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Faculty

NESA Faculty are known experts in their fields and are often contacted by media outlets and academic institutions for speaking engagements and opinions. Interviews with our subject matter experts, including current and former high-level government leaders, ambassadors, ministers, field and flag-grade military officers, and professors, must be scheduled by contacting NESA Media and Communications through our contact form. Read below for information on NESA Center faculty members and academics.

 

Hassan Abbas

Dr. Hassan Abbas – Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre (NESA), National Defense University in Washington DC. He serves as a senior advisor at Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and a senior fellow at the Centre of Global Policy, a think tank focusing on intersection of U.S. foreign policy and Muslim geopolitics. His current research work focuses on building narratives for countering political and religious extremism & rule of law reforms in developing states.

Earlier he served as professor and department chair at National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs (2011-2019) and as the Distinguished Quaid i Azam Professor at Columbia University (2009-2011). He held various fellowships including at Harvard Law School’s Islamic Legal Studies Program & Program on Negotiation (2002-04); the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (2005-09); Asia Society in New York as Bernard Schwartz fellow (2009-2011); and as a Carnegie fellow at the New America Foundation (2016-2018). He appeared on various television news shows on CNN, Fox News, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Charlie Rose Show, MSNBC (Abrams Report and Hardball), C-Span (Washington Journal) and various programs on CBS, and NBC as an analyst on security related issues in South Asia and Middle East. He has been interviewed for many news stories and analyses for the New York Times, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Guardian, etc.       READ MORE

Select Keynote Lectures, Congressional Testimonies and Conference Presentations:

  • Testified in the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing at the U.S. Congress on Protecting Houses of Worship and Holy Sites, October 23, 2019: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Hassan%20Abbas-%20NDU_0.pdf
  • Keynote Speaker in the University of Kufa, Iraq discussing the tragedy of Karbala and lessons on how to defeat sectarianism, October 6, 2019.Keynote Speaker at Army Navy Club in Washington D.C. discussing “Nuclear Proliferation and Dangers posed by India-Pakistan Rivalry,” – Feb 26, 2019.
  • Designed and led 3-day workshops on “Human Trafficking Challenges in South Asia” in Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan for American Institute of Pakistan Studies and the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan – Dec 17-23, 2018.
  • Speaker at NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga, Latvia discussing Islamist radicalization trends and how to build counter narratives – July 6, 2017.
  • Keynote Speaker at a conference organized by Joint Special Operations University, organized in cooperation with CANSOFCOM and SOCNORTH in Tampa, Florida presenting on “Countering Transregional Terrorism”, June 13, 2017.
  • Keynote talk at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Baku, Azerbaijan on “Iran vs. Saudi Arabia: Sectarianism, Power Politics & Proxy Wars,” Nov 21, 2016.
  • Keynote speaker at the annual conference of International Police Association in Macau & Beijing, China talking about “Counter-narrative to religious extremism and global counterterrorism cooperation,” April 9, 2016.
  • Testified before House Foreign Relations Committee hearing on “Women fighting for Peace: Lessons for Today’s Conflicts,” March 22, 2016; https://docs.house.gov/meetings/FA/FA00/20160322/104721/HHRG-114-FA00-Wstate-AbbasH-20160322.pdf
  • Panelist at the plenary session of the centenary conference of the International Association of Women Police in Cardiff, UK to deliberate on the role of women and countering violent extremism in Muslim states, especially Pakistan, August 26, 2015.
  • Speaker at the New America Foundation Conference on ‘Future of War’ focusing on ‘What ISIS means for the future of War?’, February 25, 2015.
  • Keynote speaker delivering Mazzocco Memorial lecture on ‘The Idea of Justice in Islam: Traditional and Contemporary Debates within Islamic Communities’ at the University of Portland, Oregon, February 2, 2015.
  • Speaker at the Istanbul World Political Forum focusing on ‘Global Peace through civilian law enforcement model’, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 27, 2013./li>

Areas of Expertise

  • Security, Religion & Politics in South Asia & Middle East
  • Rule of Law & Policing in Developing States
  • Building Narratives for Preventing & Countering & Violent Extremism

Publications (Select)

Books:

  • Pakistan’s Nuclear Bomb: A Story of Defiance, Deterrence and Deviance, published in 2018 by Oxford University Press in North America, Hurst Publishers, in Europe and Penguin in South Asia.
  • The Taliban Revival: Violence and Extremism in Pakistan – Afghanistan Frontier published in 2015 by Yale University Press.
  • Editor, Pakistan’s Troubled Frontier published in 2009 by Jamestown Foundation, Washington D.C.
  • Pakistan’s Drift into Extremism: Allah the Army and America War on Terror was published by M. E. Sharpe in 2005, republished in 2012 by Routledge.
  • Poleaxe or Politics of the Eighth Amendment 1985-97 published in 1998 by Watandost Press in Pakistan..

Monographs, Papers & Reports:

    “The Myth & Reality of Iraq’s al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces): A Way Forward,” published by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (Amman Office), 2017.

  • “Confronting Extremism Through Building an Effective Counter-Narrative: The Role of Political Parties and Law Enforcement Agencies in Pakistan,” Development Advocate, UNDP, Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2016.
  • “ISIS Eyes Influence in Pakistan: Focus, Fears and Future Prospects”, Jinnah Institute Policy Brief, December 23, 2014.
  • Editor, ‘Stabilizing Pakistan through Police Reforms,’ a publication by the Asia Society Independent Commission on Pakistan Police Reform, July 2012.
  • “Shiism and Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan: Identity Politics, Iranian Influence, and Tit-for-Tat Violence.” Monograph, Combating Terrorism Center, WestPoint, N.Y., September 2010.
  • “Pakistan 2020: A Vision for Building a Better Future”, Asia Society Study Group Report, May 2011.
  • “Reforming Police and Law Enforcement Infrastructure in Pakistan”, USIP Report, February 2011.

Opinion Pieces:

  • “Will Pakistan Cooperate with Trump?,” Centre for Global Policy, July 21, 2019.
  • “Iraqis hate our policy of containing ISIS,” Tom Rick’s Best Defense Blog on Foreign Policy, November 18, 2015.
  • “Inside the World of ISIS – The Arab Taliban”, Yale Press Blog, December 11, 2014.
  • “Are Drone Strikes Killing Terrorists or Creating Them?” The Atlantic, March 31, 2013.
  • “Will Democracy be Derailed in Pakistan? ” CNN, January 15, 2013.
  • “What Post-Osama Pakistan Really Needs: Police Reforms” – Asia Society, May 2, 2012.
  • “History Lessons From Karbala” – Foreign Policy, December 11, 2011.
  • “The Future of Al-Qaeda”, co-authored with Tariq Parvez (former chief of Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Authority), Foreign Policy, June 6, 2011.
  • Interview by Bernard Gwertzman: “A Low in Cycle of U.S.-Pakistan Ties”, Council on Foreign Relations, May 23, 2011.
  • Interview: “Engaging the Muslim World. A Conversation with Hassan Abbas”, Fletcher Forum, Vol. 34:2, Summer 2010.
  • “Tete a Tete with Hillary Clinton”, Foreign Policy, December 14, 2009.
  • “Defining Punjabi Taliban”, CTC Sentinel, Issue 4, vol. 2, April 2009.
  • “A Profile of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan”, CTC Sentinel, Vol. 1, Issue 2, Combating Terrorism Centre at West Point, January 2008.
  • “Ousting of Saddam Regime will not be a delicate matter”, Boston Herald, March 29, 2003.
  • “Kashmir as a peace bridge: An idea whose time has come”, The News, November 20, 2001.
  • “Countering Osama’s PR Campaign”, The News, Pakistan, Nov. 13, 2001.
  • “Terrorists’ actions are an attempt to hijack Islam”, Boston Herald, September 30, 2001.

Education

  • MALD and Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
  • LL.M. in International Law from Nottingham University, United Kingdom, as a Britannia Chevening Scholar
  • Master’s in Political Science from Punjab University (Pakistan)

 

BahgatDr. Gawdat Bahgat – Professor of National Security Affairs at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Study. He is an Egyptian-born specialist in Middle Eastern policy, particularly Egypt, Iran, and the Gulf region. His areas of expertise include energy security, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, counter-terrorism, Arab-Israeli conflict, North Africa, and American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Bahgat’s career blends scholarship with national security practicing. Before joining NESA in December 2009, he taught at different universities. Bahgat published ten books including Alternative Energy in the Middle East (2013), Energy Security (2011), International Political Economy (2010), Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East (2007), Israel and the Persian Gulf (2006), and American Oil Diplomacy (2003). Bahgat’s articles have appeared in International Affairs, Middle East Journal, Middle East Policy, Oil and Gas Journal, and OPEC Review, among others. His work has been translated to several foreign languages.      READ MORE

Bahgat served as an advisor to several governments and oil companies. He has more than 25 years of academic, policy and government experience working on Middle Eastern issues. Bahgat has contributed to CNN, BBC, Washington Post and Al-Jazeera. He has spoken at Tufts University, Columbia University, London School of Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Swiss Foreign Ministry, Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, Qatar University, Kuwait University, Oman Diplomatic Institute, Griffith University (Australia), and India School of Business.

Areas of Expertise

  • Energy security
  • Counter-terrorism
  • Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
  • International political economy
  • Middle East
  • Caspian Sea/Central Asia
  • U.S. foreign policy

Publications

Books and Monographs:

  • Energy Security in the Gulf, Berlin: Gerlach Press, 2015.
  • Alternative Energy in the Middle East, London: Palgrave-Macmillan, 2013.
  • Energy Security: An Interdisciplinary Approach, London: Wiley, 2011.
  • The International Political Economy of Sovereign Wealth Funds, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
  • Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2007.
  • Israel and the Persian Gulf: Retrospect and Prospect, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2006.
  • American Oil Diplomacy in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2003.
  • The Persian Gulf at the Dawn of the New Millennium, New York: NOVA Science Publishers, 1999.
  • The Future of the Gulf, Washington, D.C: Scott-Townsend Publishers, 1997.
  • The Gulf Monarchies: New Economic and Political Realities, London: The Research Institute for the Study of Conflict and Terrorism, 1997.

