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Paul McGarr

@paulmcgarr.bsky.social
4.2K followers 880 following 101 posts

Intelligence History | Published first book on Cold War South Asia, published another on Spying in India, writing a third on Indira Gandhi & Margaret Thatcher

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Reposted by Paul McGarr
petercgrace.bsky.social @petercgrace.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
"Sure to become the standard reference for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual foundations of American intelligence analysis," says @paulmcgarr.bsky.social. @sandbaggerone.bsky.social says it is "meticulously researched" and the CIA journal calls it "an insightful study." shorturl.at/tpaiJ
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
@warstudieskcl.bsky.social at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social has a new podcast on ‘Afghanistan: 25 Years After 9/11. On the Brink of Another Crisis?’ with special guest, Colin Smith, co-ordinator of UNSC's Analytical Support & Sanctions Monitoring. Take a look👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=u10D...
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Diana Bolsinger @dianabolsinger.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Nothing better than a project where you get to collaborate with smart friends. This roundtable was fun! Thank you, @lucatrenta.bsky.social, Michael J. Ard, @cindystorer.bsky.social, @paulmcgarr.bsky.social, and the one-and-only @tim-weiner.bsky.social networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
networks.h-net.org
H-Diplo|Jervis Forum Roundtable Review 17-5 on Weiner, _The Mission_ | H-Net
The Jervis ForumH-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies ForumRoundtable Review 17-35Tim Weiner, The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century. Mariner Books, 2025. ISBN: 978063270190.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Thanks to Frontline, part of @thehindu.com, for carrying a piece I wrote on India in the Trump 2 era. Not easy to write given the pace at which events in India are evolving, viz. the US and EU. See👇 frontline.thehindu.com/world-affair... @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @dsdkings.bsky.social @kcsi.uk
frontline.thehindu.com
Trump’s Second Term and the Unravelling of India–US Ties
Trump’s second term exposes the fragility of India–US ties and forces New Delhi to rethink strategic autonomy and alignment.
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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 04/02/2026
🚨 New publication – KCSI member Dr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social for @warontherocks.bsky.social on "How the United States Lost a Nuclear Device and Recovered an Indian Friend" warontherocks.com/2026/02/how-...
warontherocks.com
How the United States Lost a Nuclear Device and Recovered an Indian Friend
It started at a Washington cocktail party, when an Air Force general listened to a mountaineer describe the view from Mount Everest — and decided the
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Thanks to @warontherocks.bsky.social for publishing my piece on a recent @nytimes.com article about a CIA/Indian intelligence operation that ended in the loss of a nuclear-powered surveillance device 👇 warontherocks.com/2026/02/how-... @kcsi.uk @dsdkings.bsky.social @warstudieskcl.bsky.social
warontherocks.com
How the United States Lost a Nuclear Device and Recovered an Indian Friend
It started at a Washington cocktail party, when an Air Force general listened to a mountaineer describe the view from Mount Everest — and decided the
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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 23/12/2025
📖 Dr Paul McGarr (@paulmcgarr.bsky.social) recommends "Our Man in Havana" by Graham Greene (1958).
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Honoured Spying in South Asia makes the list of the best non-fiction books read by The Prints columnists in 2025. Humbled to feature alongside accomplished authors & amazing work. That's some bookshelf! theprint.in/feature/the-... @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @universitypress.cambridge.org
theprint.in
The best non-fiction books read by ThePrint columnists in 2025
From artificial intelligence and India’s development journey to debates on Hinduism, majoritarianism, and the Intelligence Bureau, these books captured the attention of ThePrint’s columnists in 2025.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Wrote about this last year in Spying in South Asia: Britain, the United States and India's Secret Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2024) www.cambridge.org/9781108843676 www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
How Did the C.I.A. Lose a Nuclear Device in the Himalayas? (Gift Article)
A plutonium-packed generator disappeared on one of the world’s highest mountains in a covert mission that the U.S. will not talk about.
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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 05/12/2025
🚨New publication in KCSI Insights — “‘Not your father’s Afghanistan’: Is the West taking its eye off the al-Qaeda ball?” by Graham Aikin 🔗 Link: kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight... #KCSI
kcsi.uk
‘Not your father’s Afghanistan': Is the West taking its eye off the…
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Diplomatic History @diplomatichistory.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Andrew Muldoon (@arjm5184.bsky.social) reviews Paul M. McGarr's (@paulmcgarr.bsky.social) Spying in South Asia: Britain, the United States, and India’s Secret Cold War doi.org/10.1093/dh/d...
