A former Lt Colonel in the Welsh Guards, Crispin Black has served in Northern Ireland, headed the U.K. Defence Intelligence Staff's Yugoslav Crisis Cell, and was posted to the British government's Cabinet Office to work for the Joint Intelligence Committee and COBRA. Since leaving the British Army he has been director of analysis at a leading U.K. security firm with extensive interests in Iraq, written a book on the London Bombings of 7 July 2005, and is currently a highly sought-after commentator for the UK and US media. He is a Fellow at Chatham House.