Book Chapters:

  • “The Emerging New Energy Landscape: The European Union and North Africa,” in Mediterranean Year Book, IEMed, Barcelona, Spain, 2015.
  • “China and the Persian Gulf States,” in Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, Quaderni di Relazioni Internazionali, Rome, Institute of International Political Studies, 2012 (in Italian).
  • “Energy Security,” in James Sperling (ed), Handbook on Governance and Security, UK: Edward Elgar, (2014).
  • “OPEC and Others: Oil and Gas Producers’ Perspectives on Energy Security,” in Hugh Dyer and Julia Trombetta (eds), International Handbook of Energy Security, UK: Edward Elgar, 2012.
  • “A Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East,” in Mehran Kamrava (ed), The Nuclear Question in the Middle East, New York: Columbia University Press, 2012.
  • “Advancing the Control of Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Incremental Approach,” in Bernd W. Kubbig and Sven-Eric Fikenscher (eds) Arms Control and Missile Proliferation in the Middle East, London: Routledge, 2012.
  • “Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Relations – An Assessment,” in Usama Butt and Julian Schofield (eds) Pakistan: The US Geopolitics and Grand Strategies, London: Pluto Press, 2012.
  • “Energy Cooperation: Europe and North Africa,” in Josep Ferre I Gavarro (ed) Euro-med Survey, Barcelona: European Institute of the Mediterranean, 2011.
  • “Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Gulf – An Assessment,” in Kristian Ulrichsen and David Held (eds), The Transformation of the Gulf, London: Routledge, 2011.
  • “Sovereign Wealth Funds in the Gulf – Opportunities and Challenges,” in Robert Looney (ed), Handbook of Oil Politics, London: Routledge, 2011.
  • “Central Asia and Energy Security,” in Bhavna Dave (ed), Politics of Modern Central Asia, London: Routledge, 2009.
  • “Europe’s Energy Security: Challenges and Opportunities,” in Bradley A. Thayer and Nuray Ibryamova (eds), Debates in International Relations, London: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2009.
  • “Energy Security: Asia and the Middle East,” in Franco Zallio (ed), European Union-Gulf Relations, published by the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, Milan: Bocconi University, 2006.
  • “Libya Looks to a Bright Future Post-Sanctions,” in 2006 Mediterranean Yearbook, published by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (in English, French, and Spanish), 2006.
  • “Geopolitics and Security: The American Point of View,” in Eni S.P.A (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi), (ed), Encyclopedia of Hydrocarbons, Rome, Italy: The Istituto Della Enciclopedia Italiana Treccani, forthcoming (in English and Italian).
  • “United States Oil Diplomacy in the Persian Gulf,” in Markus Kaim (ed), Pax Americana in the Middle East: The United States’ Policy towards the Regional Order of the Persian Gulf, Wiesbaden, Germany: Will be published under the Auspices of the German Council on Foreign Relations in 2006.
  • “Energy Security: Pacific Asia and the Middle East,” in Michael Wesley (eds), Energy Security in Asia, Routledge Publishers, 2007.
  • “Western Strategic Cooperation with Russia Concerning Oil Supply,” in Erich Reiter, (ed), Year Book for International Security Policy, Bonn: E.S.Mittler & Sohn Gmbh, 2003 (in English and German).
  • “The Caspian Sea Geo-political Game: The United States Versus Iran” and “Israel and Iran: Prospects for Détente”, in Bjorn Moller, (ed), Oil and Water: Cooperative Security in the Persian Gulf, London: I.B.Tauris Publishers, 2001.
  • “Oil Security in the New Millennium: Geo-Economy vs. Geo-Strategy” in Erich Reiter, (ed), Year Book for International Security Policy, Bonn: E.S.Mittler & Sohn Gmbh, 2000 (in German).
  • “Privatization and Democratization in the Arab World: Is There a Connection?” in Vincent Wright and Luisa Perrotti, (eds), Privatization and Public Policy, Williston, VT: Edward Elgar Publishing Inc, 20

Journal Articles:

