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David Strachan-Morris

@drdavidsm.bsky.social
1.3K followers 203 following 351 posts

Lecturer in Intelligence and Security. Links to recent work on Combat Intelligence at shorturl.at/pBDjL and warning intelligence at shorturl.at/waeL2 Keen rugby fan and supporter of Ulster Rugby and Ireland.

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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Excellent article here by @warmatters.bsky.social on how continual technological innovation has allowed states to avoid the hard questions on strategy and force generation.
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Dr. Dan Lomas @sandbaggerone.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
MI5 issues spy alert to UK universities over Chinese front company stealing research www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
MI5 issues spy alert to UK universities over Chinese front company stealing research
Security service says academics should stop taking grants from and working with firm backed by China’s intelligence service
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I think I've seen the fatal flaw in an otherwise infallible plan.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I was very honoured to receive the IAFIE - International Association for Intelligence Education Instructor of the Year award last week during the International Association For Intelligence Education (IAFIE) Europe conference, presented by IAFIE President Kathy Pherson. @hypirleicester.bsky.social
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
New post: "Madmen and realists" In which I look at the disaster of Trump's foreign policy. And options for what it could look like under a president who is a bully in obvious cognitive decline. (Free to read) samf.substack.com/p/madmen-and...
samf.substack.com
Madmen and Realists
US foreign policy under Trump and beyond
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
babylonbee.com/news/thousan...
babylonbee.com
Thousands Of Accountants Board Higgins Boats In Preparation For 'Economic D-Day' Against Iran
PERSIAN GULF — Clutching their pens and calculators tightly, thousands of accountants boarded Higgins boats this morning in preparation for the launch of "Economic D-Day" against Iran.
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History, Politics & IR at the University of Leicester @hypirleicester.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Publication alert 🚨Leicester’s Stephen Hopkins has co-edited a fantastic new volume with Connal Parr, “Paving the Path to Peace: Civil Society and the Northern Ireland Peace Process”.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Letter in the @irishtimes.com today about Ireland's intelligence services. Hard to fault the logic!
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The war in Iran has shown that Trump’s inability to perceive reality has become truly dangerous. Iran is a disaster, but Trump’s irrationality could create other, even more perilous situations. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
Trump’s Irrationality Is Dangerous
The president’s recent rant is a sign of serious dysfunction in the Oval Office.
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Intelligence and National Security @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
** Call for Papers: Special Issue on Psychology and Intelligence** Guest Editors: Nicole K. Drumhiller and Thomas Preston (Washington State University) Intelligence and National Security invites submissions for a special issue on Psychology and Intelligence.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Normally reaching out for external expertise would be unremarkable during a military campaign, but for an administration that is famously anti-expert and only values opinions that match its ideology, this is a massive sign that they are out of ideas.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Great post on statelessness and global citizenship here by my colleague Kelly Staples! euppublishingblog.com/2026/06/25/i...
euppublishingblog.com
Is world citizenship the solution to statelessness?
What does it mean to be state-less? Does not being considered as a national by any state result in an other-worldly form of exclusion...
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Dr. Sarah Parcak @indyfromspace.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
This is really wonderful. Thank you Spencer!
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Interesting article with points to consider about the use of covert action and clandestine collection, but the real value of a foreign intelligence agency is its ability to focus externally, process information and provide useful, timely, and relevant threat assessments. macleans.ca/society/are-...
macleans.ca
Are Canadians Ready for Their Own CIA? - Macleans.ca
Not having our own foreign intelligence agency is costing us. So would having one.
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Yiannis @yiannisbab.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Ah yes, the "Thdpsssps"
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Conor Gallagher @conorgallagher.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Multiple Irish State agencies are using password software with deep links to a Russian technology company licensed by Moscow’s intelligence service, an Irish Times investigation has found. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
Irish State bodies use password software licensed by Russian intelligence
Irish Times investigation finds software involved in handling of sensitive information with at least three agencies
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Dr. Claudia Hillebrand @ckhillebrand.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Why did several European intelligence services fail to anticipate Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine? This piece about the Dutch AIVD & MIVD argues that they overly trusted a - misleading - source in the Russian security establishment and failed to listen to concise warnings by US/UK colleagues.
volkskrant.nl
‘Unique source’ blinded Dutch intelligence agencies to Putin’s invasion: ‘What a fuck-up’
Despite persistent warnings from American and British officials, the Dutch intelligence agencies refused to believe Putin would invade Ukraine in 2022. An investigation by de Volkskrant reveals how th...
