Con Coughlin



Profile:


Full name: Con Coughlin

Area of interest: Foreign Affairs, The Middle East

Journals: The Daily Telegraph

Email: [mailto:con.coughlin@telegraph.co.uk con.coughlin@telegraph.co.uk]

Website: Telegraph.co / Con Coughlin

Blog:

Representation:

Networks:



Biography:
Education: Oxford University

Career: Joined The Daily Telegraph in 1980: amongst other roles has been Defence and Intelligence Editor and Managing Editor of The Sunday Telegraph Current position/role: executive foreign editor


 * also writes/written for:

Other roles:

Other activities:

Disclosures:

Viewpoints/Insight: Author discusses: Saddam: King Of Terror, 2002 (audio)

TV/Radio: Regular contributions on world affairs for BBC and Sky News channels

Controversy/Criticism: Telegraph's toxic attack'' - For a newspaper that is consistently against torture, Con Coughlin's vitriolic article about Binyam Mohamed is shocking - Henry Porter & Afu Hirsch, The Guardian Cif, 11th February 2010
 * Gaddafi's son set up by MI6, libel jury told; Paper apologises to Gaddafi's son
 * also see: criticism (Wikipedia)

Awards/Honours:

Scoops:

Other:



Books & Debate:

 * Hostage: Complete Story of the Lebanon Captives (Time Warner Paperbacks; New Ed edition, 1993) ISBN 0751502448
 * A Golden Basin Full of Scorpions: The Quest for Modern Jerusalem Warner (Futura; New Ed edition, 1998) ISBN 075152364X
 * Saddam: The Secret Life (Macmillan, 2002) ISBN 0333782003
 * Saddam: King of Terror (Ecco, 2002) ISBN 0060505419
 * Saddam: His Rise and Fall (Harper Perennial, 2005) ISBN 0060505435

Latest work: American Ally: Tony Blair and the War on Terror (Politico's Publishing Ltd, 2006) OCLC 61247340

Speaking/Appearances:

Current debate: 

The Daily Telegraph: Inside Abroad
Column info: "Con Coughlin is an expert on international terrorism and the Middle East; with the benefit of 25 years in foreign journalism, he deftly scrutinises world affairs" - The Daily Telegraph

Column remit: Commentary on foreign affairs, especially the Middle East

Section:

Role:

Pen-name:

Email: [mailto:con.coughlin@telegraph.co.uk con.coughlin@telegraph.co.uk]

Website: Telegraph.co / Con Coughlin

Commissioning editor:

Day published: Friday

Regularity: Weekly

Column format:

Average length: 1000 words



Articles:

