On 27 July, Sir Lawrence Freedman, Vice-Principal and Professor of War Studies at King's College, explored the role of historical analogies in foreign policymaking. He also examined the importance of understanding the origins of contemporary events and the meaning of historical experience warning of the abuse of historical parallels and analogies, and the danger of stripping past events from their context.

A member of the official inquiry into the United Kingdom's role in the 2003 Iraq War, Sir Lawrence is a world-renowned strategist. He has also held research appointments at Nuffield College Oxford, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Royal Institute of International Affairs. A Fellow of the British Academy, Sir Lawrence is a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) and Knight Commander of St Michael and St George (KCMG).