Getting the Free Syrian Army on Message

Published on Nov 9, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By LUKE HUNT / IstanbulIn an up-market hotel tucked away in Cihangir, the bohemian quarter of Istanbul, sits a barrel-chested American known to a few in media circles for his work in 30 countries. His name is a guarded secret and his job as a media advisor has included senior brass in the United States military, militants and jihadists.He knows his business and avoids industry cliché’s and buzz words while opting for a minimalist approach. His clients are not journalists nor are they media savvy. Nearly all are difficult, activists in some shape or form and his latest mission is no exception, it’s the Free Syrian Army (FSA).“It is about communications and messages,” he said after a brisk early morning....

Afghanistan: Politics and Football add Fresh Meaning to 9/11

Published on Oct 3, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / KabulThe sound of gunfire rang out across Kabul. Mobs were rampaging through the streets. Foreign and Afghan troops, fearing the capital was under attack, reached for their guns as civilians scampered for cover.It was September 11, the 12th anniversary of the al-Qaeda strikes on New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, and across Afghanistan security was tight and tensions high.The mood quickly brightened when troops realized their reaction was misguided. While bombings and firefights were being reported from the countryside, Kabul was not under attack – it was a false alarm. Afghanistan had just defeated old rivals India 2-0, winning the South Asia Football Federation Championship.Such a victory was unprecedented....

On a Warpath: Turkey’s Dangerous Take on Syria

Published on Sep 14, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / IstanbulThroughout the Cold War, Turkey played a deft diplomatic hand. With neighbours like the Soviet Union and its recalcitrant regional satellites, Syria, Iraq and Iran, keeping the peace was the mantra underpinning Turkey’s projection of soft power within the politics of the region.It was a common sense policy that earned Ankara a wealth of respect across the Middle East and beyond – until very recently. A combination of nasty domestic differences, unfettered access to oil and gas and a leader’s uncompromising ego is heralding an end to a once peaceful approach.At the center of this policy shift is Turkey’s Prime Minister TayyipErdogan, whose formidable abilities have achieved what many....

Hazy Business, Shallow Governments

Published on Jul 8, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge Review.By Luke HuntBack in 1997 a rather irate Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad put a lid on local reporting of an unprecedented phenomenon. Burning off by major palm oil companies in nearby Indonesia had reached such levels that the entire region was blanketed by smog.A petulant Mahathir also yelled at foreign correspondents covering the story alleging a grand conspiracy to blacken Malaysia’s name and undermine its tourism industry. Not quite.A few years later a Malaysian minister famously snapped at critics of the government’s burgeoning love affair with palm oil plantations — and the scorched earth policy required to grow them. “What do you want?” He asked, “monkeys or gold?”Ever since companies like Sime....

Deadly Thais Saving Face

Published on Dec 6, 2012 by Luke Hunt

In early 2012, Luke Hunt travelled across the Muslim dominated provinces of southern Thailand and northwest to Krabi, meeting up with the British photographer and author Dan White. We rode on to the picturesque beachside town of Ao Nang, bought our tickets and boarded a boat to the popular tourist beach, Railay.Along the way we happened upon a simple scam. A return boat ticket was purchased but when we decided to head home the captain refused to recognize the return leg saying it was a fake. All the tourists were told to buy new tickets and urged to complain to the vendor in Ao Nang.Problem: The vendor, working in cahoots with the boat captains, had gone home.  Several hundred tourists....