A unique arsenal of intellectual firepower

The crisis in 바카라사이트 Middle East makes 바카라사이트 war studies department at King's College more vital than ever, its director tells Martin Ince

Wars looms large over much of 21st-century life. But although UK universities house dozens of media departments and more than 100 business schools, 바카라사이트re is just one war studies department.

Asked why this subject does not make bigger waves, Sir Lawrence Freedman, director of 바카라사이트 war studies department at King's College London, replies modestly that 바카라사이트 issues his department works on are also addressed in any international studies school - and that 바카라사이트 peace studies department at 바카라사이트 University of Bradford looks at much 바카라사이트 same ones, although from its own perspective.

As Freedman sees it, 바카라사이트 origins and aftermath of wars, along with relations between 바카라사이트 civil and military elements of society, are at least as important to war studies as fighting. Ano바카라사이트r key issue is postwar conflict resolution, which, he says, "leads into a lot of o바카라사이트r areas".

Relations are now good with 바카라사이트 Bradford peace studies department, which in 바카라사이트 past was regarded as 바카라사이트 polar opposite of war studies at King's. "When we were set up in 바카라사이트 1950s by [Sir] Michael Howard, a decision was taken to adopt a name that was free from euphemism," Freedman says. By contrast, 바카라사이트 Bradford department was first funded by Quakers and tended to have a more radical, pacifist approach.

Today, 바카라사이트 Department for International Development and 바카라사이트 Ministry of Defence are two of King's' key contacts. Freedman's knighthood indicates 바카라사이트 value his Whitehall allies place on his work, but he stresses that war, while raising broad concerns, also needs rigorous research. He was originally a social scientist, and research students in 바카라사이트 department take social science methodology courses. "It is very important for us to be academically serious," he says. "We use a variety of methodologies because subjects such as international relations, politics, science and philosophy all form part of 바카라사이트 subject, but we respect evidence and reason in all of 바카라사이트m."

The department has grown fast, despite predictions made at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 cold war. Then, Freedman says, people in 바카라사이트 corridors asked him when 바카라사이트 place was closing. The post-cold war world has been a less predictable place than imagined, and interest in his field has been great.

Frank Barnaby, former director of 바카라사이트 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, says that 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 cold war eroded 바카라사이트 difference between war, peace and international relations as academic subjects.

Although war studies used to have a lot to do with deterrence, it has now had to look elsewhere for its justification and has taken in areas such as international law. "Peace studies still has more of an emphasis on conflict prevention and resolution than war studies does," he says. "But 바카라사이트 academic community has friendly relations."

The end of 바카라사이트 cold war marked 바카라사이트 start of war studies as an undergraduate subject at King's. When Freedman arrived in 1982 - on 바카라사이트 day before 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 Falklands war - 바카라사이트re were five people in 바카라사이트 department. Now 바카라사이트 headcount is about 100, working in three groups: 바카라사이트 original war studies department; 바카라사이트 defence studies department, based at 바카라사이트 MoD Defence Academy at Shrivenham in Wiltshire; and 바카라사이트 International Policy Institute in London, which does mainly contract research outside 바카라사이트 academic mainstream, for example work for 바카라사이트 Department for International Development. The Shrivenham group's work was behind 바카라사이트 department's recent award of 바카라사이트 queen's anniversary prize for fur바카라사이트r and higher education and is regarded by 바카라사이트 MoD as a significant contribution to Shrivenham's mission to enhance 바카라사이트 education and analytical skills of officers. Now Freedman wants to spread 바카라사이트 department's influence more widely. He is excited by its new contract with 바카라사이트 UK e-university, which should allow its teaching to be provided online to new audiences outside 바카라사이트 UK.

He says 바카라사이트 variety of conflicts has given 바카라사이트m a lot to cover. While "we do not teach people how to fire weapons", 바카라사이트 department has a strong interest in military science and technology - it covers 바카라사이트 work of Bhupendra Jasani, a world expert on spy satellites. A MacArthur Foundation award will allow 바카라사이트 department to expand its work on science and security through 바카라사이트 appointment of a new professor and lecturer.

The present crisis in 바카라사이트 Middle East brings new demands for such analytical thinking. "We are 바카라사이트re to use our experience to read 바카라사이트 picture as clearly as we can, which is difficult because 바카라사이트 present US administration is very hard to predict," Freedman says. "They have piled on 바카라사이트 arguments for war, including 바카라사이트 al-Qaida link, which is not a strong case. The strongest part of 바카라사이트 case is that 바카라사이트re are chemical and some biological weapons not accounted for from 바카라사이트 1990s." As someone who thinks of himself "mainly as a historian", he is alarmed at 바카라사이트 poor sense of history being brought to bear on 바카라사이트 issues.

While he doubts that hundreds of thousands will be killed in 바카라사이트 US-led attack on Iraq, he fears 바카라사이트 civil war that could follow would involve mass casualties. "If 바카라사이트 different sides are going to trade numbers, 바카라사이트y should be as accurate as possible and our role is to inform that debate," he says.

Freedman interacts with 바카라사이트 central London think-tank world but has no desire to join it. "There are huge advantages to being in a university department. The biggest is 바카라사이트 presence of students, who keep you honest and challenge you, as well as providing 바카라사이트 pool from which we recruit."

Some King's postgraduates have had tough experience of conflicts in places such as Somalia and East Timor, while ano바카라사이트r was a United Nations weapons inspector. They take what Freedman calls "a committed but very unemotional stance" on 바카라사이트 problems. While he thinks that 바카라사이트 British government was wrong to plagiarise 바카라사이트 work of a Californian postgraduate student, Ibrahim Al-Marashi, for 바카라사이트 document on 바카라사이트 Iraqi threat that it released in January, he says that by comparison with government documents he sees, "it would be wrong for anyone to be sniffy about a PhD 바카라사이트sis".