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Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 17/06/2026
When given access and a goal, AI models sometimes act in ways institutions never authorized. Melissa Graves argues that given the intelligence community's integration of AI inside the workflow, it's time to treat AI agents as a potential counterintelligence problem.
lawfaremedia.org
The Next Counterintelligence Problem Is Artificial
Accuracy isn’t enough—agencies must detect when trusted AI misuses legitimate access. Enter: AI counterintelligence.
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Alexander Mark Weber @weberam2.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
University Professors in the Neoliberal Academic Ecosystem m.youtube.com/watch?v=PGO4... Crossposted with @openvibe.social
m.youtube.com
University Professors in the Neoliberal Academic Ecosystem
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
These are the 30 women killed since 2020 in Northern Ireland, all by white men 21 killed in their homes by men they knew. The youngest 20, the oldest 82 21 were mothers, 4 were killed with their children in the home. Two were pregnant Nobody rioted over their murders www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
A picture of violence: The 30 women killed in more than four years
In at least 21 of the 30 deaths, the killers - or the suspects in their killings - were well-known to the women.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Another great intelligence studies opportunity here: Professor of Security and Intelligence Studies and Director of Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies - University of Buckingham - Centre for Security and Intelligence studies www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRU395/p...
jobs.ac.uk
Professor of Security and Intelligence Studies and Director of Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS) at University of Buckingham
Recruiting now: Professor of Security and Intelligence Studies and Director of Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS) on jobs.ac.uk. Click for details and explore more academic job oppo...
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Dr. Claudia Hillebrand @ckhillebrand.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Vacancy in Intelligence Studies: www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/149225-...
kcl.ac.uk
Lecturer in Intelligence Studies | King's College London
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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
@clairehanna.bsky.social : "Last week, in a very high profile case, the murder of Natalie McNally, the judge.. talked about a frenzied knife attack, he talked about wounds so bad the cause of death was unable to to be determined. There were no riots over the perpetrator of that brutal crime"
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Dr Emma L Briant 🇬🇧 in 🇺🇸 w/ 🐕 @emma-briant.co.uk · 04/06/2026
"Universities have discovered their ideal academic: a machine that believes nothing, has read everything, and can produce infinite quantities of fluent slop on demand. And they have offered it tenure" stevenschwartz.substack.com/p/the-end-of...
stevenschwartz.substack.com
The end of higher education
Universities have discovered their ideal academic: a machine that believes nothing, has read everything, and can produce infinite quantities of fluent slop on demand. And they have offered it tenure.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
I am very honoured to be this year's winner of the International Association for Intelligence Education Instructor of the Year Award! I have been doing a lot of reflection in the last few months on how I teach, and this is a lovely way to cap the year. www.linkedin.com/pulse/iafies...
linkedin.com
IAFIE's 2026 Award Season Winners!
IAFIE - International Association for Intelligence Education is honored to announce its 2026 Award Season Winners! Join us in congratulating Dr. Mark Lowenthal, Mr.
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Tim Dowse @timdowse.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Some wise and rather touching words to the House of Lords from the retiring Lord Hennessy. Paras 4-9 in particular are well worth reading. www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=20...
theyworkforyou.com
My Lords, listening to the noble...
Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 4:36 pm 18 May 2026
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Watching a great series on @netflix.com called Legends about HM Customs officers working undercover in the 1990s. Well-written and fairly realistic, but what it really shows is the huge difference between intelligence and evidence, and the massive difficulty in turning the former into the latter.
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Sophie Duroy @sophieduroy.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
A roundtable on my book is now out in @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social Grateful for the thoughtful and generous engagements. A great interdisciplinary exchange on law, intelligence, and security, permitted by @kcsi.uk's Polly Corrigan Book Prize. doi.org/10.1080/0268... @elgarpublishing.bsky.social
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Intelligence and National Security @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Available online now - a fantastic roundtable on The Polly Corrigan Book Prize Winner 2024, The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law, by Sophie Duroy. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The Polly Corrigan Book Prize Winner 2024, The Regulation of Intelligence Activities under International Law
Published in Intelligence and National Security (Ahead of Print, 2026)
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Great article here about the Irish Military Intelligence Service. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...
irishtimes.com
‘The spy is the boring guy in a suit’: Inside the State’s military intelligence service
In a rare interview a senior officer with the Irish Military Intelligence Service talks about its work – and the threats facing the State
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
A long read but a really interesting look at the murkier end of corporate intelligence amongst the oligarchs and super-rich, where the line between intelligence and covert action becomes blurred. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
Vadim Nikitin · Among the Private Spies: Christopher Steele’s Assertions
Why was Steele’s dossier, alleging collusion between Trump and Putin, so shoddy, and why, despite this, did it command...