  • “Geopolitics of energy: Iran, Turkey and Europe,” Mediterranean Quarterly, Vol.26, No.3, Summer 2015.
  • “Global energy outlook: opportunities and challenges,” Perceptions, Vol.19, No.3, Fall 2014.
  • “Egypt in the aftermath of the Arab Spring – What Lies Ahead,” Conflict Trends, Vol.17, No.1, January 2015.
  • “Iran and Its Neighbors,” Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Vol.38, No.2, Winter 2015.
  • “Iran-Turkey Energy Cooperation – Strategic Implications,” Middle East Policy, Vol.21, No.4, Winter 2014.
  • “The shale gas and oil revolution: strategic implications for United States Policy in the Middle East,” Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, Vol.39, No.2, Summer 2014.
  • “The Geopolitics of Energy Security,” International Relations and Security Network, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, March 24, 2014.
  • “Oil and Politics in Libya,” Afkar-Ideas, European Institute of the Mediterranean, Barcelona, Spain, March 2014.
  • “Saudi Energy Outlook: Strategic Implications,” Middle East Journal, Vol.67, No.4, Fall 2013.
  • “The Iranian Nuclear Crisis – An Assessment,” Parameters, Vol.43, No.2, Summer 2013.
  • “A WMD Free Zone in the Middle East?” Middle East Policy, Vol.20, No.1, Spring 2013.
  • “Egypt’s Energy Outlook: Opportunities and Challenges,” Mediterranean Quarterly, Vol.24, No.1, Winter 2013.
  • “The Impact of the Arab Spring on the Energy Sector: Opportunities and Risks,” World Financial Review, December 2012.
  • “Morocco Energy Outlook,” Journal of North African Studies, Vol.18, No.2, March, 2013.
  • “The Impact of Arab Spring on the Oil and Gas Industry in North Africa – A Preliminary Assessment,” Journal of North African Studies, Vol.17, No.3, Fall 2012.
  • “Will Saudi Arabia Face an Energy Crisis?” Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, Vol.37, No.2, Summer 2012.
  • “Nuclear Power and Renewable Resources: The United Arab Emirates’ Experience,” Asian Affairs, Vol.43, No.2, Summer 2012.
  • “Preliminary Assessment of Arab Spring’s Impact on Oil and Gas in Egypt and Libya,” Oil and Gas Journal, Vol.110, No.2, January 9, 2012.
  • “Tension in the Gulf – Strait of Hormuz,” AGI Energia, January 11, 2012 (in Italian)
  • “The Impact of Arab Spring on Oil and Gas Industry in North Africa,” Medenergie, February 2012 (in French).
  • “A Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East – A Pipe Dream?” Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, Vol.36, No.1, Fall 2011.
  • “Israel’s Energy Security: Regional Implications,” Middle East Policy, Vol.18, No.3, Fall 2011.
  • “The Crisis in Libya – A Preliminary Assessment,” Energia, Vol.32, No.2, June 2011 (in Italian).
  • “Energy Security Issues in the Middle East,” Exploration and Production: Oil and Gas Review, Vol.9, No.2, June 2011.
  • “Terrorism in Egypt – An Assessment,” Vanguardia Dossier, Vol.28, No.1, March 2011 (in Spanish).
  • “The 2011 Uprisings in the Arab World,” Vanguardia Dossier, Vol.28, No.1, March 2011 (in Spanish).
  • “The Uprising in Libya: International Repercussions,” Euro-Mediterranean Policies: Focus, Vol.14, No.3, March 2011.
  • “A Nuclear Arms Race in the Middle East: Myth or Reality?” Mediterranean Quarterly, Vol.22, No.1, Winter 2011.
  • “Russia’s Oil and Gas Policy,” OPEC Energy Review, Vol.34, No.4, December 2010.
  • “The European Union Energy Partnership – An Overview,” Energia, Vol.31, No.4, December 2010 (in Italian).
  • “China’s Energy Security,” Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, Vol.36, No.2, Summer 2010.
  • “EU, OPEC Strategic Dialog Highlights Shared Interests,” Oil and Gas Journal, Vol.108, No.18, May 2010.
  • “Egyptian-Iranian Relations: Retrospect and Prospect,” Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, Vol.36, No.1, Spring 2010.
  • Bahgat, G. (2010, July). Israel’s Energy Security: the Caspian Sea and the Middle East. Israel Affairs, 16(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2010, Spring). Terrorism and the Persian Gulf. Vanguardia Dossier.
  • Bahgat, G. (2010, Spring). Egyptian-Iranian Relations: Retrospect and Prospect.
    Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 34(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2010, March) “The Geopolitics of Energy: Europe and North Africa,”
    Journal of North African Studies, 15(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, Winter). Egypt and Iran: The Thirty Years Estrangement. Middle East Policy, 16(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, Summer). The Gaza War and the Changing Strategic Landscape in the Middle East. Mediterranean Quarterly, 20(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, Summer). The Geopolitics of Energy in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 34(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, September). Nuclear Energy: Potential and Implications. Medenergia, La revue mediterraneenne de L’energie, 30.
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, Spring). The Arab Peace Initiative: An Assessment. Middle East Policy, 46(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, March). Europe’s Energy Security – An Assessment. Energia, 30(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, March). Oil Funds: Perils and Opportunities. Middle Eastern Studies, 45(2), 283-293.
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, January). Prospects for Gas OPEC. Middle East Economic Survey, 52(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2009, April). Saudi Arabia and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in the Last Years of the Bush Presidency. Israel Affairs, 15(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008-9, Winter). United States-Iranian Relations: The Terrorism Challenge. Parameters, 38(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, Fall). Gas OPEC? Rhetoric versus Reality. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 33(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, November). Energy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Middle Eastern Studies, 44(6).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, Summer). The Geopolitics of Energy in the Caspian Sea. Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 31(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, November). Sovereign Wealth Funds: Dangers and Opportunities. International Affairs, 84(6).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, August). Supplier-user teamwork key to stable oil prices. Oil and Gas Journal, 106(32).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, August). Security in the Persian Gulf: Perils and Opportunities. Contemporary Security Policy, 29(2), 303-321.
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, September). Security in the Persian Gulf: Two Conflicting Models. Defense & Security Analysis, 24(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, April). Oil Funds: Threat or Opportunity? Oil and Gas Journal, 106(16).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, January). Nuclear Arms Race in the Middle East: A Myth or a Reality. Orient, 24(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, Spring). Energy Security: What Does It Mean? And How Can We Achieve It? Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 33(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, April). Iran and the United States: Reconcilable Differences? Iranian Studies, 41(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, March). Nuclear Energy: Potential and Implications. Energia, 29(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, March). Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Case of Libya. International Relations, 22(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Fall). Energy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 32(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Summer). Terrorism in the Middle East. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 32(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Fall). Saudi Arabia and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. Middle East Policy, 14(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, May). The Oil Market’s Hard Charges-2: India Steers New Course Toward Energy Reform. Oil and Gas Journal, 105(19).
  • Bahgat, G. (2008, January). The Geopolitics of Islam: Shiites in the Persian Gulf. Avrasya Dosyasi (Eurasian File, 13(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Spring). Iran, Israel, and the United States: The Nuclear Paradox. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 32(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, April). China Expands Energy Mix, Seeks Investment. Oil and Gas Journal, 105(16).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, June). “Africa’s Oil: Potential and Implications,” OPEC Review, Vol.31, No.2, June 2007.
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Summer). Iran and the United States: The Emerging Security Paradigm in the Middle East. Parameters, 37(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, June). Prospects for Energy Cooperation in the Caspian Sea. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 40(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, May). Nuclear Proliferation: Egypt. Middle Eastern Studies, 43(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, March). China’s Energy Policy: Strategic Implications. Energia, 28(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Winter). Energy Security and the Persian Gulf. The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 31(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Winter). The 2006 War in Lebanon: Missile Proliferation in the Middle East. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 31(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2007, Spring). Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East. World Affairs, 169(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, October). Israel and Iran in the New Middle East,. Contemporary Security Policy, 27(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Fall). India’s Energy Security. Minerals and Energy, 21(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Summer). Strategic Rivalry in the Caspian Sea. Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 29(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Summer). Nuclear Proliferation: The Case of Saudi Arabia. Middle East Journal, 60(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Summer). Israel and Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East. Middle East Policy, 13(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, September). United States and the Middle East: Interdependence not Independence. OPEC Review, 30(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, May). Europe’s Energy Security – The Way Ahead. Holyrood, 151.
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, February). U.S. Oil Outlook. Middle East Economic Survey, 49(9).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, May). Nuclear Proliferation: Iran. International Studies Perspectives, 7(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, September). Energy Security: The European Union. International Affairs, 82(5).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, Winter). Geo-politics of Oil: Russia and Central Asia. Russian/CIS Energy and Mining Law Journal, 4(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer). Energy Security: Opportunities and Challenges. Russian/CIS Energy and Mining Law Journal, 3(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, September). Nuclear Proliferation: The Islamic Republic of Iran. Iranian Studies, 39(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Winter). Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 30(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2006, March). Energy Security: Central Asia. Asian Affairs, 37(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Fall). Oil and Terrorism: Central Asia and the Caucasus. Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 30(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, October). EU Seeks Energy Security in Stronger Supplier Ties. Oil and Gas Journal, 103(38).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, August). Energy Partnership: Pacific Asia and the Middle East. Middle East Economic Survey, 148 (33)
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer). The Emerging Sino-Iranian Strategic Alliance. Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 28 (4)
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Spring). Energy Security: The Caspian Sea. Minerals and Energy, 20 (2)
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer). Nonproliferation Success: The Libyan Model. World Affairs, 168 (1)
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, June). Energy Partnership: China and the Gulf States. OPEC Review, 29(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer). The United States and Shiite Islam: Retrospect and Prospect, Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 30(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer-Fall). Saddam Hussein’s Legacy: A Preliminary Assessment and Future Implications, SAIS Review, 25(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, Summer). Transatlantic Cooperation: Libya’s Diplomatic Transformation, Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 29(2).
  • Bahgat, G (2005, April). “Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East: Iran and Israel,” Contemporary Security Policy, 26(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (Forthcoming in Russian). The Future Prospects for Russia’s Oil Industry, CIS & Russian Oil & Gas.
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Winter). Oil, Terrorism, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Libyan Diplomatic Coup, Journal of Social, Economic, and Political Studies, 29(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, October). Libya’s Energy Outlook, Middle East Economic Survey, 47(43).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, August). Foreign Investment in Saudi Arabia’s Energy Sector, Middle East Economic Survey, 47(34).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Summer). Energy Security: The Caspian Sea, Energia, 105(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Fall). Energy Security in a New World Order, Journal of Energy and Development, 30(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Fall) Weapons of Mass Destruction in West Asia, Korean Journal of Defense Analysis, 16(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, September-October). The War on Terrorism: The Mujahedeen e-Khalk Saga, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 27(5).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Fall). Terrorism and Energy: Prospects for a Strategic Re-alignment, World Affairs, 167(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, June). Russia’s Oil Potential: Prospects and Implications, OPEC Review, 28(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Summer/Fall). Nuclear Proliferation: The Trans-Atlantic Division, Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, 5(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, March). Energy Partnership: Israel and the Persian Gulf, Energy Policy, 33(5).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, Fall). Iraq and Israel, Journal of South East Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 27(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2005, July). The Islamic Republic and the Jewish State, Israel Affairs, 11(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, Winter). Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Iraq and Iran, Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 28(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (2004, Winter). Saudi Arabia and the War on Terrorism, Arab Studies Quarterly, 26(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, Summer). The New Geopolitics of Oil: The United States, Saudi Arabia and Russia, Orbis, .47(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, Summer) The New Middle East: The Gulf Monarchies and Israel, Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 28(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (Forthcoming) The Caspian Sea Region: Continuity and Change, Governance.
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, March). Terrorism and Oil – Russia as a Substitute for Energy Deliveries from the Middle East, International Politik, (3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, Spring). Russian Oil for the West, International Politik,4(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, June) Oil in the Middle East: Prospects and Challenges, Pacific and Asian Journal of Energy, 12 (1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, March). The United States, Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Defense and Security Analysis, 19(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2003, March). Iran, the United States, and the War on Terrorism, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 26(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, September). The New Geopolitics of Oil: The United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, Middle East Economic Survey, 45(36).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, Summer). The Iraqi Quagmire: What Is Next? Contemporary Security Policy, 23(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, Summer-Fall). Splitting Water: The Geopolitics of Water Resources in the Caspian Sea, SAIS Review, 22(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, Summer). Oil and Militant Islam: Strains on US-Saudi Relations, World Affairs, 165(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2002, Summer). Pipeline Diplomacy: The Geopolitics of the Caspian Sea Region, International Studies Perspectives, 3(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, Fall). The Geo-politics of Natural Gas in Asia, OPEC Review, 25(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, Fall). United States Energy Security, Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 26(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, Fall). The Future of US-Iran Relations, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 25(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, June). U.S-Iranian relations: Sanctions and the Caspian Sea”, Security Dialogue, 32(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, Spring). Managing dependence: American-Saudi oil relations, Arab Studies Quarterly, 23(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2001, January in German and Russian). The Geo-politics of Natural Gas in the Gulf-Region, Internationale Politik, (1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2000, Fall). The New Political Economy of Oil in the Arabian/Persian Gulf States: A Comparative Analysis, Journal of Energy and Development, 26 (1).
  • Bahgat, G. (2000, Summer). Oil Diplomacy: American Policy in the Persian Gulf, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 24(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2000, June). The Iraqi Crisis in the New Millennium: The Prospects, Asian Affairs, 87(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2000, Summer). Foreign Investment and Oil Industry in the Persian Gulf States, Mineral & Energy, 15(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (2000, Winter). Iranian-Saudi Rapprochement: Prospects and Implications, World Affairs, 162(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, December). Oil Security at the Turn of the Century: Economic and Strategic Implications, International Relations, 14(6).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, Fall). Oil Security at the Dawn of the New Millennium, The Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 24(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, December). Security in the Persian Gulf: The View from Oman, Security Dialogue, 30(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, December). Oil in the Persian Gulf: Prospects for the New Millennium, Energy Studies Review, 9(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, September). The Caspian Sea Geo-political Game: Prospects for the New Millennium, OPEC Review, 23(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, April). Iran and Terrorism: The Transatlantic Response, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 22(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, March). Stability in the Persian Gulf: The Water Dimension, International Journal on World Peace, 16(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, Spring). Persian Gulf Security at the Turn of the Century, Defense Analysis, 15(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, Spring). High Policy and Low Policy: Fresh Water Resources in the Middle East, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 22(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, April). Succession Question in the Gulf Monarchies, International Journal of Contemporary Sociology, 36(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, Spring). Education in the Gulf Monarchies: Retrospect and Prospect, International Review of Education, 45(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, January). Energy Security: Oil and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Disarmament Diplomacy, (33).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, Fall). Geo-economy Versus Geo-Strategy: American Oil Security in the New Millennium, Strategic Review, 14(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, Summer). The Gulf Monarchies: Economic and Political Challenges at the End of the Century, Journal of Social, Economic and Political Studies, 23(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, December). Iran at the Turn of the Century: Continuity and Change, International Politics, 35(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, August). Oil Security: Potential Threats, Contemporary Security Policy, 19(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1997, Fall). Oil in the Persian Gulf: Prospect for the Twenty-First Century, Journal of Energy and Development, 23(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1999, January). Peace in the Persian Gulf: The Shi’is Dimension, Peace and Change, 24(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, June). The New Iran: A Myth Or A Reality?, Asian Affairs, 85(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, Spring). Iraq After Saddam – What Lies Ahead?, Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 23(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1998, Winter/Spring). The Silent Revolution: Education and Instability in the Gulf Monarchies, The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 22(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1997, December). Beyond Containment: American-Iranian Relations At A Crossroad, Security Dialogue, 28(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (1997, Spring). The Future of Iran, Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 22(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1997, April). Beyond Sanctions: US Policy Toward Iraq, International Relations, 13(4).
  • Bahgat, G. (1996, Winter). Gulf Security System and Western Powers, Low Intensity Conflict and Law Enforcement, 5(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1996, September). Peace in the Persian Gulf: Iran and Iraq, International Studies, 33(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1996, September in Arabic). Prospects for Peace and Stability in the Gulf Region, Arab Future, (211).
  • Bahgat, G. (1996, Summer). Gulf Security and Western Policy, The International Spectator, 31(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1996, Spring). Political Islam and the West, Iranian Journal of International Affairs, 8(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1995, November). Military Security and Political Stability in the Gulf, Arab Studies Quarterly, 17(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1995, November). The Changing Economic and Political Environment in the Gulf Monarchies, Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 20(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1995, October). The American Dilemma in the Gulf, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, 19(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1995, September). Regional Peace and Stability in the Gulf, Security Dialogue, 26(3).
  • Bahgat, G. (1995, June). Oil and Democracy: The American Dilemma in the Persian Gulf Region, Comparative Strategy, 14(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1994, August). Democracy in the Arab World: An Elitist Approach, International Relations, 12(2).
  • Bahgat, G. (1994, February). Democracy in the Middle East: The American Connection, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 17(1).
  • Bahgat, G. (1993, Winter). Privatization and Democratization in the Arab World: Is There A Connection?, Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, 18(4).

