A book discussion on Prof. Akbar Ahmed’s book ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ at the House of Lords

The United States declared war on terrorism in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. More than ten years later, the results are decidedly mixed. In The Thistle and the Drone, Professor Akbar Ahmed, argues that the use of drones has actually exacerbated the already-broken relationship between central governments and the tribal societies on their periphery. At this important meeting the author will talk about his book and exchange views with a panel of experts on his central theme that the US-led war on terror is being seen by some as a global war on tribal Islam as well as regional and security concerns.

Welcome and Introductions: Lord Sheikh
Chair: Rita Payne, President Commonwealth Journalists Association
Keynote: Prof. Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, Washington, DC and author of The Thistle and the Drone
Panel: Douglas Barrie, Senior Fellow for Military Air Space, IISS Owen Bennett-Jones, Journalist and author of Pakistan: Eye of the Storm Irfan Husain, Journalist and Author, Fatal Faultlines: Pakistan, Islam and the West Vijay Mehta, Author of The Economics of Killing and Peace Campaigner.
Closing Remarks: Lord Sheikh
Vote of Thanks: Rita Payne