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Visited Khan Market in Delhi today to call in at the institution that is Bahri Sons books. Great to see Spying in South Asia on the shelves. Better still, Bahri Sons had me sign copies that were sold straight on to customers! @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kcsi.uk @universitypress.cambridge.org
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Extremely grateful to Pratyaksh Sharma for his very generius and insightful review of Spying in South Asia www.cambridge.org/9781108843676
cambridge.org
Spying in South Asia | Cambridge University Press & Assessment
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Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism @jpict.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
"Spying in South Asia is a thorough and thought-provoking work" writes Pratyaksh Sharma of @paulmcgarr.bsky.social's recent book, published by @universitypress.cambridge.org. Follow this link to read our latest book review ➡️ doi.org/10.1080/1833...
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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 21/10/2025
📚 Call for submissions: 2025 Polly Corrigan and Kjetil Hatlebrekke Book Prizes The King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence is pleased to open nominations for two distinguished awards celebrating excellence in intelligence and security studies.
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King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence (KCSI) @kcsi.uk · 17/10/2025
📖 Support the next generation of intelligence scholars KCSI offers expert insights, analysis, and research on how intelligence impacts urgent problems that we confront in the global security environment. Our work would not be possible without the support of grants and donations. (1/5)
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
It’s early in the academic year, but I may have peaked. Yesterday, I led on the delivery of a new @warstudieskcl.bsky.social course, Strategic Intelligence for Senior Executives, alongside Emergent Risk International. Engaging F2F with global business leaders was informative & huge fun. @kcsi.uk
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
Learned a lot yesterday evening talking about challenges facing intelligence practitioners (state & private) to the @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social Business School Executive MBA class. Great to engage with highly impressive and vastly experienced business leaders. @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
It’s early in the academic year, but I may have peaked. Yesterday, I led on the delivery of a new @warstudieskcl.bsky.social course, Strategic Intelligence for Senior Executives, alongside Emergent Risk International. Engaging F2F with global business leaders was informative & huge fun. @kcsi.uk
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Received a nice surprise in the post today, the amazing new @georgetownup.bsky.social volume on Covert Action edited by the dream team of @magslong.bsky.social, Genevive Lester, @markstout.bsky.social, @dvanp.bsky.social & @rorycormac.bsky.social. Stellar contributors, though Chp 9 seems suspect😉
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Privileged today to be invited to address the current senior leadership cadre at India’s National Defence College on intel in South Asia & as a determinant in foreign policymaking. Thks Maj Gen Samath Nagar & Air Marshal Hardeep Bains (Commandant) for asking me to engage with the latest NDC cohort.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
Thks to praveenswami.bsky.social for noting my work on intelligence ties between India & the US in his excellent article in The Print. Agree that India-US intel ties will weather the latest squall btwn Delhi and Washington. theprint-in.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/theprint... @warstudieskcl.bsky.social
theprint-in.cdn.ampproject.org
India-US relationship has survived darker times. Intelligence ties bind us together
India-US intelligence ties flourished even in the shadow of the Cold War, as New Delhi resolutely proclaimed its commitment to non-alignment.
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Marc Reyes @marcus1984.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
Honored to see my review of @paulmcgarr.bsky.social's Spying in South Asia on this week's #ScholarSunday thread. @americanstudier.bsky.social every week I love seeing you highlight scholars and sharing word about their work. Thank you and please keep it up! contingentmagazine.org/2025/08/12/t...
contingentmagazine.org
The Search for Intelligence
the intelligence individuals are less James Bond and George Smiley than bureaucrats
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Marc Reyes @marcus1984.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
ICYMI: I wrote a review of @paulmcgarr.bsky.social's excellent @universitypress.cambridge.org book Spying in South Asia for @contingent-mag.bsky.social Here's a 🧵 about how the review came together and what was left on the cutting room floor. contingentmagazine.org/2025/08/12/t...
contingentmagazine.org
The Search for Intelligence
the intelligence individuals are less James Bond and George Smiley than bureaucrats
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Thks to TheWire.in for noting some of my recent work on UK & US covert Cold War interventions in Kerala m.thewire.in/article/hist... With elections due in Kerala next year its timely to revisit the issue of electoral interference @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kcsi.uk @universitypress.cambridge.org
thewire.in
The Wire: The Wire News India, Latest News,News from India, Politics, External Affairs, Science, Economics, Gender and Culture
The Wire: The Wire News India, Latest News,News from India, Politics, External Affairs, Science, Economics, Gender and Culture
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Marc Reyes @marcus1984.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
During the Cold War, the US, UK, and USSR all had covert operations in India. Were their efforts successful? No. Were their efforts secret? Definitely no. Read more about these covert operations, only in @contingent-mag.bsky.social #india #security contingentmagazine.org/2025/08/12/t...