Professional Presentations

  • March 2011, “The GCC Investment in Alternative Energy,” presented at The Transformation of the Gulf States, sponsored by the London School of Economics and Political Science, Kuwait.
  • March 2011, “Developments in Iran,” presented at Praetorian Shield, sponsored by the United States government, Arlington, Virginia.
  • February 2011, “Academic Peace Orchestra Middle East: Shaping the Envisaged Middle East Conference 2012 and Its International Context,” sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Valletta, Malta.
  • October 2010, “An Assessment of Contemporary Warfare and US National Security and Military Policy,” presented at the United States National Security Policy and Military Strategy: Understanding the Environment for Contemporary Warfare, sponsored by the US Army War College and Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
  • September 2010, “United States and a Nuclear Iran,” presented at The Regional Implications of a Nuclear-Armed Iran, sponsored by the United States government, Arlington, Virginia.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Kuwait Investment Authority – An Assessment.” International Political Economy of Sovereign Wealth Funds, Sponsored by Griffith University. Brisbane, Australia. Oct. 2009.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Identifying the Major Terrorist Trends and Questions.” Terrorism’s Central Arena, Sponsored by the National Counterterrorism Center. Atlanta, GA. Oct. 2009.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Energy in the Twenty-first Century: Opportunities and Challenges.” Thirty-Eighth Annual Frank Church Symposium on International Affairs. Pocatello, ID. Mar. 2009.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “OPEC and the Challenge of Energy Security.” Energy Security in the Asia Pacific sponsored by Griffith Asia Institute, Australian Research Council, and Asia Pacific Futures Research Network. Brisbane, Australia. Sept. 2005.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Energy Partnership: China and the Middle East.” Twenty-Sixth International Area Conference on Burgeoning Asian Demand: Could Supply Alliances Change? Boulder, CO. Apr. 2005.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The United States Energy Security.” Oil and Water Symposium, Institute for Global Leadership, Tufts University. Medford, MA. Feb. 2005.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The Geopolitics of the Caspian Sea Region.” Policy Seminars on Conflicts in Eurasia, the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Washington, D.C. Feb 2005.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Energy and Security: Global Challenges and Regional Perspectives.” Program of Atlantic Security Studies. Prague, Czech Republic. Oct. 2004.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Energy Security in a New World Order.” Thirty-First Annual International Energy Conference on Repositioning in the Energy Sector: Pace and Directions. Boulder, CO. Apr. 2004.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Oman and Yemen: A Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis.” Thirty-Sixth International Congress of Asian and North African Studies. Montreal, Canada. Aug 2000.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The Islamic Republic and the Jewish State: Future Prospects”, and “The Caspian Sea Geo-political Game: The United States Versus Iran.” Symposium on Cooperative Security for the Persian Gulf Region, Copenhagen, Denmark. Mar. 1999.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat., “Economic and Political Liberalization in the Gulf”, and “Stability and Security in the Persian Gulf.” Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association. San Francisco, CA. Mar 1996.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The Changing Security Environment in the Middle East and American National Interests”, and “Islam, Democracy and the United States: The Human Rights Dimension.” Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, New York, NY. Sept. 1994.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Privatization and Democratization in the Arab World: Is There A Connection?” Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Political Science Association, San Antonio, TX. Mar. 1994.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Privatization: The Theory and Practice.” Annual Meeting of the Association of Third World Studies. Gainesville, FL. Oct. 1992.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Why Governments Grow: A Comparative Analysis.” Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. Chicago, IL. Sept. 1992.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The Impact of External and Internal Forces on Economic Reform in the Third World: A Comparative Analysis”, and “Foreign Trade and Economic Development in the Middle East.” Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association. Chicago, IL. Apr. 1992.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The IMF and Political Violence: A Cross-National Analysis.” Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association. San Francisco, CA. Mar. 1992.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Foreign Economic Assistance and Development in the Third World: A Quantitative Analysis.” Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Political Science Association. Austin, TX. Mar. 1992.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Elite’s Values and Economic Reform”, and “The IMF and Political Instability.” Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association. Philadelphia, PA. Nov, 1991.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “Dependency School Versus Neo-Classical Theory: The Case of Egypt.” Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association. Tampa, FL. Nov. 1991.
  • Bahgat, Gawdat. “The Impact of American Economic Assistance on Egypt’s Economic Development and Orientation.” Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Political Science Association. San Antonio, TX. Mar. 1991.

Education

  • Ph.D., Political Science, Florida State University
  • M.A., Middle Eastern Studies, American University in Cairo
  • B.A., Political Science, Cairo University

 

Mark Bibbey – Associate Dean and Academic Adviser. Following a career as a Royal Marines’ officer and retiring as a colonel, Mark Bibbey was the Chief Executive of two Third Sector businesses before being selected by the NESA Center as an Associate Dean and Academic Adviser in late 2020 to work on a Saudi Arabian National Defense University related project.

His military career encompassed operational experience in Command and at staff from Northern Ireland, the Balkans, the U.S. Central Command AOR, and UN Peacekeeping operations (primarily in Africa). He commanded the Command Support Group (now named 30 Commando Group) in the 3 Commando Brigade, was Director (Commitments) in HQ Royal Marines, Chief of Staff to a UK 2-star HQ embedded within US CENTCOM, and held two one-star diplomatic appointments in Islamabad and at the UK Mission to the UN in New York. READ MORE

Mark Bibbey was educated at Durham University, the Commando Training Center, the Army Staff College, the Open University, and the Royal College of Defense Studies. He has also been a member of the Directing Staff (Faculty) on three occasions: at the Maritime Warfare Center, where he was responsible for teaching Amphibious, Joint and Coalition operations to RN and Allied officers appointed to Command and facilitating joint and coalition seminar wargaming for the MoD; at the RN Staff Course; and the Advanced Command and Staff Course. He was a member of the Change Management Team, which transitioned the (UK’s) single Service Staff Colleges into the Joint Services Command and Staff College and, ultimately, the Defense Academy. He is also a Dutch linguist and has a working knowledge of French.

 

Justin Boston BA (Hons) MSc – Associate Professor of War Studies at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Prior to this, he served 27-years as an Officer in the Royal Navy, completing a variety of shore and frontline assignments. Uniquely for a Naval Officer, he has spent almost his entire operational life in Iraq and Afghanistan, his last tour being as Resolute Support’s Chief J9 Civil – Military Cooperation with the then Government of Afghanistan in 2020. Prior to that, he served as; the J9 in Southern Iraq; naval lead for the U.S. Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission; Joint Planner at Naval Command Headquarters (On several occasions), dealing with counter-piracy, expeditionary and maritime strategy; Faculty at the Defence Academy of the U.K. and Maritime Warfare Centre; and was the Navy’s senior uniformed academic responsible for the Services Professional Military Education (PME). He was also, for some 20-years, the R.N. subject matter expert on and advocate for better command and staff education. Finally, he is an avid military historian, who ran Navy Battlefield Tours and Staff Rides on the campaigns of the English Civil War, Normandy, and Western Front.    READ MORE

Areas of Expertise

  • Military History
  • Revolutionary and Counter Revolutionary War
  • Joint Operational Planning
  • Maritime Strategy
  • Amphibious and Expeditionary Warfare

Education

  • MSc International Security, Cranfield University, United Kingdom
  • B.A. (Hons) Politics and International Relations, Leicester University, United Kingdom

 

Andrea Brewington – Academic Advisor specializing in Human Capability Development and the design of Military Training and Education at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. She is currently deployed forward in Saudi Arabia and works at the Saudi Arabian National Defence University as an Academic Advisor, supporting Saudi Arabian Military Education Transformation.

She is a recent British Army veteran, having served for 24 years. Initially as a soldier and an engineer, later becoming a Learning Development Advisor in the Education and Training Services Branch. She has deployed to Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Iraq as an IED exploitation officer and conducted a few short trips to Afghanistan. In this time, she received several commendations for her work, including citations from the US Warfare Directorate, the DIA, the FBI, and was decorated with the US Army Commendation Medal.    READ MORE

She is an expert in military training and education, having served in key appointments during the British Army’s Training Governance Review. She was also part of the team who designed and established the Land Warfare Centre, centering on training excellence. In other appointments, she served as an Army Training Establishment Inspector, as an advisor to the Infantry and Royal Armoured Corps, establishing the education and training requirements for several major equipment procurement programs.

She also designed the UN Mandated Training for Women in Peace and security and advised the British Novell Weapons and Women in Ground Close Combat development teams. In her final military role, she was a design specialist within Program CASTLE, which seeks to revolutionize Army Talent Management. In this role, she created the Army Talent Framework Skills Proficiency Standard.

