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Gill Bennett
@gillhistory.bsky.social
1K followers 130 following 180 posts
Intelligence historian, music-lover
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
rusi.bsky.social
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 4h
In the latest RUSI Video Commentary, Dr Neil Melvin discusses Europe's continued focus on Russia, despite growing awareness of China's challenge to Taiwan. Watch as he explores the interconnected nature of global security. Full video on our website: https://bit.ly/4qcPs0N
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
csns-uk.bsky.social
Centre for Statecraft & National Security @csns-uk.bsky.social · 5h
📆 Join us for our Engelsberg Annual Lecture in Applied History, coming up later this month! This year, we are honoured to host speakers @kschake.bsky.social & Prof Francis Gavin

🕡 30 Oct, 18:30–20:00 GMT
📍 Strand Campus

👇 Registration is now open www.kcl.ac.uk/events/engel...
Engelsberg Annual Lecture in Applied History | King's College London
The Centre for Statecraft & National Security will host its Annual Lecture in Applied History. This year, we are honoured to host Dr Kori Schake and Professor Francis Gavin, who will be speaking about...
www.kcl.ac.uk
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
adefty.bsky.social
Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 11h
University of Warwick are looking for a Professor of Intelligence Studies www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOZ241/p...
Professor of Intelligence Studies (110902-1025) at University of Warwick
Discover Professor of Intelligence Studies (110902-1025) jobs and more in higher education on jobs.ac.uk. Apply for further details on the top job board.
www.jobs.ac.uk
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Gill Bennett @gillhistory.bsky.social · 1d
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
chekistmonitor.bsky.social
Filip Kovacevic @chekistmonitor.bsky.social · 2d
Who was #CIA's first penetration of Soviet intelligence?

Perhaps not who you think.

Find out in my new article on Substack. #spies #coldwar #intelhistory @socintelhist.bsky.social

Here's the link: tinyurl.com/yh46crbs
Who Was CIA's First Penetration of Soviet Intelligence?
New information on Colonel Georgy Salimanov's defection to the CIA in Germany in 1950 and his later capture by the MGB
tinyurl.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
radiofreetom.bsky.social
Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 2d
The Atlantic’s journalists will not sign the Pentagon’s press policy. Statement here from editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg:
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 3d
New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...
Russia and the rise of the radical right
Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
shashj.bsky.social
Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · 2d
How well could the US track Soviet mobile ICBMs in the cold war through SIGINT/ELINT satellites? A good debate here. "...it is more clear now that NSA tested the idea and had resources to pursue it." strategicsimplicity.substack.com/p/sigint-and...
SIGINT and SRTs in the Cold War
A Response to Aaron Bateman
strategicsimplicity.substack.com
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Gill Bennett @gillhistory.bsky.social · 3d
Agree, but add a vote for Simon Ball's The Guardsmen.
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 4d
Supermac by D R Thorpe
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
martindbbrown.bsky.social
Martin D.B. Brown @martindbbrown.bsky.social · 3d
RIGA SECURITY CONFERENCE ⟩ "Baltic States Can’t Replicate Ukraine’s Drone Defense — They Lack the Distance" balticsentinel.eu/8341026/riga...
RIGA SECURITY CONFERENCE ⟩ "Baltic States Can’t Replicate Ukraine’s Drone Defense — They Lack the Distance"
Jack Watling of RUSI said Ukraine’s drone defenses can’t be replicated in the Baltic states, which lack the range for early detection. “We can learn from Ukraine, but not copy it,” added former...
balticsentinel.eu
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 5d
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social

"Whatever it takes" - what does it mean to guarantee Ukraine's security?

A great overview of where the war stands and the key question of Europe/US's support for the Ukrainians.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/a...
‘As Long as it Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine’s security?
This post was originally a lecture given in honour of Peter Hennessy at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London.
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
rusi.bsky.social
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 7d
Could a concerted strategy of strengthened sanctions, advanced weapons for Ukraine, and incentivising Russian brain drain change Putin's calculus and stop the war machine in Ukraine? Read the latest RUSI Newsbrief by Sergei Guriev to learn more.
Putin's Polycrisis
Despite mounting economic and demographic pressures, Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to feed the war machine so long as he gains ground in Ukraine. To change his calculus, Western leaders must strengthen sanctions against the Kremlin, pro...
www.rusi.org
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
ldfreedman.bsky.social
Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 6d
This is my explainer from last weekend on the origins of the Trump peace plan for Gaza. It explains how it got as far as it did and the challenges to come. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/will-there...
Will there finally be peace in Gaza?
One never goes too far wrong by being pessimistic about events in the Middle East.
samf.substack.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
stephenkb.bsky.social
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 7d
One of the Conservative party's contributions to our country has been keeping people who think you can measure integration through skin colour out of office - what next, are they only going to be lukewarm on the property-owning democracy?
Thank the Tories for keeping Robert Jenrick out of high office
Shadow justice secretary’s comment about not seeing a ‘white face’ shows he does not understand integration
www.ft.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 7d
All these people really want is to pay no taxes and be treated with floor scraping deference. Everything else is just bullshit in pursuit of that goal.
sundersays.bsky.social
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 8d
Party donor Nick Candy says "I cherish the values we grew up with here in the West. But today you are more likely to find the values we grew up with in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.’