contingentmagazine.org
The Search for Intelligence
the intelligence individuals are less James Bond and George Smiley than bureaucrats
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War Studies @warstudieskcl.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Dr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social draws on newly declassified British documents to reveal how, during the #ColdWar, India’s Congress government, the CIA & British intelligence took covert actions to undermine the Communist Party of India in #Kerala in the late 1950s. Read more: bit.ly/3JjPwe6
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Marc Reyes @marcus1984.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
The latest @contingent-mag.bsky.social essay is my review of @paulmcgarr.bsky.social's excellent book, Spying in South Asia @universitypress.cambridge.org The book is a MUST READ especially for @shafrhistorians.bsky.social #india #coldwar #skystorians contingentmagazine.org/2025/08/12/t...
contingentmagazine.org
The Search for Intelligence
the intelligence individuals are less James Bond and George Smiley than bureaucrats
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Intelligence history being put to good use in The Print India to contextualise recent "developments" in US relations with India and Pakistan. Appreciate the mention 🙏 theprint.in/opinion/secu... @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kcsi.uk @universitypress.cambridge.org
theprint.in
Method in Trump's Pakistan romance: US' Gulf security
Like Turkey and Egypt, Pakistan is one of a handful of powers with the human resources and infrastructure to help secure the Persian Gulf as Trump’s America draws down its military presence.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
Thks to @indianexpress.com for carrying a piece I wrote on newly declassified British intelligence files that reveal covert collaboration btw India & the UK in Cold War Kerala. The article is available here 👇 indianexpress.com/article/opin... @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kcsi.uk
indianexpress.com
When Indian government, British intelligence and the CIA joined hands to spy on communists in Kerala
Newly declassified British government documents cast important light on the complex system of cooperation and competition that characterised Western intelligence interactions with India during the Col...
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
A review of Spying in South is out by @marcus1984.bsky.social in @contingent-mag.bsky.social contingentmagazine.org/2025/08/12/t.... Mark is a superb scholar & his critique is on point. If you don't read Contingent at present, you should. It's a non-profit history mag doing amazing work. Take a look
contingentmagazine.org
The Search for Intelligence
the intelligence individuals are less James Bond and George Smiley than bureaucrats
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
Hugely grateful to @arjm5184.bsky.social for his very generous & insightful review of Spying in South Asia in @diplomatichistory.bsky.social. Andrew's meticulous assessment neatly captures the book's essence 🙏https://academic.oup.com/dh/advance-article/doi/10.1093/dh/dhaf052/8226034?searchresult=1
academic.oup.com
Sovereignty and Surveillance in Cold War India
Paul McGarr opens his work with a reference from John le Carré’s Smiley’s People, recounting the brief meeting between George Smiley and his Soviet counter
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Spoke to @telegraphnews.bsky.social on the hiring & firing of US officials by the Trump admin. The piece covers the decision not to appoint Tom Sylvester as the next CIA station chief in London. In short, politicising intelligence is a VERY bad idea. Take a look👇 www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08...
telegraph.co.uk
How Britain found itself at the heart of a CIA civil war
An ex-Navy Seal and an agent for 30 years, Tom Sylvester was the ideal candidate for London station chief. Did someone get to him?
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Grateful to Zach Constantino at sspga.ubc.ca for a very generous review of Spying in South Asia cambridge.org/9781108843676 in @pacificaffairs.bsky.social. Humbled that an intelligence practitioner of Zach's experience offered encouraging words on the book. See pacificaffairs.ubc.ca/book-reviews...
pacificaffairs.ubc.ca
SPYING IN SOUTH ASIA: Britain, the United States, and India’s Secret Cold War | By Paul McGarr
book review of SPYING IN SOUTH ASIA: Britain, the United States, and India's Secret Cold War By Paul McGarr
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
Great new article on Cold War Japan from King's War Studies PhD candidiate, Satoshi Yoda. Well worth a read. kcsi.uk/kcsi-insight...