Areas of Expertise

  • Military Education and Training Design
  • Systems Approach to Training
  • Talent Management and Human Capability Optimization
  • Organisational Bias and Managing Change
  • Lessons exploitation 
  • Faculty Development
  • Accreditation

Education

  • Ph.D. candidate – The Tactical Deployment of Females to Prevent and Resolve Conflict
  • MSc with Distinction in Educational Practice and Innovation
  • Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership
  • PGCE and University of Southampton Teaching Fellow
  • BSc in Telecommunications Engineering
  • Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults
  • ISO 9001 QMS Lead Auditor
  • Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring

 

Clark

Dr. Wayne Clark – Director of AM&E (Assessment, Monitoring, & Evaluation)

Dr. Wayne Clark serves as the Director of AM&E at the NESA Center to program manage, educate, and advise faculty in assessing, monitoring, and evaluating the Centers 70+ fiscal year security cooperation activities to achieve quality learning outcomes of multilateral interests to the U.S., allies, and partners. As a Professor, he provides graduate level education to Middle East North Africa foreign nationals based on partner needs assessment objectives at the Center, the National Defense University, and abroad.  Dr. Clark is a retired Colonel that served worldwide as a U.S. Army Medical Service Corps senior leader before transitioning as an Army Civilian to continue service to nation within the Installation Management Command, the U.S. Forces Korea, and National Defense University. His concentrations include leadership, security cooperation, graduate level education, quality assurance/control (AM&E; accreditation), operations and plans, program management, transformation, healthcare, aviation, R&D, disaster response, and international relations.   READ MORE

Career Chronology

  • Associate Professor / Director AM&E, Near East South Asia Studies Center, Washington, D.C. 2021–Current
  • Professor, Saudi Arabia National Defense University, Riyadh, 2021–2023
  • Visiting Scholar/Faculty Seminar Instructor, National Defense University, D.C., 2019–2021
  • Chief Operating Officer/Program Manager/Government Negotiator, U.S. Forces Korea, Transformation and Re-stationing Directorate, 2012–2019.
  • Director of Operations, Plans, Security, IT/KM, and Business Services (G3/5/7), Installation Management Command – Korea Region, Army Civilian GS-15, 2008–2011
  • Commander/Chief of Staff, 18th Medical Command, Korea, Colonel, 2004–2008
  • Chief of Operations, XVIII Airborne Corps Surgeon Office, Fort Bragg, NC, 2003–2004
  • International Healthcare Director / Chief of Operations, CJTF-180, OEF, Afghanistan, 2002
  • Army School of Aviation Medicine; Aviation Center and School; Aeromedical Research Lab
  • Deployments: Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Desert Strom (Kuwait/Iraq/Saudi Arabia), South Korea, Japan, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Education & Training

  • Ph.D., Education/Political Science, 2019, University of North Korean Studies, South Korea
  • Masters, National Strategy and Strategic Studies, 2020, National War College, Washington, D.C.
  • Masters, Aviation Management, 1992, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida
  • Bachelor of Science, Electrical – Biomedical Engineering, North Dakota State University
  • Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate, North Dakota State University
  • Defense Senior Leader Development Program, 2018–2020
  • Program Management, 2017, USA Graduate School, Washington, D.C.
  • Senior Executive Fellowship, 2016, Harvard University, Massachusetts

Certifications

  • Executive Certifications in Public Leadership and in Mastering Negotiation, Harvard University
  • Outdoor Emergency Care
  • Project Management
  • Lean Six Sigma (Black Belt)
  • FAA

Awards & Honors

  • Civilian: DoD Excellence in Gov’t Service; U.S. President and the Army Volunteer of the Year (multi)
  • Military: Soldiers Medal (Heroism), Bronze Star, Expert Field Medical, Master Aviator, Airborne

Professional Associations

  • Association of the U.S. Army
  • Korea Defense Veterans Association
  • Boy Scouts of America (West Asia District Chairmen)
  • S. Ski Patrol (Asia District Director)
  • International Olympics Committee / Olympics, Special, and Paralympics (1988, 2013, 2018)
  • PGA/LPGA Korea
  • International Spartan Racing

 

CurfissDaniel E. Curfiss – Associate Professor has been with the NESA Center since August of 2005 and is a Professor of Strategic Studies. Before joining the NESA Center he instructed civil servants in Iraq, both at the Ministry of Defense and on the staff of the Iraqi National Security Advisor, in capacity-building, policy development and matters of national security policy and strategy.

Immediately after retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps he worked in Nigeria from August of 2002 until February of 2004 on the Nigeria Civil-Military Assistance Program Combined Action Team of senior officers from the Nigerian Armed Forces and retired senior military officers from the United States Armed Forces in a joint U.S./Nigeria venture created to help democratize the Ministry of Defense and revitalize the Nigerian Armed Forces. Prof. Curfiss is also a member of the Marine Corps History Foundation’s General Wallace M. Greene Award Committee. This committee annually selects the book determined by the committee to best describe Marine Corps heritage, relevance to U.S. national interests and defense activities published during the given year of selection and is presented to the author by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.    READ MORE

Prof. Curfiss is a retired United States Marine Corps infantry officer having spent 28 years on active duty, and he is a veteran of both Vietnam and Gulf War I. He commanded infantry units at the rifle and reconnaissance platoon, rifle company, infantry battalion and Marine Expeditionary Unit levels. He also lived in Jubail, Saudi Arabia while serving as the senior advisor to the brigade commander of the first brigade of Saudi marines after Desert Storm.

Areas of Expertise

  • National Security Policy and Strategy
  • Stability and Reconstruction Operations
  • Foreign relations and security issues
  • Counter-Insurgency Operations

Education

  • M.S., Military Science, U.S. Army Command and Staff College
  • Operational Level of War, U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School
  • B.A., History, Ohio State University

 

Dave Des RochesDavid Des Roches – Professor of Practice at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Prior to this, he was the director responsible for defense policy concerning Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Prior to this assignment, he has served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the DoD Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, as the senior country director for Pakistan, as the NATO operations director, and as the deputy director for peacekeeping. His first job in government was as a special assistant for strategy and later as the international law enforcement analyst in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

A British Marshall Scholar, he has also attended the Federal Executive Institute, the German Staff College’s Higher Officer Seminar, the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School and the US Army Command and General Staff College.    READ MORE

An Airborne Ranger in the Army Reserve, he was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan. He has commanded conventional and special operations parachute units and has served on the US Special Operations Command staff as well as on the Joint Staff.

Areas of Expertise

  • Arabian Peninsula and Mediterranean Littoral
  • Unconventional Warfare
  • Stabilization and Reconstruction
  • Homeland Defense

Education

  • M.S.S., Strategic Studies, US Army War College
  • M.A., War Studies, King’s College
  • M.A., Near and Middle East Area Studies, London School of Oriental and African Studies
  • B.S., International Relations and Arabic, United States Military Academy

 

Gill John H. Gill (Jack) – Adjunct Professor is a former U.S. Army South Asia Foreign Area Officer, he retired as a colonel in 2005 after more than 27 years of service.

Prior to joining the NESA Center, he worked on South Asia issues in the Pentagon from 1998-2001, including the 1999 Kargil crisis. During his time at the NESA Center, he has also served as Special Assistant for India/Pakistan to the Plans and Policy Director of the U.S. Joint Staff and as Military Advisor to Ambassador James Dobbins, the U.S. envoy to the Afghan opposition forces (2001-02). From August 2003 to January 2004, he served in Islamabad as the liaison officer to the Pakistan Army for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, including participation in Tripartite Commission meetings and other trilateral discussions.    READ MORE

He has been following South Asia issues from the intelligence and policy perspectives since the mid-1980’s in positions with the U.S. Joint Staff, the U.S. Pacific Command staff, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. His publications on South Asia include an Atlas of the 1971 India-Pakistan War, chapters in Strategic Asia (2003 and 2005), and chapters on U.S.-India military relations (2006) and India-Pakistan behavior during the “Brass Tacks” crisis (2008).

Prof. Gill is currently working on chapters addressing Indian counterinsurgency experiences in Sri Lanka (“IPKF”) and military operations during the 1999 Kargil conflict. He is also an internationally recognized military historian and has authored several books and numerous papers on the Napoleonic era.

Areas of Expertise

  • Intelligence
  • Military History
  • India and Pakistan
  • Afghanistan, South Asia

Publications

Articles

  • Gill, J. (2004, November/December). Australian Divisions in the Second World War. Strategy & Tactics 225.
  • Gill, J. (2004, October). Dissuasion and Confrontation: U.S. Policy in India-Pakistan Crises. Strategic Insights, 3(10), pp. 77-88. [download]
  • Gill, J. (2001, April). The Archduke versus the Emperor. Military History, 18(1), pp. 26-32.

Book Reviews

  • Gill, J. (2007, January). Johnson, R. (2005). A Region in Turmoil, South Asian Conflicts Since 1947. London : Reaktion Books. Reviewed in The Journal of Military History, 71(1).
  • Gill, J. (2006, January). Singh, V.K. (2005). Leadership in the Indian Army. New Delhi : SAGE Publications. Reviewed in The Journal of Military History, 70(1).
  • Gill, J. (2002, July). Sandstedt, F. (Ed.) (2000). Between Imperial Eagles. Stockholm : Föreningen Armémusei. Reviewed in The Journal of Military History, 66(3). [download]
  • Gill, J. (2002, January). Chrisawn, M. (2001). The Emperor’s Friend: Marshal Jean Lannes. London : Greenhill Books. Reviewed in The Journal of Military History, 66(1). [download]
  • Gill, J. (1994, January). Chandler, D. (1994). On the Napoleonic Wars. London : Greenhill Books. Reviewed in The Journal of Military History, 58(3). [download]

Book Chapters

  • Gill, J. (2008). Brasstacks: Prudently Pessimistic. in S. Ganguly and P. Kapur (Eds.), Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Gill, J. (2006). US-India Military-to-Military Relations. in S. Ganguly, A. Scobell, and B. Shoup (Eds.), US-India Military-to-Military Relations. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Gill, J. (2005). France’s Allies in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars: 1792-1815. in M. van Hattern (ed.), In the Wake of Napoleon. Netherlands: Thoth Uitgeverij.
  • Gill, J. (2005). India and Pakistan: A Shift in the Military Calculus. In A. Tellis and M. Wills (Eds.) Strategic Asia 2005-2006: Military Modernization in an Era of Uncertainty. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Asian Research.
  • Gill, J. (2004). India: Global Ambitions, Regional Concerns. In R. Ellings (Ed.) Strategic Asia 2003-2004: Fragility and Crisis. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Asian Research.
  • Gill, J. (2004). Pakistan: A State Under Stress. In R. Ellings (Ed.) Strategic Asia 2003-2004: Fragility and Crisis. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Asian Research.
  • Gill, J. (1998). Vermin, Scorpions and Mosquitoes. In I. Fletcher (Ed.) The Peninsula War. Staplehurst : Spellmount Publishers.

