Consulting Senior Fellow
Expertise:
Background: Robert Whalley recently retired after 36 years in UK Government service, mostly in the Home Office, but also in the Northern Ireland Office and the Cabinet Office. In his final post, as Director for Counter Terrorism and Intelligence, he was the principal policy and operational adviser to the Home Secretary during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the London bombings of July 2005. He chaired meetings of COBR (the Government's crisis management structure) during both those events.
He also supervised the teams responsible for legislation on terrorism in the UK Parliament from 2000 to 2005 and advised the Home Secretary on development of longer term counter-terrorism strategy covering prevention, pursuit, protective security and post-incident planning.
Within the central UK counter-terrorist structure, he chaired senior official committees concerned with developing relations with Muslim groups and leaders, and on scientific research, aviation security and terrorist financing.
He advised the Home Secretary on liaison with the US Department of Homeland Security and was the senior Home Office official on the UK/US Joint Contact Group.
He holds an MA in Modern History from the University of Cambridge.
Date joined IISS: November 2006
Contact: Click here to contact Robert Whalley