kcsi.uk
From Langley to Tokyo: The JFK Assassination Files and Communist…
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
Humbled by a very kind review of Spying in South Asia cambridge.org/9781108843676 in India's World. Delighted the review appeared in a publication that, under the expert leadership of Happymon Jacob & Raja C Mohan, is becoming the go to outlet for expert commentary on India's international affairs.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Very kind review of Spying in South Asia www.cambridge.org/9781108843676 by Sumit Ganguly in Journal of Cold War Studies. Humbled Sumit states, "McGarr masterfully traces the lineage of the IB & discusses in extensive detail how it...work[ed] with British intelligence after India’s independence." 🙏
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Spying in South Asia is now on sale via the CUP bookstore cambridgebookshop.co.uk/products/sale-… A steal at £22. Who wouldn’t want to read more about the alcoholic CIA station chief who came down to earth with a bang on finding that he hadn’t, in fact, discovered the secret of unpowered flight. 😬
cambridgebookshop.co.uk
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Thanks to Amb SD Muni for noting Spying in South Asia cambridge.org/9781108843676 in @hindustan-times.bsky.social re the Emergency & Indira Gandhi's complex relations with the CIA. For more on intelligence & South Asian statecraft👇 @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kcsi.uk @universitypress.cambridge.org
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War Studies @warstudieskcl.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
The Strategic Intelligence for Senior Executives course equips you with the skills to navigate complex geopolitical challenges, manage risks & make strategic decisions that drive business success. 🗓️ 10 Sept 2025 🔗Discounts available until 31 July www.kcl.ac.uk/short-course...
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Delighted that Spying in South Asia www.cambridge.org/9781108843676 has been named @iajournal.bsky.social book of the week. Thanks to @sandbaggerone.bsky.social for a generous review. @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kingsindiainst.bsky.social @cambridgeup.bsky.social
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Alex Blackwell @alexblackwell.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
“…readable, richly researched, and persuasive…” - from a CIA officer’s review of “Spying in South Asia by @paulmcgarr.bsky.social. www.cia.gov/resources/cs...
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Thanks to Prateek Joshi for a fantastic discussion on Spying in South Asia www.cambridge.org/9781108843676 on the Jan Man Gan podcast. Give the podcast a listen 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNEa... @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @kingsindiainst.bsky.social @cambridgeup.bsky.social
youtube.com
How the West Spied on India: Spy Stories from the Cold War! With Paul McGarr #spy #podcast #gandhi
YouTube video by Jan Man Gan
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
Stimulating day listening (& talking) to a stellar group of academics, journalists, & practitioners on India’s place in the world. Thanks to Shruti Kapila and Tarika Khattar for hosting an amazing event @corpusCambridge.bsky.social Superb keynote on Indian diplomacy delivered by Shivshankar Menon
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Clément Renault @clementrenault.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
🚨🎙️Join us (online) on 27 May at 6pm for a new conference on #intelligence with @paulmcgarr.bsky.social As tensions arise between #India and #Pakistan, there is. no better place to be on the 27th to dig into the history of Indian intelligence 🇮🇳 Registration here 👇 www.irsem.fr/agenda/cycle...
irsem.fr
Cycle 2025 de conférence sur le renseignement. Online Conference 5 : Paul McGarr – Spying in South Asia - IRSEM
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Grateful to the @warstudieskcl.bsky.social amazing Comms team for allowing me on to the War Studies podcast to talk intelligence outside the Anglosphere. Give the podcast a listen👇 soundcloud.com/warstudies/s... @kcsi.uk @dsdkings.bsky.social @kingsindiainst.bsky.social @cambridgeup.bsky.social
soundcloud.com
Spying in South Asia: Cold War intelligence and the making of modern India
How did Cold War intelligence operations shape postcolonial India’s domestic politics and international alignments? Why did Western agencies prioritise relationships with Indian counterparts while pub
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Thanks to KCSI Insights for carrying this piece on what was, & wasn’t, in the final release of JFK assassination files. Spoiler alert, there was nothing novel on Kennedy’s death. But for intel historians, there is plenty of great new material on US covert action in the Global South, India included.
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Do join me and colleagues at IRSEM, Paris, on 27th May, at 5 pm UK Time (6 pm in Paris), to discuss intelligence beyond the Anglosphere. Registration link for Zoom 👇 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... @kcsi.uk @warstudieskcl.bsky.social @dsdkings.bsky.social @kingsindiainst.bsky.social
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Thanks to @sandbaggerone.bsky.social for reviewing Spying in South Asia www.cambridge.org/9781108843676 in @iajournal.bsky.social. "A major contribution to Cold War history & to the broader understanding of intelligence liaison." See👇 doi.org/10.1093/ia/i... @kcsi.uk @cambridgeup.bsky.social
doi.org
Spying in south Asia: Britain, the United States, and India's secret Cold War
In October 2024, the United States charged a former Indian intelligence officer with murder-for-hire and money laundering charges around a failed plot to k
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Paul McGarr @paulmcgarr.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Extremely excited to be contributing to what promises to be a very special event examining India's place, past and present, in the global world order. Come and join us at @corpuscambridge.bsky.social in May. Register 👇 www.eventbrite.com/e/india-and-...
eventbrite.com
India and Visions of World Order
Full-day international conference at the New Combination Room (NCR), Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge.
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