Books

  • Gill, J. (2008). 1809 – Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon’s Defeat of the Hapsburgs. Barnsley, South Yorkshire : Frontline Books.
  • Gill, J. (2003). An Atlas of the 1971 India-Pakistan War: The Birth of Bangladesh. Washington, DC : National Defense University Press.
  • Gill, J. (1998). A Soldier for Napoleon: The Campaigns of Lieutenant Franz Joseph Hausmann, 7th Bavarian Infantry. London : Greenhill Books.
  • Gill, J. (1992). With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign. London : Greenhill Books.

Education

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College
  • M.A., International Relations, George Washington University
  • B.A., History / German, Middlebury College

 

JalaliAmbassador Ali Ahmad Jalali – Distinguished Professor

Professor Ali Ahmad Jalali, serves as a Distinguished Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) at the National Defense University in Washington D.C. since October 2005. He is a former Interior Minister of Afghanistan (Jan. 2003-Sept. 2005) and Afghanistan Ambassador to Germany (Dec 2016-Sep 2018)

As Interior Minister of post-Taliban Afghanistan, he created a trained force of 50,000 Afghan National Police (ANP) and 12,000 Border Police to work effectively in counter-narcotics, counterterrorism, and criminal investigation to fight against organized crime and illegal border crossings. He successfully led the country-wide operations to protect the constitutional grand assembly (Loya Jirga) in 2003, the nationwide voters’ registration drive and landmark 2004 Presidential election, and the parliamentary elections in 2005. READ MORE

As Afghanistan Ambassador to Germany, Jalali interacted with Germany and European Union on major bilateral and multi-lateral issues related to policy, regional security, economy, trade, education as well as immigrants and refugees matters.

Since 2008, Jalali is also actively participating in high-level Track-II meetings on major multi-lateral global issues involving the United States, South and Central Asia, Russia, and China.

Prior to assuming the ministerial post in Kabul, Ambassador Jalali served in executive broadcast positions at Voice of America in Washington, D.C. from 1982 to 2003. During this period, he, directed broadcasts in Pashto, Dari, and Farsi (Persian) languages to Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia.   As journalist, he covered the war in Afghanistan (1982-1993) and the former Soviet Central Asia (1993-2000) and traveled extensively across the region.

During his military service in Afghanistan army (1961-81), Jalali served in command, staff, and educational posts with a final rank of colonel. He attended higher educational institutions in Afghanistan, United States, United Kingdom and Russia. (See the list below)

A reputed multi-lingual military and political analyst, Ambassador Jalali has extensive academic, managerial, journalistic, and writing experience and has published in three languages (English, Pashto, and Dari/Farsi). He is the author of numerous books and articles on political, military and security issues in Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. His works are published in the United States, Britain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. (See the list below).  He is a frequent commentator on Afghan and regional security and international political developmental at U.S. major TV networks (including CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, FOX News, PBS, NPR) as well as Australian National TV (ABC) and Canadian CBC. Jalali’s articles and comments are also published in New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and many other major U.S and European papers. Many of his scholarly articles are published by the Parameters, the senior professional journal of the U.S. Army, from 2001-2010

Jalali has taught at higher education institutions of Afghanistan and the United States and extensively lectured at U.S. Army War College, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the British Army Staff College, Camberley, England and UAE National Defense College, Abu Dhabi.

Professor Jalali has native fluency in English, Pashto, Dari, Persian (Farsi) and Tajik languages, and he is fluent in Russian while confidently translates from French, and has functional knowledge of Arabic, Turkish and Urdu.

Areas of Expertise

  • Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism Operations
  • Post-Conflict Stabilization and Reconstruction
  • Counter-Narcotics Operations

Publications

Books & Chapters

  1. Afghanistan: A Military History from the Ancient Empires to the Great Game, University Press of Kansas, September 2021.
  2. A Military History of Afghanistan from the Great Game to the Global War on Terror” University Press of Kansas, March 2017.
  3. Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces in Transition, USIP, Washington D.C., May 2016.
  4. The Other Side of the Mountain, co-authored with Lester Grau, U.S. Marine Corps 1998, Barnes and Nobles 2001, Cass Publishers 2002. Several other publishers. It is an analytical review of Mujahedin war with the Soviet forces in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, 2002, 2011.
  5. Reflections on the Fateful Collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. A book Chapter in Great Power Completions Vol. 4 – Lessons Learned in Afghanistan Conflict, Springer Publishers, 2023.
  6. The Dynamics of Conflict and Peace in Afghanistan, A book Chapter in Great Power Completion Vol. 1 – Regional Perspectives on Peace and Security. Springer Publishers, 2021.
  7. The Voroshilov Lectures, translated from lecture notes from the Soviet General Staff Academy and co-edited in three volumes, NDU Press, 1989, 1990, 1992.
  8. Irregular Warfare of Pashtun Tribes in Fighting the Mughal Empire in 16th and 17th centuries, Kabul, February 2012.
  9. Selected Literary Works of Ustad G. Jilani Jalali, Introduction and Ed. Kabul, 2005.
  10. Afghanistan – Challenges of the Transition to Peace, Emirate Center for Strategic Studies, and research (ECSSR), Abu Dhabi, December 2012.
  11. Studies in Afghanistan History from a Military Perspective, two volumes, MOD Press, Kabul, 1967. A detailed study of political and strategic trends in Afghanistan’s military history (1100 pages).
  12. War and Diplomacy, a 12-chapter book on the use of military power in international relations (450 pages). It was based on lectures I offered as professor at the Institute of Diplomacy (War College), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kabul, 1974–1978.
  13. Military strategy in Limited Wars, in Dari, Kabul, 1971.
  14. Textbook on Small Units Tactics (platoon, company), in Dari, Kabul, 1968.
  15. Textbook on larger Units Tactics (Battalion, Regiment, Division), in Dari, Kabul, 1976.
  16. Pages of Afghan History: A collection of 150 radio programs for Radio Afghanistan, Kabul, 1969–1975.
  17. Army Training programs for Infantry and Tank units (CPX, Field Exercise and Wargames), Kabul, 1972.
  18. Trans-national Crime and the challenge for regional cooperation – a book Chapter in “the Non-Traditional Security Challenges in Asia,” Routledge India, June 2015. The book is a collection of essays that explore how non-traditional issues can manifest as security challenges, and the role of the state and military in dealing with these.
  19. The Challenge of Security Transition in Afghanistan – Book Chapter, Singapore National University, July 2012.
  20. The Future of Security Forces in Afghanistan. Book chapter in “The Future of Afghanistan,” United States Institute of Peace (USIP). January 2009.
  21. The Challenge of Regaining Momentum in Afghanistan. A book chapter in “Asian Security” by the Institute of Defense and Strategic Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi, India, February 2009.
  22. Countering Narcotics in Afghanistan.” A book chapter in the Institute of National Strategic Studies (INSS) “Global Security Assessment,” National Defense University. October 2008.
  23. Afghanistan: The Challenge of State Building. A book chapter in “Afghanistan: transition Under Threat,” Geoffrey Hayes, editor, and Mark Sedra, editor, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, August 2008.
  24. Afghanistan: The legacy of War and the Challenge of Peace Building. 2006. A book chapter in “Building a New Afghanistan,” by Robert I. Rutberg ed. edited by Brookings Institution Press and the World Peace Foundation, 2006.
  25. A Historical Perspective on Iran-Afghan Relation, a chapter in the book titled “Iran and Eurasia” edited by Ali Mohammadi, Ithaca Press, London, 2000.
  26. The Theory of Combat, Institute of Military Conflict, 1989, Participated as member of the Institute in authoring a theoretical understanding of the nature of the combat process as a basis for model and simulation development.
  27. The Life and Times of the Afghan Classic Warrior Khushal Khan, in Pashto, Kabul, 1978.