Via Sam Leith in the Spectator
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
warontherocks.bsky.social
War on the Rocks @warontherocks.bsky.social · 7d
The rush to field new weapons risks leaving intelligence behind, and that’s dangerous.
Beyond Decision Superiority: The Role of Intelligence in Innovation & Adaptation
Wars are not won by speed and better decisions. They are won when weapons find their targets and destroy them. Yet in the race to build faster, cheaper,
warontherocks.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
eve.gd
Martin Paul Eve @eve.gd · 7d
This makes me so angry. These people view all life as training for lifelong servitude/work. There's no room for interest, enjoyment, and culture in their bleak vision of education. At least she'll never be in power to see it through. Though Reform are probably worse.
Badenoch: Curb students taking "rip-off" degrees such as English. The performing arts, sociology and anthropology are among the subjects the Conservatives would like to cut
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
ravirockks.bsky.social
Ravi Nayyar @ravirockks.bsky.social · 7d
My review of the second volume of the official history of ASIO.

As a student of organisational governance, I love how this book is as much an organisational history as an operational one, especially when looking at ASIO under the Whitlam Government.

cc: @tonycomer.bsky.social
Book Review — The Protest Years: The Official History of ASIO: 1963-1975
A lesson in organisational and stakeholder dynamics
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
rusi.bsky.social
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 8d
'One of the main challenges the Royal Navy faces is fielding systems rapidly to enhance capability in the near term whilst maintaining flexibility to embrace improvements and future technology' writes Commander Edward Black.
Subsurface Defence Technology – A Smörgåsbord of Choice
The wide variety of emerging subsurface technologies is both an opportunity for the Royal Navy and presents a challenge in terms of prioritisation of limited resources
www.rusi.org
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
rusi.bsky.social
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 8d
On the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, revisit yesterday's RUSI webinar that assesses how the subsequent war in Gaza and Israel’s regional operations have fundamentally challenged the political and security balance of power in the Middle East: https://bit.ly/48Qyhf6
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
rusi.bsky.social
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 8d
🎙️How can societies accustomed to a peace dividend adapt to new global threats? Dr Fiona Hill, who served the first Trump administration as a Russia expert, shares her expertise on Russian, American, and British defence strategies in the latest Talking Strategy episode: https://bit.ly/3KZd2Og
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
matthewrr.bsky.social
Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 8d
“Mysteriously.”
patrickdunleavy.bsky.social
Patrick Dunleavy @patrickdunleavy.bsky.social · 8d
Russian newspaper head mysteriously falls 70ft to his death from a window | News World | Metro News metro.co.uk/2025/10/06/r...
Russian newspaper head mysteriously falls 70ft to his death from a window
The veteran publisher died on Saturday. Police are investigating the 'strange death'.
metro.co.uk
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 8d
New post just out:

"Staying alive vs taking control"

Labour's big choice at the budget is whether they just want to try and survive it or whether they're willing to take some bigger risks that would have future payoffs.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...
Staying alive vs taking control
Labour's budget choices
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
economist.com
The Economist @economist.com · 10d
Sir David Omand on why social cohesion in the face of extremism is a security imperative
Rising antisemitism reflects wider social ills, says Britain’s former counter-terrorism co-ordinator
Sir David Omand on why social cohesion in the face of extremism is a security imperative
econ.st
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Reposted by Gill Bennett
samfr.bsky.social
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 10d
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social

"Will there finally be peace in Gaza?"

A must read if you want to understand how we ended up with the proposed peace deal and what might happen next.

(£/free trial)

samf.substack.com/p/will-there...
Will there finally be peace in Gaza?
One never goes too far wrong by being pessimistic about events in the Middle East.
samf.substack.com
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