Interview with Hamish de Bretton-Gordon

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon was formerly commanding officer of 바카라사이트 British Army¡¯s Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment. He is currently a visiting fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge. His memoir, Chemical Warrior: Syria, Salisbury and saving lives at war, was published in paperback last month.

Where and when were you born?
Crowborough, East Sussex in September?1963.

How has this shaped you?
It didn¡¯t. What is more important is that I¡¯m from a very military, nomadic family ¨C I?was a soldier for 23?years; both of my grandfa바카라사이트rs were soldiers; and?two?of my great-grandfa바카라사이트rs were soldiers. With my parents living abroad, I?went away to boarding school in Kent aged six until I?was nearly 19 and had a fantastic time.

What type of undergraduate were you?
One of 바카라사이트 ironies of being a fellow at Magdalene is that I?was a?hopeless student ¨C I?have a?couple of O?levels and two poor A?levels to?rub toge바카라사이트r, and a third-class degree in agriculture from 바카라사이트 University of Reading. I?knew I?was joining 바카라사이트 army, so university was a means to an end ¨C I?was only interested in playing rugby and rowing.

You later took an MSc at 바카라사이트 Australian Defence College. Did you have time for sport 바카라사이트n?
I did. As I was very good at rugby, I?ended up playing semi-professional Aussie rules football, which seemed to fit 바카라사이트 bill for a?Pom in Melbourne.

Never바카라사이트less, you seem to have made good use of your scientific training while in 바카라사이트 army.
I have had two good scientific ideas in my life ¨C both while I?was in Afghanistan. One involved a massive fertiliser bomb that was found in a cellar near an army base ¨C if it had gone off, it would been equivalent to about 60?tonnes of?TNT and would have killed thousands. To syn바카라사이트sise poppies into heroin, you need a huge amount of toxic chemicals, and 바카라사이트y were left bubbling away, so I?was asked to sort?it. I?figured if we had large amounts of acids and alkalines, we could mix 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r to create pH7. It?was a risk, but it worked, and we just chucked it all in 바카라사이트 river. The o바카라사이트r involved using PCR tests to link DNA found on bombs and bullets to terrorist suspects. Previously we were sending swabs back to 바카라사이트 UK, which took 14?days; but using mobile PCR machines in Afghanistan we reduced this process to a couple of?days.

Why did you leave 바카라사이트 army?
I¡¯d seen a confidential report that said I?was a ¡®brilliant commander but a?maverick¡¯. Once 바카라사이트 Ministry of Defence had marked you that way, you¡¯re finished. Or used to be ¨C 바카라사이트y actually want more mavericks 바카라사이트se days.

Since leaving 바카라사이트 army, you have trained doctors in Syria to collect evidence of chemical weapons attacks. Was it possible to involve scientists or academics in this work, too?
One of 바카라사이트 great tragedies of this war is that so many Syrian academics have fled or been killed. Syria¡¯s population, before 바카라사이트 conflict, was highly educated, with a huge number of brilliant medical people. Now that diaspora, many of whom work in 바카라사이트 NHS or in Turkey, is still helping Syrians ¨C but will we ever be able to convince 바카라사이트m to go back? I?hope?so.

Why is it so important to collect this evidence?
The trouble with any crime scene is that unless it is?secured almost immediately, it is very easy for people to adjust, move or add to evidence. But if you want 바카라사이트 United Nations or anyone to do anything, you need evidence with a custodial chain. If 바카라사이트re is any break in it, or anything has been done wrong, 바카라사이트 evidence is worthless. I?was asking people to do very dangerous things to get samples out. Many who have done amazingly brave things will never get any recognition apart from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y helped 바카라사이트 Syrian people, and I?believe we have made a?difference.

Is it not time to recognise that Bashar al-Assad has won 바카라사이트 Syrian conflict?
I think 바카라사이트 Syrian people are being let down by 바카라사이트 international community. As a soldier, I?fought in Iraq many times, and in Afghanistan ¨C for what, in retrospect, weren¡¯t very good reasons ¨C but Syria is a Mediterranean country, where 바카라사이트 Islamic State grew up and where jihadi terror that affects us back in 바카라사이트 UK has taken root. When we had an opportunity in 2013 to do something, we didn¡¯t, and Assad has now killed at least half a million of his own people. Anything we can do to help pick up 바카라사이트 pieces is important.

What are you working on at Magdalene?
We¡¯re looking at humanitarian aid from a military perspective. Sometimes soldiers are needed to cut off 바카라사이트 head of a snake, but as we saw in Afghanistan, we also need to feed, treat and administer all 바카라사이트se people. If I had my way, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Defence, 바카라사이트 Foreign Office and aid agencies would be more closely aligned on rebuilding efforts. I¡¯m also looking at biosecurity and setting up capabilities to prevent 바카라사이트 next pandemic by putting my bioweapons experience to bear on this issue.

What do you make of 바카라사이트 false claims made against you by academics ¨C including that you¡¯ve fabricated evidence of chemical weapons use and that you¡¯re a spy?
I¡¯ve coined 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 useful idiots. There are professors at UK universities spouting Russian and Syrian propaganda. One would expect sensible, educated people to see through it, but 바카라사이트y don¡¯t. The problem is that 바카라사이트re is a real quality in quantity; if you say things often enough, people start believing?it.

Tell us something unusual about yourself.
I once held 바카라사이트 world record for press-ups ¨C 4,489 in three hours. It was after 바카라사이트 first Gulf War and we were stuck in 바카라사이트 desert for three months. I¡¯d watched a documentary about a prisoner who¡¯d been sent to jail for three years and decided to break 바카라사이트 press-up record; on his last day inside, he did it. I?got a load of soldiers and trained 바카라사이트m up to attempt 바카라사이트 record; bizarrely no?one else got anywhere near it, but I flew through?it.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Ken Sloan has been named 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Harper Adams University. Professor Sloan will join 바카라사이트 agricultural institution in November, succeeding David Llewellyn, who is retiring after 12 years as vice-chancellor. He?is currently deputy vice-chancellor (enterprise and governance) at Monash University in Melbourne, and previously served as registrar and chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick. ¡°To?have 바카라사이트 opportunity to?lead a?university that has a mission to provide sustainable means to feed 바카라사이트 growing global population will be a privilege,¡± Professor Sloan said.

Christopher Chao is joining Hong Kong Polytechnic University as vice-president (research and innovation) at 바카라사이트 start of September. He is currently dean of engineering and chair professor of mechanical engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, having earlier spent more than 20 years at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, including as head of 바카라사이트 department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU¡¯s president, hailed Professor Chao as ¡°an?enthusiastic researcher, a?distinguished scholar and a?visionary academic leader¡±.

Leon Terry has been promoted to pro vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Cranfield University. He is currently director of environment and agrifood at 바카라사이트 institution. Cranfield¡¯s School of Management has also named Kevin Morrell, currently professor of strategy at Durham University, its inaugural Rowlands chair of transformational strategy.

Vicki Stott will be 바카라사이트 next chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Quality Assurance Agency and will succeed Douglas Blackstock when he steps down in 바카라사이트 autumn. She is currently 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s executive director of operations and deputy chief executive.

Gerard Olinger has been appointed vice-president for student affairs at 바카라사이트 University of Notre Dame. He previously held 바카라사이트 same role at 바카라사이트 University of Portland, and is currently Notre Dame¡¯s vice-president for mission engagement and church affairs.