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Trump Is Doing Structural Damage to American Intelligence open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com
Trump Is Doing Structural Damage to American Intelligence
The issue isn’t just his disregard for facts. It’s that he’s reshaping the government in his image.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
politico.eu
How Russian spies recruit, pressure and run their informants
A leaked cache of messages and recordings offers rare insight into Moscow’s efforts to infiltrate opposition groups in Europe.
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Cindy Storer @cindystorer.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Does the intelligence community warn of imminent threats? After speaking with my students, I’ve decided to offer clarification of the threat warming process.
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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 14/03/2026
Inside the Department of War are two wolves: "We've shut down the Colleges of War because book learnings are woke, gay, and irrelevant to war fighting." "How come no one told us the Strait is important, there are different kinds of Kurds, Iran is big, and air power historically doesn't win wars?"
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I look forward to learning what flora and fauna are considered 'woke' by right wing culture warriors.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
As was often said during the Iraq War, '"Yee-ha!" is not a plan'.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
When I was 10 years old I went to sea with my Dad for nearly a year.
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Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism @jpict.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We've got some great new intel books available for review here at JPICT, including books by @chekistmonitor.bsky.social, @lucatrenta.bsky.social & @avramovok.bsky.social. Please get in touch with @melaniebrand.bsky.social if you're interested in writing a review for us. 1/3
https://utppublishing.com/doi/book/10.3138/9781487548926https://www.rienner.com/title/Killing_in_the_Name_of_the_State_State_Sponsored_Assassination_in_International_Politics
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Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism @jpict.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
We also have review copies of some excellent new terrorism/CVE titles available to share with interested reviewers. Just reach out to @melaniebrand.bsky.social or email melanie dot brand at mq dot edu dot au for more information.
https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9780691257600/man-up-pdfhttps://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/isis-9780755659005/
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Intelligence and National Security @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Interesting story in today's Guardian about intelligence in the lead up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int... For more on this, see our Special Issue on intelligence and the Ukraine War, published in Feb 2022. www.tandfonline.com/toc/fint20/3...
tandfonline.com
Intelligence and National Security
Intelligence and the Russo-Ukrainian War. Volume 39, Issue 3 of Intelligence and National Security
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Intelligence and National Security @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Call for Papers: Special Issue on Sources and Archives for Intelligence History in Cold War Europe Editors: Matteo Giurco and Christopher Moran We invite submissions for a special issue focused on sources and archives relevant to intelligence history in Cold War Europe.
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Alex Blackwell @alexblackwell.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Today is Argo Day.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
One for your collection of protective markings, @markstout.bsky.social Doctor Who, Claws of Axios.
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
The newest issue of Baltic Rim Economies (1/2026) is out now, with a contribution from me on Ireland and intelligence (page 83). The whole issues is downloadable at www.centrumbalticum.org/files/7106/B...
centrumbalticum.org
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
When I talk about intelligence and uncertainty, I include unforced errors by our own side as a result of policy missteps for various reasons, indecision, or systemic constraints on action. I'm going to have to add 'key ally goes nuts with a baseball bat' to the list. www.reuters.com/world/europe...
reuters.com
Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Peace Prize snub, EU eyes trade retaliation
President Donald Trump linked his drive to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer thought "purely of Peace" as the row over the Arctic island threat...
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
However bad 'the thing' is, covering it up and lying about it always makes it worse and has repercussions far beyond the 'thing' itself. Obviously, some things can't be disclosed at the time but if the records show a real investigation and accountability, that can mitigate a great deal of the harm.
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Intelligence and National Security @intnatsecjournal.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Our final issue for 2025, No 40: Vol 6 is now out. It is another great Special Issue; 'Intelligence and Digital Transformation: Strategies, Challenges, and Opportunities' edited by Lars Haugom, Margunn Aanestad, Damien Van Puyvelde & Stig Stenslie www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The journey of digital transformation in intelligence organizations
This introduction to the special issue explores how digital technologies are reshaping intelligence organizations. It frames digital transformation not as a linear process but as a complex journey ...
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David Strachan-Morris @drdavidsm.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
This also raises a question about the expertise and real depth of knowledge of executives. AI just provides another part of the 'junk food' diet of PowerPoint bullet points and 'Executive Summaries' that they live on.
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