 * protests: Barack Obama may rue the day he decided to abandon Mubarak'' - Whoever replaces Egypt's president might not prove such a staunch ally of the US - 4th February 2011
 * A nation driven apart by Muslim bigotry'' - The likely partition of Sudan is a result of Islam’s increasing intolerance - 13th January 2011
 * victory in Afghanistan requires political will'' - Political posturing by Barack Obama and others is hindering real progress in Afghanistan - 7th January 2011
 * religious extremists send the peace process up in smoke'' - Population changes are transforming the country’s politics for the worse - 11th December 2010
 * final mission'' - Watching the last flight of a Harrier jump jet from HMS Ark Royal, Con Coughlin mourns the scrapping of two much-loved symbols of British military prowess - 25th November 2010
 * Karzai must tell us which side he's on in Afghanistan'' - Hamid Karzai's fits of pique play into the hands of the faint hearts within the Nato coalition in Afghanistan - 19th November 2010
 * West should stop worrying about the Falklands'' - We should focus on how to win the wars of the future, not how we fought them in the past - 12th November 2010
 * must be trusted to keep its secrets'' - A dignified silence is the best way to protect our spies - 29th October 2010
 * review: These cuts leave us vulnerable to our enemies around the world'' - How could Britain defend the Falklands without the Ark Royal and its Harriers - 22nd October 2010
 * Ahmadinejad's visit to Lebanon sends a menacing message'' - Iran's president wants the charges dropped against Hizbollah – or else - 15th October 2010
 * guards or soldiers: which do we need most?'' - Warships, jets and cash machines can all be put out of action by an attack over the internet. No wonder the director of GCHQ broke cover to warn us this week - 14th October 2010
 * politicians must put the nation’s battles before their own'' - It is impossible to overstate the significance of the impending defence review - 7th October 2010
 * these defence cuts, even a repeat of Sierra Leone would be beyond us'' - In these uncertain times, Britain needs all the planes, ships and tanks it can muster - 1st October 2010
 * may be beating the Taliban, but in this country you'd never know it'' - Why does the Government insist on playing down the successes of our Forces - 24th September 2010
 * Barack Obama dithers, Hillary Clinton offers a glimpse of what might have been'' - There is a growing sense in Washington that the party backed the wrong candidate - 10th September 2010
 * danger of defeatism in Afghanistan'' - Enthusiasm for the conflict is waning, but an early withdrawal will benefit only al-Qaeda - 9th September 2010
 * Britain wishes to remain a global power, it needs Trident'' - The downgrading of our deterrent would leave us naked on the world stage - 27th August 2010
 * floods have left a country that's too difficult to rule'' - The government in Islamabad is floundering and ripe for a coup – if anyone wanted to launch one - 25th August 2010
 * has made fools of us all'' - Gaddafi was playing Tony Blair long before the release of the Lockerbie bomber - 20th August 2010
 * clip the wings of the RAF at our peril'' - Planned defence cuts belittle the key role of aerial superiority in modern combat - 12th August 2010
 * Obama is running out on Iraq for all the wrong reasons'' - The president is grasping at anything that might hold up his plunging popularity - 11th August 2010
 * Ali Zardari is fiddling while Pakistan drowns'' - The beleaguered country has a president more concerned with politics than his people - 5th August 2010
 * they know the Cold War is over?'' - The exposure of a Russian spy ring in New York shows that, despite the thawing of relations between Russia and the West, espionage is alive and well - 30th June 2010
 * next head of our Armed Forces is a crucial appointment'' - With the war in Afghanistan on course, it is vital that David Cameron picks the right Chief of the Defence Staff - 18th June 2010
 * year on, the Green revolution in Iran has failed to take root'' - A crackdown and poor leadership have seen off the government's opponents - 11th June 2010
 * role in Gaza affair should worry the West'' - Ankara is losing patience after being rebuffed in its attempts to join the EU - 4th June 2010
 * will never defeat the Taliban if they think we're going home'' - Conservative policy on Afghanistan has to be united if peace is to be achieved - 28th May 2010
 * holds the key to Korean peace'' - The Beijing government must cast aside its softly-softly approach to Pyongyang - 21st May 2010
 * must ignore anti-American Lib Dems'' - Britain's relationship with the US is more important than the one with Brussels - 15th May 2010
