FULLY BOOKED Insight with Rory Stewart: in Between Conflicts

Rory Stewart’s career to date has taken him from the foreign office in London, to Indonesia and Montenegro, to being governor of two states in Southern Iraq, to Kabul and most recently to Harvard. In between he has walked across Iran, through Pakistan and India and on to Afghanistan – arriving just after the Taliban had been toppled. With knowledge of local languages and customs as well as first-hand experience of the people in these countries and a front row seat on the War on Terror, what does Rory think the future holds for Iraq and Afghanistan and is he optimistic about President Obama’s proposed policies for the region?

Rory Stewart OBE is a writer and campaigner. He currently lives in Kabul, where he is the Chief Executive of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation. Rory studied history and philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford and then joined the British Diplomatic Service. In 2000 he covered 6000 miles on foot alone across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal – a journey described in The Places in Between. In 2003, he became the coalition Deputy Governor of Maysan and Dhi Qar – two provinces in the Marsh Arab region of Southern Iraq.

Moderated by Allan Little – BBC Special correspondent and programme presenter. He has won several awards including a Gold Sony Radio Award for Reporter of the Year ad in 1994 he was named the Bayeux War Correspondent of the Year.