Alastair Crooke

Nationality: British

Occupation: Former Diplomat and West Asia Analyst

Career:
Alastair Crooke is a former British diplomat and the founder and director of the Beirut-based Conflicts Forum. This organization promotes dialogue between political Islam and the West. Crooke served for nearly 30 years in the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) under diplomatic cover, working in various regions, including Northern Ireland, South Africa, Colombia, Pakistan, and the Middle East.

Achievements and Engagements:
Crooke served as a staff member on Senator George Mitchell’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee, which investigated the causes of the Intifada from 2000 to 2001. He was also an advisor to the international Quartet. With 35 years of experience working with Islamist movements, he has initiated several ceasefires in the occupied territories on behalf of the European Union. From 1997 to 2003, he held the position of Security Advisor to the European Union Special Representative for the Middle East, where he played a key role in peace negotiations. Notably, he was involved in ending the sieges of Yasser Arafat’s compound in Ramallah and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Bibliography:
He is the author of Resistance: The Essence of the Islamic Revolution (2009) and is known as a regular media commentator on political and geo-financial issues.