 * luck continues, but are terrorists getting an easy ride?'' - The US President's pitch for the moral high ground inhibits intelligence agencies - 7th May 2010
 * Brown's dithering has betrayed our soldiers'' - The Prime Minister's failure to allow vital missions to be completed in Afghanistan is a shameful legacy - 29th April 2010
 * needs the Navy to provide firepower'' - The Senior Service has been sidelined in Afghanistan but still has a role to play - 23rd April 2010
 * is making some pretty unpleasant friends'' - President Karzai's links to Iran and the Taliban are causing increasing concern - 2nd April 2010
 * Obama looks a winner and has Republicans on the run'' - Barack Obama's health-care victory has given him new stature – as has standing up to Israel - 26th March 2010
 * is Brown so quiet about our Afghan victory?'' - Labour's neglect of the military means Britain is ill-prepared for the future - 19th March 2010
 * Islands: The Special Relationship is now starting to seem very one-sided'' - Hillary Clinton's intervention over the Falklands shows that US will side with Argentina - 5th March 2010
 * and Pakistan must bury the hatchet for the Taliban to be crushed'' - An unlikely alliance between two enemies could help to secure Afghanistan's future - 26th February 2010
 * murder of al-Mabhouh is an insult to our intelligence'' - Anglo-Israeli co-operation in the war against terrorism is now in jeopardy - 19th February 2010
 * for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran?'' - The Iranian president has promised a 'telling blow' against world leaders. But, says Con Coughlin, his recent nuclear posturing is an attempt to shore up his increasingly perilous position at home - 9th February 2010
 * must prepare for cyber conflict - but not forget wars we fight today'' - Will landmines or laptops pose the bigger risk to security in years to come - 5th February 2010
 * the West got the will to carry on shedding blood for Afghanistan?'' - The strategy is finally right, but our resolve could be starting to waver - 29th January 2010
 * clouds are blowing from Iran towards the glittering Gulf'' - These states have survived the recession – but there are worse dangers ahead - 22nd January 2010
 * Inquiry unlikely to find the smoking gun that does for Blair'' - Former officials' outbursts have brought us no nearer to knowing the truth about the invasion of Iraq - 15th January 2010 (Iraq war inquiry)
 * has become a nightmare thanks to the CIA, not al-Qaeda'' - The world's largest intelligence agency is always one step behind - 8th January 2010
 * Moore is free, but the threat to others is as great as ever'' - Peter Moore's release has nothing to do with improving relations with the West - 1st January 2010
 * may be a difficult ally – but its leaders are not 'war criminals''' - The International Criminal Court Act must be amended to protect friendly politicians - 18th December 2009
 * bombers remind Obama that leaving is easier said than don'' - Suicide attacks claimed by al-Qaeda have plunged Iraq into yet another crisis - 11th December 2009
 * clock is ticking for Obama as the Taliban bides its time'' - Barack Obama needs fellow Nato countries to join the fight in Afghanistan, not just keep the peace - 4th December 2009
 * will it take to tame Tehran?'' - Time is running out for the West's conciliatory approach after Iran's latest provocation - 1st December 2009
 * Obama destroy the enemy, get the troops out and save himself?'' - The President needs a quick victory in Afghanistan if he is to stay in the White House - 27th November 2009
 * may regret giving America its vengeance'' - The trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be a sensation – perhaps for the wrong reasons - 20th November 2009
 * MoD can barely run itself, let alone a war in Afghanistan'' - The rank ineptitude of the Ministry of Defence cannot be allowed to continue - 13th November 2009
 * could be Obama's Vietnam'' - Despite the murder of five British soldiers, now is not the time for faint hearts - 6th November 2009
 * of restarting Middle East peace process look like a mirage'' - The US is desperate to stop relations between Israel and the Palestinians worsening - 30th October 2009
 * Tehran beginning to thaw over a 'freeze-for-freeze’ nuclear deal?'' - Russia's change of mind about imposing sanctions on Iran could be vital - 23rd October 2009
 * gestures by America will not secure Russia's goodwill'' - Washington should know by now that the Kremlin can't be trusted as an ally - 16th October 2009
 * about President Blair of the EU? It may be about to get even worse'' - For all the hoopla about the EU presidency, the foreign minister could have more power - 9th October 2009