Recent Published Articles

  1. The Geopolitics of Iran-Afghanistan Relations, Middle East Journal. Summer 2021.
  2. Regional Perspectives on the Afghan Peace Process, UNIPATH Magazine, January 2021.
  3. Afghanistan’s bubble of Optimism bursts, The Hill, Congress Blog, and November 18, 2015.
  4. Renewing Afghanistan’s Social Contract, IPI Global Observatory, December 8, 2015.
  5. Forging Afghanistan National Unity Government,” a Peace Brief Paper at USIP (December 2014) on discussing the Challenges facing the Afghanistan National Unity Government.
  6. The Security Sector reform in Afghanistan-Achievements and Setbacks, published by the Journal of International Peace Operations (JIPO), March 2012.
  7. Non-State Armed Groups-Challenges and Opportunities, published by the Special Issue of the International Red Cross Journal, Geneva, Summer 2011.
  8. Commentary on the Kandahar Jail break (Pervasive Corruption and Public Distrust), published in New York Times’ opinion page on April 26, 2010.
  9. “Afghanistan in Transition,” published in the autumn 2010 issue of Parameters which is available on line.
  10. Commentary on S. Strategy Review for Afghanistan in New York Times’ opinion page on December 16 2010.
  11. What to expect from General Petraeus, New York Times, June 24, 2010.
  12. Afghanistan: Long-term Solutions and Perilous Shortcuts, Prism Quarterly (NDU), published in September 2010 Issue.
  13. Is Fair Election in Afghanistan Possible, New York Times, October 21, 2009.
  14. Is it Time to Negotiate with the Taliban, New York Times, September 1, 2009.
  15. Afghanistan: A Long Hot Summer and A Call for Change, Far Eastern Economic Review, July/August 2009.
  16. Winning in Afghanistan, Parameters, Spring 2009 issue, Carlisle Barracks, Penn, USA, May 2009.
  17. How to Win in Afghanistan, OP-ED, The Washington Times, March 1, 2009
  18. Afghanistan: Regaining Momentum, Parameters, winter 2007-2008 issue, Carlisle Barracks, Penn, USA, January 2008.
  19. Expeditionary Forces: Superior Technology Defeated – The Battle of Maiwand. Coauthored with Lester W. Grau. A book chapter in “The British Army 1815–1914,) Harold E. Raugh Jr. Ed. Ashgate Publishing Limited, England, USA. 2006.
  20. Combating Opium in Afghanistan. 2006. Coauthored with Robert B. Oakley and Zoe Hunter. Strategic Forum No. 224, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University, November 2006, Washington D.C.
  21. Forbidden Cross-Border Vendetta: Spetsnaz Strike into Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan, Journal of Slavic Military Studies, December 2006.
  22. Five Years later Afghanistan Pays for Sins of Omission. Baltimore Sun, October 8, 2006. Also published by several other major papers across the country and the Khalij Times. The article reviewed the past five years and made suggestions on ways to improve the security situation in Afghanistan.
  23. Nation Building on the Cheap. 2006. The Washington Post, May 28, 2006.
  24. The Future of Afghanistan, Parameters, Spring 2006 issue, Carlisle Barracks, Penn, USA, Feb 2006
  25. Afghanistan in 2002: The Struggle to Win Peace, Asian Survey, University of Berkley, Ca. January 2003.
  26. Demobilizing War machines: Making Peace last, a paper presented at and published by the U.N. conference on Rebuilding Societies Emerging from Conflict (September 9–11, 2002).
  27. Rebuilding Afghanistan’s National Army, Parameters, U.S. Army War College, Autumn, 2002.
  28. Afghanistan: Political Participation and Security, Georgetown University, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Summer 2002.
  29. Russian-Iranian Strategic Partnership, Parameters, U.S. Army War College, Winter 2001.
  30. A detailed Military Analysis of the Battle of Maiwand (Pashto), Afghan Cultural Association, Peshawar, 2000.
  31. Expeditionary Forces: Superior Technology Defeated — The Battle of Maiwand,”S. Military Review, May–June 2001.
  32. Afghanistan: The Anatomy of an Ongoing Conflict, Parameters, US. Army War College, Spring 2001.
  33. The Campaign for the caves : the battles of Zhawar in the soviet-Afghan war – la guerre des grottes : la bataille de Zhawar pendant la guerre soviétique en Afghanistan, Journal of Slavic military studies (the) , 2001, vol. 14 n°3, p. 69-92 Vértitable guerilla, la bataille de Zhawar a montré les insuffisances de tactique des deux armées.
  34. Iran-Central Asia: Reminiscing the Past and Looking to the Future, Central Asia Monitor, No. 4, 2001.
  35. Islam as a Political Force in Central Asia: The Iranian Influence, Central Asia Monitor, No. 2, 1999.
  36. Kashmir: Flashpoint or Safety Valve?, Lester W. Grau Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworth, KS. and Ali A. Jalali. This article was previously published in Military Review July–August 1999.
  37. Night Stalkers and Mean Streets: Afghan Urban Guerrillas, Ali A. Jalali and Lester W. Grau, Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworth, KS. This article was previously published in Infantry January–April 1999.
  38. Wither the Taliban? Taliban–A Model for “Islamicising” Central Asia? The Cyber-Caravan, Johns Hopkins University, vol. 1, No. 4, March 6, 1999
  39. Underground Combat: Stereophonic Blasting, Tunnel Rats, and the Soviet-Afghan War, Lester Grau and Ali Ahmad Jalali, Engineer article, November 1998.
  40. The Break-up of State Structures in Afghanistan, in Persian, Mehragan (Iranian Journal), Summer, 1998.
  41. The Clash of Values and Interests in Afghanistan, Institute of World Politics, Washington D.C., 1995.
  42. Identity Issues in Central Asia (1994), Institute of World Politics, Washington D.C., 1994.
  43. Russia’s Military Establishment in Transition, Institute of World Politics, Washington D.C., 1993.
  44. Strategic and Operational Aspects of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, International Conference on Light Infantry, Seattle, 1985.
  45. S.-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership: An hour-long documentary published and broadcast by VOA in several languages, 1994.
  46. Civil-Military Relations in a Democracy: An hour-long documentary published and broadcast by VOA in several languages, 1995.
  47. Intellectual Property Rights: A seven-part series of reports published and broadcast by VOA in several languages, 1995.
  48. Poppies Along the Silk Road: An hour-long documentary published and broadcast by VOA in several languages, 1995.
  49. Afghanistan — The War of the Neighbors: An hour-long documentary published by VOA and broadcast in several languages, 1996.
  50. More than 400 reports and news analyses in English on Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia published and broadcast by the Voice of America.
  51. Over 450 of analytical reports (English) for VOA on political, economic, and social developments in Central Asia and the Caucasus, 1993–2001.
  52. Hundreds of Dari/Pashto articles and features were published in Afghanistan (mostly in the Military Journal) or broadcast on Radio Afghanistan between 1965 and 1978.
  53. More than 100 scholarly and policy papers and speeches presented at seminars, conferences and symposium in the United States, Europe, India, Pakistan, and Japan, 1995–present.

Education

  • Afghan Military University, BA, 1961
  • Higher Command and Staff School (Regiment, Division, Army), Kabul, MA, Military Science, 1966
  • British Army Staff College, Camberley, England, MA, and PSC, Higher Command and Staff, 1967
  • The Institute of World Politics/Boston University, Washington D.C., Graduate Studies in Comparative Politics, 1966

Long-term Specialized Education

  • U.S. Army Infantry Advance Course (August 1963-June 1964), conventional and irregular warfare, Fort Benning Georgia (USA), Advanced Studies Diploma, 1964
  • Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey Ca. USA, Defense Management Diploma, 1978
  • Academy Frunze, Moscow, Military Strategy and Operational Art, 1980

Awards

  • Afghanistan High State Medal “Wazir Akbar Khan,” 2005
  • Afghanistan Distinguished Service Medal, Constitutional Loya Jirga, 2004
  • Afghan Army Decoration Baryal 1-Gold, 1968
  • Afghan Army Decoration Baryal 2-Silver, 1964
  • Afghan Army Decoration Baryal 3-Bronze, 1961
  • Afghan Army Wartia (Meritorious Service) Medal- Bronze, 1967
  • Afghan Army Wartia (Meritorious Service) Medal- Silver, 1977
  • U.S Government Career Achievement Award, 2003
  •  U.S. Federal Service 15, 20, and 25-year pins; 1997, 2003, and 2011
  • Four VOA Sustained Superior Performance awards; 1984–1990
  • Eleven VOA Excellence in Programming awards; 1985–1992

 

Dr Jen JefferisDr. Jennifer Jefferis – Adjunct Professor is an expert consultant for the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. In this capacity, she develops security related programs for government and civilian leaders in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Territories, and Israel, among other places.

Dr. Jefferis is also a Teaching Professor and the Director of Curriculum at the Security Studies Program, in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston University. Her academic research focuses on religion and political violence, and she is the author of three books on this topic: Hamas: Terrorism, Governance, and its Future in the Region (Praeger 2016), Religion and Political Violence: Sacred Protest in the Modern World (Routledge 2009), and Armed for Life: Anti-Abortion Politics in the United States (Praeger 2011), as well as several articles on religion and violence. Prior to coming to NESA, she was an associate professor of Security Studies at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, and she served as the Associate Dean of Academics at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defense University in Washington D.C.    READ MORE

She is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Areas of Expertise

  • Religion and Political Violence
  • Levant Security

Publications

Books:

  • Hamas: Governance, Terrorism and its future in Middle East Politics -Forthcoming February, 2016 Praeger.
  • Armed for Life: The Army of God and Anti-Abortion Terror in the United States. 2011 Praeger
  • Religion and Political Violence: Sacred Protest in the Modern World. Routledge Press. 2010

Articles:

  • “Overcoming Transition Type? An examination of Egypt and Tunisia.” Out for review.
  • “The Battle For Narratives in the Fight Against Extremism,” July 2014. Small Wars Journal.
  • “Multi-Polar Proxy Wars” 2014. International Policy Digest (April).
  • “The Muslim Brotherhood,” 2014. American Council on Foreign Relations Encyclopedia of Islamism.
  • “Religious Cults and Terrorism” 2012. Beacham’s Encyclopedia of Terrorism: Hostility, Conflict, and Political Aggression in the 21st Century
  • “The Cell Strategy in Terrorism” 2012. Beacham’s Encyclopedia of Terrorism: Hostility, Conflict, and Political Aggression in the 21st Century.
  • “Post-9/11 Nation Building: The Essential Elements” Regent Journal of International Law. 2008. 6:2, 461-478

Book Reviews:

  • The Path to Salvation: Religious Violence from the Crusades to Jihad, by Heather Gregg. Review published in Journal of Religion and Violence 2014
  • Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State, From Christian Militias to Al Qaeda, by Mark Juergensmeyer. Review published in Politics, Religion and Ideology, Summer 2011
  • For God’s Sake: The Christian Right and U.S. Foreign Policy. By Lee Marsden. Published in Religious Studies Review, June 2011
  • The Dynamics of Terror and the Creation of Homegrown Terrorists. Edited by Richard J. Hughbank, Anthony F. Niosi, and Juan Carlos Dumas. Review published in Journal of Strategic Studies, Fall 2010
  • What the World Should be: Woodrow Wilson and the Crafting of Faith-Based Foreign Policy. By Malcom D. Magee. Review Published in Religious Studies Review, August 2009.
  • Divine Justice, Divine Judgment. By Daniel Via. Published in Religious Studies Review, June 2008

Education

  • B.A. Grove City College
  • Ph.D. Boston University

 

Robert ThelenColonel Robert M. Thelen – U.S. Army War College Fellow

Colonel Robert M. Thelen is currently assigned to the U.S. Army War College as a Fellow at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia (NESA) Strategic Studies Center. Previously, he served at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff J39 (Deputy Director for Global Operations DDGO) as Chief Special Activities Division (SAD). Most recently, he was assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) J39 Information Operations (IO) Division as the Chief of Special Activities. Prior to that, he served at the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) J39 Information Operations (IO) Division after earning a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He previously served as the G7 Information Operations Officer for the Second Infantry Division, stationed at Camp Red Cloud, Republic of Korea. He was also assigned to Fort Hood’s III Armored Corps as a G35 Future Operations IO Planner and deployed to Afghanistan in 2013, where he led an international team of IO planners for the Future Operations G35 of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC). Before joining III Armored Corps, COL Thelen served with the U.S. Army Forces Command’s Operations Division Watch team, where he was instrumental in establishing the IO section within the G-3/5/7.

