Jonathan Powell (1)Rezensionen

An interesting insiders view of the Blair governments as seen from the position of the chief of Staff.

Facsinating in parts, especially when he covers the poisionous relationship between Blair and Brown, and tedious in others where he brushes over the scandals as though they were minor speed bumps.

You cannot help but think that the Machiavelli link is a touch arrogant, as he tries to justify the autocratic way that they ran the government as the right way.

"We were not trading arms for hostages, nor were we negotiating with terrorists"
Ronald Reagan.

Terrorists at the Table: Why Negotiating is the Only Way to Peaceby Jonathan Powell is a practical look at dealing with terrorism using the historical record as an example. Powell is a British diplomat who served as the first Downing Street Chief of Staff, under British Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1995 to 2007. He was the only senior adviser to last the whole period of Blair’s leadership. During this period, Powell was also the chief British negotiator on Northern Ireland. He runs the charity Inter Mediate which works on armed conflicts around the world.Powell is currently the UK's special envoy to Libya.

We all have heard it. Political leaders have repeated it. Hollywood loves to use it in everything from cop shows to blockbuster movies -- "We do not negotiate with terrorists." It seems to be an immutable law in contemporary international relations but is it? Even if it is, is it correct? Powell looks at several cases in the recent past. Northern Ireland, FMLN in El Salvador, Nepalese Maoists, South Africa and Mandella, Sri Lanka, and other conflicts are all included.

It must be recognized that there are several different groups with different structures and goals. The group responsible for the Japanese subway attack quickly disappeared after its leader was captured effectively ending the organization. The Maoist terrorists in Nepal became the ruling party in a democratic election, creating their own legitimacy. Groups like the PLO have stood their ground for so long they have become recognized. The PLO holds observer status at the United Nations. Other groups or opinions of groups change over time. There was a time Mandela was considered a terrorist (Reagan put Mandela and the ANC on the terrorist watch list) and bin Ladin a freedom fighter. Some groups combine others simply disappear like the Symbionese Liberation Army.

There are groups with permanence that need to be addressed. The IRA, Sri Lanka, and South Africa are prime examples where a negotiation was required. In Sri Lanka, both sides tired from the killing. South Africa was under great international pressure to end apartheid and free Mandela. The IRA was seeing very negative effects by their violence. It created a negative image for the movement rather than support. The became the oppressor and not the victim in many people's eyes.

Perhaps the most spectacular and focused act against a government was the ETA attack on the prime minister of Spain in 1973. A bomb built under the road lifted the prime minister's car over sixty feet in the air clearing the building it was driving past and depositing the car on the second story balcony of the inside terrace. Four decades later the ETA is asking for a negotiated settlement.





Once it decided by both sides that the violence needs to end, the real work begins. Making initial contact, when to use a mediator, when to meet face to face, what issues will be discussed, where can the meeting take place safely for both parties all come into play. Powell spends most of his words on these topics and uses the same historical cases to make his points. Not all the situations are the same and not all groups need to be negotiated with. The key to everything is building trust. Taking up arms against a system demonstrates a lack of trust and successful groups have, what they believe are, valid claims. Negotiation is not a magical moment of changing people's long-held views, but establishing trust so that problems can be worked out peacefully through the political system. Powell explains how this is done and has been done.

Quite a remarkable book on a controversial subject. If peace is the desired outcome, fighting usually will not give that result. Bomb one terrorist group into submission, and another will rise. It will possibly be worse than the previous group as we are seeing with the rise of ISIS. It also seems that the longer we go without negotiations the less desirable the groups we are fighting become. Terrorists at the Table is a well thought out and practical guide of the problem of terrorism and what to do about it. Government's stance on not negotiating with terrorists is like people and the speed limit law. We all know the law, but we all break it. Unlike speeding, negotiating may save lives and build a safe society.

Mr. Powell presents an interesting hypothesis to the age-old problem of terrorism. That is, the only solution to terrorism is to engage with and negotiate with the terrorists. He comes to this belief through his experiences with the IRA, as well as with other "terrorist" groups. His arguments are persuasive. Coming from a lifetime career in law enforcement, I was extremely uncomfortable with the idea. I still am. This made for a very tough read for me, but I'm glad I stuck it out. Powell does make a lot of sense. While I still believe in the "old ways", I see his point. I'm very glad that there are people with the patience of Mr. Powell to deal with the "terrorists".

I would recommend this book to those interested in reading more about the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Powell was a very close observer and it is for this reason that his fluent account is worth reading but perhaps he was too close, in my opinion, to conduct critical analysis of the period. The book takes more the form of discussing the events rather than analysing the effects of policy changes and the outcome of negotiations. The book demonstrates how keen the British government was to placate the demands of Sinn Féin and the IRA, basically because they had guns. The Irish government was little better. Moderates, in particular the SDLP and the UUP, were sacrificed as Sinn Féin and the DUP emerged as the largest parties throughout the process as they benefitted due to concessions made to their benefit. One particular area of contention I would have with the author were his comments about Mo Mowlam and her relationship with him and the rest of the Blair government. In my view, and the view of many in Ireland, she was shafted and unfairly treated.

Interesting Insight into the Peace Process, 23 Jun 2008


This is a very simple book, a narrative history from 1997 to 2007 of the Peace Process in Northern Ireland as seen from the perspective of the British goverment and specifically Powell as Blair's Chief of Staff and chief organiser. The book rattles along covering events more or less as they occur. It's full of last minute meetings, late night telephone calls and exasperation at the changing demands of the parties.

The one problem is that it is so close to the events there is not enough chance for measured reflection. Most of the participants are still involved in politics and I sense that Powell is careful in his comments about people, never daring to be too critical. Infact there is all too little reflection generally, with Powell just narrating events as they happen. It misses periodic pauses to reflect and assess progress and issues. Although he touches on parallels with other conflicts it would have been interesting to develop this more and it would have been interesting to discuss whether the peace process has finally been concluded or whether there are still potential pitfalls to come.

Despite these drawbacks it's an interesting read, and Powell keeps up the pace nicely. He gives a great sense of what these negoiations are and what an exhausting and frustrating process it is. It's well worth a read.

Also on www.amazon.co.uk