortured or starved to death in this and other prisons.

A brutal regime falls. But there’s a problem: the UN and several countries say the victorious rebels are terrorists. What to do? There’s no playbook for Islamist insurgents faced with the challenges of running a country. But there is a precedent, in Afghanistan. 1/

Five weeks after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, the US and EU still have no policy on Syria’s transition: a seismic change which they have demanded for over a decade, and in which they have much at stake. So far, most responses range from incoherent to wildly counterproductive. 🧵

Paris pact pushback and the limiting of civic space: Come join the conversation about the climate emergency Thurs eve- LSE Conflict & Civicness Research Group LSE Intl Relations LSE Law School Anthony Dworkin lse.ac.uk/ideas/projects… Leslie Vinjamuri Doughty Street International (DSI) Rob Howse

Western sanctions imposed on Assad largely remain in place despite a new Syrian government having taken over. That wait-and-see attitude is causing needless suffering among Syrians and encourages extremists in Syria when the new government cannot deliver. hrw.org/news/2025/02/1…

🧵 This UN resolution vote on Ukraine is worth paying attention to. A brief thread on the Trump administration's bullying under way in the background. reuters.com/world/europe/u…

I tell The Washington Post that todays U.S./EU split over #Ukraine is "the biggest split among Western powers at the U.N. since the Iraq War — and probably even more fundamental." washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Do Human Rights Have a Future? - Leonard Benardo and I review Kenneth Roth’s new book, asking if the strategies of the past still work today. foreignpolicy.com/2025/03/14/hum…

With the US threatening aggression on multiple fronts and cozying up to Putin, the only surprise is how long this has taken. nytimes.com/2025/03/17/us/… Even before Trump, in my view, the tribunal would have been severely tainted by US involvement. academic.oup.com/jicj/article-a…

My commentary on European development policy and how it can remain credible ecfr.eu/article/develo…

As the Seville development conference gets under way, European countries need a focused and realistic policy that recognises the failings of past approaches. My commentary for ECFR ECFR European Power ecfr.eu/article/develo…

Tomorrow, as part of our ongoing inquiry into UK-US relations, we’ll hear from Anthony Dworkin and Ivo Daalder on the US and its approach to multilateralism—including the UN and other international institutions. 📺Watch live from 3.30pm: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/12…

Lords Industry and Regulators Committee Office for Nuclear Regulation UK-US relations in the spotlight as Lords International Relations & Defence Committee heard from Anthony Dworkin and Ivo Daalder on the US and its approach to multilateralism. 🔽 See more x.com/LordsIRCom/sta…

The Trump administration has made clear its distain for the multilateral system. As it reviews US participation, Europeans are faced with a tricky balance of selectively embracing these reforms while filling the America-sized hole, write Célia Belin and Anthony Dworkin.

Trump's review of int'l organisations and treaties is about to report - what will it mean for the UN and the rest of the multilateral system? Célia Belin and I write for ECFR ecfr.eu/article/multil…

Great discussion with Anthony Dworkin and Calum Nicholson at Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s MCC Feszt over the weekend. We debated what liberalism actually is and whether it is collapsing. Hoping to release the video soon. Stay tuned! 🗣️🎙️

Very much enjoyed this conversation under the stormy skies of Esztergom

📢 Thrilled to announce the release of "Perpetual War and International Law: Enduring Legacies of the War on Terror" (OUP) Marking 24th anniversary of #September11, it offers a timely reflection on how precedents set in the post-9/11 era continue to shape contemporary conflicts.

RIP - a great man and intellectual