Ben Scott

Director, Australia’s Security and the Rules-Based Order Project
Areas of expertise

Australian national security policy; International rules and norms; US foreign policy; the Middle East

Ben Scott
Biography
Publications
News and media

Ben Scott is a Senior Advisor at the Australian National University’s National Security College. He has more than 25 years’ experience in diplomacy, think tanks, intelligence and international development. He served as the Director of the Australia’s Security and the Rules-Based Order Project at the Lowy Institute from 2020 to 2022, and at the Office of National Intelligence (ONI), which he represented in Washington, DC from 2016-2020.

Ben has published widely on national security decision-making, international order, US grand strategy and competition with China, cyber strategy and intelligence.

He also has extensive experience in the Middle East, as: a senior analyst at ONI; Rule of Law Adviser to Quartet Representative Tony Blair; Australian Representative to the Palestinian Authority and Third Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv. He served as a Bougainville peace monitor for six months in 1998.

Ben was a Diplomatic Fellow at the Lowy Institute in 2005 and wrote the Lowy Institute Paper, Re-imagining PNG: Culture, Democracy and Australia’s Role.

Martin Indyk, peacemaker
Martin Indyk, peacemaker
A scholar, a statesman, and a relentless policy entrepreneur. Above all, he was committed to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
Don’t expect Trump 2.0 to be so tough on China
Don’t expect Trump 2.0 to be so tough on China
Past behaviour is the best guide to future conduct.
A tale of high stakes and nerves centre on the White House
A tale of high stakes and nerves centre on the White House
Getting the balance right in the amount of information to provide the US President.
ASIO versus the A-team
ASIO versus the A-team
Mike Burgess kicked off a guessing game with his speech this week – which might have obscured his true message.
Israel-Hamas: A globalised conflict
Israel-Hamas: A globalised conflict
The Palestinian issue has never lost its resonance beyond the Middle East, especially in the Global South.
An Iranian trap in Yemen
An Iranian trap in Yemen
Washington was wise to delay its retaliation against the Houthis given the regional history with unintended consequences.
Australia needs an open-source intelligence agency
Australia needs an open-source intelligence agency
Done right, this reform could also disrupt the culture of excessive secrecy.
Hamas's position is stronger than many think
Hamas's position is stronger than many think
Hamas has demonstrated surprising resilience and capability since its founding in 1987. It would be a mistake to believe it can be eliminated.
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