The Crisis Room

In light of Benjamin Netanyahu's recent apology to Qatar, The Crisis Room takes a look back at 1997 - and a previous occasion when Bibi was forced to apologise for a botched assassination attempt on foreign soil. Mark and Marc unknowingly almost crossed paths when Mossad tried to take out a former Hamas leader in Jordan 28 years ago - and here they explain how that episode unfolded and give us a unique insight into spycraft in the Middle East.

The team also react to the latest proposal for a Gaza peace plan, and discuss the merits of former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair being involved in running the territory in the future.

Later, they unpack the controversial speeches made by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth to America's top brass at a summit this week - and warn of the consequences of the US military becoming overly politicised under President Trump. With this in mind, Amber reveals why British troops were forced to help police the streets of the UK in the wake of the Manchester bombing while she was Home Secretary in 2017.

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From fighter jets in Estonia, to drones in Poland, Romania - and possibly now Denmark too - Russia has been taunting NATO for weeks. So is it time for the alliance to take a tougher stance? Is NATO suffering a crisis of confidence? Amber, Mark, and Marc discuss whether Russian jets should be shot down the next time they enter NATO airspace - and what the consequences might be if they are.

Later, Amber gives her verdict on the growing rumours of Andy Burnham's leadership challenge to Keir Starmer as Labour Party Conference approaches - and tells stories of how Boris Johnson would attempt to derail Tory Conferences while David Cameron was party leader.

Plus Marc P explains whether we can trust the new Syrian President after he was welcomed to the UN with open arms this week - and why we could be close to a historic security deal between Israel and Syria on the horizon.

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Trump’s State Visit has come to a close, and it seems to have come off without any hitches. As he soaked up the glory of state banquets and royal guards, today brought less of the pageantry and more of the politics. But was the UK right to host Trump for an unprecedented second State Visit? And how is his visit being viewed here, and back in the US?

Later, we’re joined by Former US Former National Security Advisor under Kamala Harris, Phil Gordon to talk about how different things might have been under a Kamala Harris presidency.

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Another week, another Home Secretary - so what makes this great office of state so difficult and treacherous for politicians of all parties? This week, Amber reveals how a reshuffle really works - and takes us inside the government's most troublesome department to explain why the Home Office has ended so many ministerial careers, and why Shabana Mahmood has such a daunting in-tray.

Later, Amber, Mark, and Marc are joined by Gerard Araud - the former French Ambassador to the US and Israel. He explains the importance of starting a meeting with Donald Trump with a compliment, why Anthony Scaramucci once asked President Macron to call the White House at five o'clock in the morning, and why Europe won't be able to rely on American support even after Trump's second term comes to an end.

Ambassador Araud also discusses whether Emanuel Macron can cling to power in France after yet another government collapse, and why Benjamin Netanyahu is 'doomed' if he continues to expand Israel's military operations in the Middle East.

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World leaders - including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un - flocked to Beijing this week to hold hands with President Xi and watch a massive military parade. China showed off an arsenal including nuclear weapons, 'robot wolves' and underwater drones - so is the West taking the threat posed by China seriously enough? Amber, Mark, and Marc unpick what we learned from this week's summit, why Trump is playing into China's hands at every turn, and how close we are to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

They also analyse the controversial - and lethal - strike by US forces on a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean. Is Trump trying to start a war with the Latin American drug cartels that he calls 'narco-terrorists'? And has the President thought through the consequences of a potential conflict? Marc gives his verdict on whether these groups are terrorists like Al-Qaeda or ISIS, and whether this strike was done by fair means or foul.

Later, Amber recalls her own high-profile resignations from ministerial roles, and reveals whether she thinks Angela Rayner's position is untenable given the ongoing inquiry into her tax affairs.

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Does the idea of a rules-based world order still cary any weight? Or, in the age of Donald Trump, is it just a comforting but outdated concept? This week, Amber, Mark, and Marc debate whether Trump's unique style is convincing more and more politicians to break the rules - and if the world's post-1945 system is close to collapse.

And in a week when the US President once again hinted that he likes the idea of becoming a dictator, the team look at what the consequences of a global rise in authoritarianism will be.

Later, General Sir Nick Carter, the most recent former Chief of the Defence Staff, joins The Crisis Room. He discusses whether Trump's America is a reliable ally, if the UK government understands the level of threat posed by Putin's Russia, and the idea of bringing back national service to fix the armed forces' recruitment woes.

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Europe's leaders averted a disaster in their White House summit with President Trump. But what comes next in the West's efforts to end the war in Ukraine? Can the UK's hollowed-out armed forces really provide a meaningful security guarantee if there's a peace deal? How will Vladimir Putin react if we do send peace-keeping troops to Ukraine? And is Keir Starmer ready for a possible public backlash if he does put boots on the ground?

These are just some of the questions that Amber, Mark, and Marc discuss in this week's episode, as they lay bare just how stretched the British military is, and why the West can't rely on Trump and the US to deter future Russian aggression.

Later, Amber gives her verdict on the issue of asylum hotels, as the government faces a crisis at home over where to house immigrants who have arrived in the UK illegally. Is Nigel Farage becoming the next Prime Minister inevitable if Labour can't get a grip of this problem?

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The world is holding its breath as Presidents Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Alaska - but will the leaders take a step towards a landmark peace deal, or will this go down as a diplomatic disaster? Just how worried should Ukraine and President Zelensky be about what might unfold? Amber, Mark, and Marc reveal what will be happening behind the scenes in a desperate attempt to make the event go to plan - and share their memories of the trickiest summits they've ever been involved in.

Plus the team are joined by Fiona Hill - Trump's former Russia adviser and part of the US delegation the last time the two Presidents met one-to-one back in 2018 - who explains how Putin will be trying to play Trump against Zelensky, and why the press conference is where her old boss is most vulnerable to slipping up.

Later: is Washington DC really more violent than Baghdad? That's what Donald Trump claimed this week as he deployed the National Guard to America's capital. As someone who worked in Iraq and now lives in DC, Marc provides a unique insight into whether there's any justification for his President's decision.

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In a time of AI, facial recognition and rapid technological advances - is the era of human intelligence-gathering over? Could AI soon put James Bond out of a job?

This week, in a special episode, The Crisis Room looks at how espionage is grappling with the challenges posed by modern technology. After all, in a world of UTS - Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance - can anyone really be expected to successfully go undercover?

Marc explains how he and his colleagues used to recruit agents to act as human intelligence sources during his time in the CIA - and why it's almost impossible for his successors to use the same methods now. Amber, Mark, and Marc are also joined by Ed Bogan - a decorated former CIA station chief - to find out how intelligence agencies all around the world are changing how they work.

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This week, Keir Starmer followed in the footsteps of President Macron and declared that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September, unless Israel holds to a ceasefire. Did he make the right call? Or will he regret breaking from the Americans on this major foreign policy issue?

And, is Britain really ready for war with China? We'll take a look at recent comments by the British Defence Secretary John Healey, who declared the UK is ‘ready to fight’ if Taiwan is invaded by China.

Later, Mark Urban reveals why he was once considered a threat to UK National Security!