← Contributors

Bob Bowker

Bob Bowker is a former Australian ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Syria. He was an Adjunct Professor at the ANU Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies.

Articles by Bob Bowker (20)

Bob Bowker 12 Aug 2021

Syria: The consequences of intellectual failure and moral neglect

No Western government should abide policy goals that in practice are pursued via collective punishment of Syrian people.
Bob Bowker 30 Nov 2020

The fallout of assassinating Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

The killing of the head of the Iranian nuclear program may make it even harder to revive the nuclear deal.
Bob Bowker 12 Oct 2020

The false promise of regime change

A new book from an Obama insider considers the repeated failures of outside overthrow in the Middle East.
Bob Bowker 19 Sep 2019

Syria: Is it time for the West to talk with Assad?

Engaging Assad, while repugnant, is better than words of sound and fury delivered that makes little difference.
Bob Bowker 19 Jun 2019

Morsi’s fate a reminder of power realities in Egypt

Mohamed Morsi was blind to the certainty that Egypt’s military will not tolerate challenges to its ultimate authority.
Bob Bowker 22 May 2018

Challenges mount up

Unsolved political issues in the Middle East leave barren soil for economic and social green shoots.
Bob Bowker 6 Jun 2017

Where does Qatar go from here? To Moscow?

Qatar needs to make it plain to the United States that the Saudis and Emiratis are pursuing a course of action that damages US interests.
Bob Bowker 5 Apr 2017

Assad and chemical weapons: The regional repercussions

The only response that will matter to Assad is that which comes from Moscow and Tehran.
Bob Bowker 7 Dec 2016

Middle East diplomacy: Assad will have to be included

It would serve no western interests to leave Assad with no option but to look to Iran and Russia for ongoing support.