Gerard Russell is a Senior Associate at the Foreign Policy Centre in London and a Senior Fellow with New America’s International Security Program. He was a diplomat for 15 years, serving in the British Foriegn Office and the United Nations. Russell is a member of the Order of the British Empire. He’s the author of, “Heirs To Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East.” [bio courtesy of Basic Books]