International Institute for Strategic Studies

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) describes itself as 'the world's leading authority on political-military conflict.'

Its website notes:

The IISS, based in London, is both a limited company in UK law and a registered charity. It has offices in the US and in Singapore with charitable status in each jurisdiction.

The IISS was founded in 1958 in the UK by a number of individuals interested in how to maintain civilised international relations in the nuclear age. Much of the Institute's early work focused on nuclear deterrence and arms control and was hugely influential in setting the intellectual structures for managing the Cold War.

Pushing the bombing of Iran

In April 2006 The Institute was involved in briefing the media in which the BBC reported that Iran was 'on course' to develop nuclear weapons in 'three years'. On being challenged the Institute backed down slightly.^[1]

The Officers of the Institute

The Chairman of the IISS and Chairman of the IISS Executive Committee are elected by the Executive Committee from amongst their number. The Executive Committee appoints the Honorary Treasurer, the Chairmen of subordinate committees, the Director-General and Chief Executive (following consultation with the Council) and the Company Secretary.

These posts are currently filled as follows: Chairman of the IISS: Professor François Heisbourg Chairman of the IISS Executive Committee: Ms Fleur de Villiers Honorary Treasurer and Investment Committee Chairman: Mr Thomas Seaman Audit Committee Chairman: Mr Peter Stormonth Darling Director-General and Chief Executive: Dr John Chipman Company Secretary: Mr Michael Draeger

President, President Emeritus and Vice-Presidents

The Executive Committee, following consultation with the Council in April 2006, recommended that the title of President, currently vacant, be abolished. It was also agreed that the titles of President Emeritus and Vice-President of the Institute be restricted to the present incumbents.

These appointments are currently filled as follows:

President-Emeritus: Professor Sir Michael Howard Vice-Presidents: Hon Robert Ellsworth, Sir Michael Palliser, Ambassador Yoshio Okawara

The council

• Mr Hironori Aihara

Professor Ross Babbage Mr Carl Bildt Admiral (Retd) Dennis C. Blair Mme Thérèse Delpech Ms Fleur de Villiers General the Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank Dr Rita E Hauser Professor François Heisbourg Mr David Ignatius Hon Roy MacLaren Mr Kishore Mahbubani Moeletsi Mbeki Dr Edwina Moreton Dame Pauline Neville-Jones Dr Günther Nonnenmacher Ambassador Thomas Pickering Lord Powell of Bayswater Lieutenant General (Retd.)V R Raghavan Michael D. Rich Professor Sir Adam Roberts Ambassador Yukio Satoh Mr Thomas Seaman Dr Lilia Shevtsova Sir Robert Wade-Gery Ambassador Dr Theodor Winkler

other associates

• Peter Ackerman Visiting Fellow in 1990

Notes

^ The BBC, Iran and the Bomb The Cat's Blog, Wednesday, April 12, 2006