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Robert Matthews

is a consultant on Afghanistan, Pakistan and US foreign policy with the Norwegian Peacebuilding Centre (Noref) in Oslo. He holds a PhD in Latin American history from New York University. A former professor of history and politics at New York University, Matthews has been a researcher on United States foreign policy with several foreign policy centres in Spain for the past twenty-five years.

He has written about US relations with Latin America and with the developing world in general, as well as US involvement in low-intensity conflicts during the cold war. In recent years his research has focussed on the US global war on terrorism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, US-Middle East policy, and US conflicts with Venezuela, Iran and North Korea.

Research areas: Asia , Middle East and North Africa

Publications

Arms and democracy: the debate on Syrian militarisation: Mariano Aguirre , Reinoud Leenders , Robert Matthews 14 May 2012
A strong momentum is building for armed intervention in Syria, either by channelling arms to Syria's rebels or undertaking direct military assaults on the regime. NOREF director Mariano Aguirre and NOREF contributors Robert Matthews and Reinoud Leenders, - the latter copublishing with Steven Haydemann, have been debating whether t... more
Reluctant ally: Islamabad, the Pakistani media and public response to President Obama’s Afghan surge: Robert Matthews , Sana Majeed 12 January 2010
After Obama’s Afghan surge speech in December 2009, the Pakistani public denounced the notable absence of an approach to the political dimensions of the Afghan conflict, in particular the alienation of the Pashtun population. more
An anvil of clay: Pakistan’s military balks at Obama’s Afghan surge: Robert Matthews 12 January 2010
The Obama administration and Nato must confront the reality that the Pakistani military views both the war in Afghanistan and the current US-Nato strategy by very different criteria than Western forces, and Pakistan’s cooperation in the coming military surge cannot be assumed. more
A risky gambit: The Pakistani army campaign in South Waziristan: Robert Matthews 3 November 2009
Pakistan has embarked on a military campaign to combat the escalating terrorism that is destabilizing the state. However, this operation looks like a high-risk, modest-gain gamble whose outcome may not be clear for some time. more
Noref report 16 - The Afghanistan Crisis:: Robert Matthews , Fionnuala Ní Éigeartaigh 19 October 2009
The Madrid conference, held in March 2009, analysed the possibilities and pitfalls of developing a regional approach to the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis. A key element was examining the pros and cons of forming a contact group that would develop a regional diplomacy to address the deteriorating security situation in both countries. more
Noref report 16 - The Afghanistan Crisis:: Robert Matthews , Fionnuala Ní Éigeartaigh 19 October 2009
The Madrid conference, held in March 2009, analysed the possibilities and pitfalls of developing a regional approach to the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis. A key element was examining the pros and cons of forming a contact group that would develop a regional diplomacy to address the deteriorating security situation in both countries. more
Afghan Elections 2009: Milestone for Progress or Mirror of Malaise?: Robert Matthews 31 August 2009
A series of factors indicate that the elections should have been postponed. The egregious flaws in the electoral process could aggravate the political situation and dash whatever hope there was for stabilizing the society and improving the lives of the people. more
Noref Report 11 - The Crisis in Afghanistan – Pakistan: Robert Matthews 4 August 2009
This report examines the validity of a taking a regional approach to the crises in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the utility – the benefits and pitfalls – of working through a regional contact group. more