 * war in Afghanistan comes to Whitehall'' - The Government's dithering is having a drastic effect on the morale of our troops in Afghanistan – and on their chance of success - 7th October 2009
 * Stanley McChrystal turns his fire on Western leaders as Afghan mission falters'' - The Nato commander's honest critique will not win him the troops he needs - 2nd October 2009
 * Obama's deal won't be enough to stop Iran getting the atomic bomb'' - Handshakes in New York won't change the realities in Moscow and Tehran - 26th September 2009
 * missile shield: appeasement is alive and well in Barack Obama's White House'' - President Barack Obama's decision to abandon the missile shield will weaken the US and embolden its enemies - 18th September 2009
 * correspondents must venture where others fear to tread'' - The rescue of Stephen Farrell in Afghanistan has provoked justified controversy, but war reporters must sometimes take risks - 11th September 2009
 * isolation of Israel could have disastrous consequences for us all'' - The more Israelis feel they can no longer rely on Washington to protect them, the more likely they are to launch unilateral military action to destroy Iran's nuclear capability - 28th August 2009
 * West is giving Karzai one last chance to redeem himself'' - Despite his many failings, the Afghan leader is the least worst option - 21st August 2009
 * Our fight is against terror and tyranny - not just the Taliban'' - It is crucial that the Afghanistan election withstands desperate efforts to derail it - 17th August 2009
 * Iran's nuclear plan would be the West's greatest blunder'' - A Middle East arms race is looming unless our leaders recover their nerve - 14th August 2009
 * leaders hold the key to a peaceful solution in Helmand'' - Pashtun chiefs must be reminded that there is an alternative to the cycle of bloodshed - 31st July 2009
 * is going to stand up and fight for our short-changed soldiers?'' - Nick Clegg is right to break the all-party consensus and criticise the disastrous handling of the military campaign in Afghanistan - 10th July 2009
 * 'surge' will test Obama's military muscle'' - The President hopes to finish off the job that under-funded British forces have failed to do - 3rd July 2009
 * Iran hates Britain so much'' - Britain has taken America's place as Tehran's most loathed nation. The antipathy goes back centuries - 30th June 2009
 * brave revolutionaries can change nothing but the faces'' - Mousavi, the defeated candidate in Iran's election, has been an unswerving supporter of revolutionary policy for 30 years - 17th June 2009 (See: Iran: summary)
 * last, a real election in Iran – but it won't help relations with the West'' - Today's ballot may prove to be a unique event, yet there's little hope of radical change - 12th June 2009
 * Barack Obama's soothing rhetoric douse the Muslim militants' flames? - The President's plea for a new beginning will face formidable obstacles - 5th June 2009 (See: Decoding the President: what Obama's words really mean'' - Patrick Cockburn analyses the highlights of the much-anticipated – and carefully constructed – Cairo speech)
 * Korean crisis is China's chance to show the world it has changed'' - Beijing has taken the first step – now it must persuade Pyongyang to back down - 29th May 2009
 * Korea's home-made nuclear bomb is a threat to the whole world'' - The key issue is the threat of nuclear proliferation - 27th May 2009
 * election: India is now a world power, and it must remember to behave like one'' - Whoever wins the election, nationalist politics should have no place in their agenda - 15th May 2009
 * Obama's charm offensive needs to be followed up with military action'' - Pakistan and Afghanistan are not yet fully committed to fighting the Taliban - 8th May 2009
 * half measures will put our soldiers' lives at further risk'' - Peace in Afghanistan will be even longer in coming if the Army is not at full strength - 1st May 2009
 * Obama must beware of playing party politics with security'' - There is little new in the revelations that the CIA had used White House-sanctioned methods of torture - 19th April 2009
 * has a key role in bringing North Korea back down to earth'' - The rogue state must end its childish ways, or face the full force of sanctions - 17th April 2009
 * new enemy within is invisible'' - Al-Qaeda is changing its tactics to avoid detection of its agents. Security forces must adapt quickly to find them - 10th April 2009
 * Brown's shabby leadership betrays our vital mission in Afghanistan'' -The Prime Minister's failure endangers our soldiers and increases the risk of terrorism, - 27th March 2009
 * Brown's dreams of a new era of nuclear detente will go up in smoke'' - An deterrent remains vital as leading rogue states strive to acquire weapons of their own - 20th March 2009
 * is fighting a war – and we are too soft on our enemies'' - Too little action is being taken by the authorities against hostile Muslims - 13th March 2009
 * we win the war in Afghanistan, we could lose a battle in Pakistan'' - The Taliban now have more support from their restless neighbours than ever before - 6th March 2009
 * economic troubles put Putin firmly in the firing line'' - Unrest has been crushed, but the real challenge could come from falling oil prices - 27th February 2009
 * to the melee of sweat, blood and dust of the Khyber Pass'' - Con Coughlin returns to the Khyber Pass, where our former allies are now the enemy - 22nd February 2009
 * will never give in to the US'' - Khomeini's revolution commits his successors to hardline nuclear policies - 14th February 2009
 * must help Afghanistan find a government that works'' - Britain and America need to adopt a new strategy to solve the country's problems - 13th February 2009
 * must freeze its nuclear programme'' - If the Iranian President wants peace with the West, he should stop supporting terror groups - 11th February 2009
 * Britain no longer special to America?'' - Britain's relationship with its greatest ally is already showing signs of strain under Barack Obama, but it is vital for our future - 6th February 2009
 * must treat China as a friend and ally in this financial crisis'' - Britain should welcome the Chinese PM this weekend – our future depends on him - 30th January 2009
 * Obama may keep Gordon Brown waiting, but he'll need him in the end'' - Sarkozy is the new White House favourite, but only Britain is in a position to deliver front-line troops - 23rd January 2009
 * there isn't a war on terror, then what exactly are our boys dying for?'' - David Miliband has betrayed a misconception about the nature of this conflict - 15th January 2009
 * ill-directed missile has turned the tide of support against Israel'' - Hamas has won the PR battle at the expense of Gaza's innocent civilians - 9th January 2009
 * will explode if US stays on sidelines'' - In the absence of serious diplomatic pressure, the bloodshed will get much worse - 6th January 2009
 * assault on Gaza offers the best hope of peace'' - There is no excuse for the loss of life, but Israel is right to seek the destruction of Hamas - 2nd January 2009 (see: 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict)
 * Obama should practise his golf swing while he has the chance'' - The economic meltdown is only one crisis awaiting the new president: Iran is still very dangerous - 26th December 2008
 * British troops leave Iraq a far better place than under Saddam Hussein'' - 19th December 2008
 * tried to undermine the whole of India'' - Lashkar-e-Taiba has moved on from challenging India’s sovereignty in Kashmir - 12th December 2008
 * Obama's team pull together?'' - The president-elect's choice of national security team is bold, but fraught with risk - 5th December 2008
 * Obama turns to the old guard'' - Little more than three weeks after Mr Obama achieved his victory, many who voted for him are starting to fear that they are in for a Clinton third term - 28th November 2008
 * will find Israel peace elusive'' - The "peace wall" between Israel and the West Bank shows how far the two sides have drifted apart in the last decade - 21st November 2008
 * will want more European soldiers'' - America's enemies are not going to change because there is a new president - 7th November 2008
 * needs a plan for Afghanistan'' - John Hutton, the new Defence Secretary, is right to concentrate on defeating the Taliban insurgency - 31st October 2008
 * is easier than terror'' - Does North Korea's deal with the US mean that it has seen the error of its ways? - 17th October 2008
 * would rule a bankrupt Pakistan'' - The financial crisis has nearly bankrupted a key ally in the fight against fundamentalism - 10th October 2008
 * Arabia can rein in Taliban'' - Seven years after the start of the war on terror, the West is no closer to victory - 3rd October 2008
 * Brown has lost Britain the ear of the White House'' - 19th September 2008
 * can't afford Iran bombing - yet'' - A unilateral strike against the mullahs would have dire consequences for us all - 12th September 2008
 * wants a new Russian empire'' - Moscow's aggression in the Caucasus is part of a much wider campaign for power - 5th September 2008
 * Yushchenko plays a risky game'' - Ukraine should be told that the West is in no position to fight a new Crimean war - 29th August 2008
 * security dithering endangers us'' - The British seem to be alone in Afghanistan. Twenty-six Nato states are supposed to be working in unison to defeat the Taliban - so where are they? - 22nd August 2008

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