READ MORE

Colonel Thelen has had a long and diverse military career, bringing a plethora of experience to the Joint Staff. While still a junior in high school, he enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as a photojournalist. Four years later, he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after graduating from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations. He then relocated to Washington, D.C., where he pursued a career with the federal government while continuing to serve in the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division as the Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, as well as an aide-de-camp to the Commanding General. COL Thelen was transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, where he joined the Georgia Army National Guard and the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. In 1997, he was mobilized, deployed, and attached to the 1st Infantry Division 2-2 Infantry in Bosnia-Herzegovina, serving as the Task Force 2-2 Public Affairs Officer. He remained on active duty through the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program, where he served in Stuttgart, Germany, with the European Command J37 NATO Exercise Branch and performed Operations Center duties during the Kosovo Campaign. Following this assignment, he returned to Atlanta and served in the G-3/5/7 Training Division at the U.S. Army Forces Command and as the Executive Officer to the 2-star senior Army National Guard Advisor. He was then selected to serve as the Battalion S3, Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) ROTC program, and then as the Coordinator for the Georgia National Guard’s State Partnership Program with the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia. During this time, he also commanded the 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

After command, he attended Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and was then assigned as the Brigade S3 Plans officer at the 48th Infantry Brigade. COL Thelen was then assessed to active duty as an Information Operations officer and continues to serve.

COL Thelen is married to Alexis (Layton-Moore) and has three children, Jake, Rachel, and Robert, Jr. He has owned and operated a real estate investment firm and is an active member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association.

Awards:

  • Bronze Star Medal
  • Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1OLC)
  • Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC)
  • Joint Service Commendation Medal
  • Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC)
  • Air Force Commendation Medal
  • Joint Service Achievement Medal
  • Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC)
  • Joint Meritorious Unit Award
  • Army Superior Unit Award
  • Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (6 OLC)
  • National Defense Service Medal (2 OLC)
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2)
  • Afghanistan Campaign Medal – Combat
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
  • Korea Defense Service Medal
  • Armed Forces Service Medal
  • Armed Forces Reserve Medal (w/”M” device)
  • Army Service Ribbon
  • Overseas Service Ribbon (3)
  • Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon
  • NATO Medal (2 OLC)

 

Charles B. Marks (Chuck) – Associate Dean and Professional Military Education expert at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. A decorated, 30-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, Chuck Marks served as a Surface Warfare Officer, a fiscal policy advisor, a strategic planner, and a Middle East, NATO and United Nations specialist. Specifically, he led Iran campaign planning on behalf of U.S. Central Command and served as the Chief of Plans for both the NATO and U.S. missions in Afghanistan. During his last five years in the Navy, he was the subject matter expert on building inclusive cultures to improve organizational climate in the Navy and to help counter destructive behaviors such as sexual assault, suicide, domestic violence, substance abuse, and gun violence. He has held multiple commands both ashore and afloat, and has served overseas in Europe, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.  READ MORE

In September 2020, he joined the Near East South Asia Regional Center at the National Defense University as an Associate Dean, focused on supporting Saudi Arabia in the transformation of their National Defense University. In October 2021, he was appointed as the Provost leading the

effort to design the future Saudi Arabia National Defense University, overseeing a combined team of U.S., U.K., and Saudi planners and faculty. In April 2022, he shifted focus to developing professional military education partnerships across the region.

Chuck is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, holds a master’s degree from the National Defense University in National Security Studies, and graduated from the German basic and intermediate courses at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

 

MoisanAnne Moisan – Professor – Prior to joining NESA in 2007, Anne Moisan concluded a military career spanning nearly three decades of public service. Retiring in 2006 as an Air Force colonel, she was a Joint Specialty Officer with extensive and progressively responsible experience in national security policy, strategy and operations. In Ms. Moisan’s final military assignment, she was Chief of Staff and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, during which she wrote and spoke on NATO, European, Mediterranean and Middle East security, as well as other political-military policy issues. Ms. Moisan’s earlier military career featured assignments as Assistant Director of NATO Policy within the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon; Deputy Director of the Secretary of the Air Force’s Action Group at the Pentagon; Commander of the 317th Recruiting Squadron at Andrews AFB; and International Strategic Programs Analyst at US European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Her military service also included eight years of international experience, encompassing two assignments in Germany as well as remote tours in Iceland and as commander of the expeditionary airbase on Diego Garcia.    READ MORE

Her portfolio at NESA is on Mediterranean and North Africa-Sahel Programs specifically in support of USAFRICOM and USCENTCOM Lines of Efforts focusing on transitional threats and illicit commons; radicalization and reintegration; border security and security sector modernization; Libya Track II, as well as on the evolving roles of youth and women in the region.

Areas of Expertise

  • National Security Policy
  • Peacekeeping and Reconciliation
  • Women’s Role in Security
  • European and Middle Eastern Affairs

Publications

Articles

  • Bensahel, N. and Moisan, A. (2007, Spring). Repairing Interagency Process. Joint Force Quarterly, 44(1), 106-109. [download]
  • Moisan, A. and Moroney, J. (2006, Summer). NATO Stability Teams: The Next Stage of Capability. Joint Force Quarterly, 43(4), 64-67. [download]
  • Moisan, A. and Armitage, D., (2005, November). Constabulary Forces and Post Conflict Transition: The Euro-Atlantic Dimension. Strategic Forum, 218. [download]

Education

  • M.S., National Security Strategy, National Defense University
  • M.A., International Affairs, University of Oklahoma
  • M.B.A., Golden Gate University
  • B.S., International Economics, Georgetown University

 

Jeffrey Payne – Assistant Professor at the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies. He pilots NESA’s maritime security programming, including its ongoing series devoted to the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo Pacific. In addition, he leads NESA’s engagements relating to maritime and littoral information sharing/data analysis.

Professor Payne conducts analysis on Chinese foreign policy, Indian Ocean Regional affairs, and maritime security. He is particularly interested in the intersection of maritime security and strategic competition in the Indian Ocean, as well as in how technology and information can assist in furthering security cooperation. His work informs United States Combatant Commands, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and interagency efforts inside the United States government. Payne takes part in United States government efforts relating to Maritime Domain Awareness and helps facilitate internal discussions across bureaucratic seams existing in the Indian Ocean. He has presented before international conclaves, security forums, and defense institutions in Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia.    READ MORE

Prior to joining NESA, he served as an Instructor of Political Science at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and did his graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

 

RussellDr. Richard L. Russell – Professor of National Security Affairs at the Near East and South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. He also is Non-Resident Senior Fellow for Strategic Studies at the Center for the National Interest and Lecturer, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

Russell’s career blends scholarship with national security practice. He holds a Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. He previously held research appointments with the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia and the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Russell taught for nearly ten years graduate courses on international security, grand strategy, and military operations for Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. He also served for seventeen years as a political-military analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency.    READ MORE

Russell’s research, analysis, and teaching focuses on international relations, American foreign and defense policy, strategic studies, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and security in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. He is the author of three books: Sharpening Strategic Intelligence: Why the CIA Gets It Wrong and What Needs to be Done to Get It Right (Cambridge University Press, 2007); Weapons Proliferation and War in the Greater Middle East (Routledge, 2005); and, George F. Kennan’s Strategic Thought (Praeger, 1999). Russell also has published more than forty journal and magazine articles and sixteen chapters in edited books.

Areas of Expertise

  • American National Security Policy
  • Strategy and Military Operations
  • Civil-Military Relations
  • Nuclear Weapons Proliferation
  • Intelligence

Publications

Books

  • Russell, R. L. (2007). Sharpening Strategic Intelligence: Why the CIA Gets it Wrong and What Needs to be Done to Get it Right. New York and Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005). Weapons Proliferation and War in the Greater Middle East. New York and London: Routledge.

Book Reviews

  • Russell, R. L. (2009). Faysal: Saudi Arabia’s King for All Seasons – by Joesph A. Kechichian. Middle East Policy, 16(2), 174.
  • Russell, R. L. (2009). George Kennan: A Study in Character – by John Lukacs. Historian, 71(2), 372.
  • Russell, R. L. (2009). James Jesus Angleton, the CIA, and the Craft of Counterintelligence – by Michael Holzman. Choice, 46(7), 1405.
  • Russell, R. L. (2008). Enemies of Intelligence: Knowledge & Power in American National Security – by Richard K. Betts, H-Diplo, 9(15), 18.
  • Russell, R. L. (2008). The Security Dilemma: Fear, Cooperation and Trust in World Politics – by Ken Booth and Nicholas J. Wheeler. Choice, 46(1), 188-189.
  • Russell, R. L. (2008). The Quest for Absolute Security: The Failed Relations Among U.S. Intelligence Agencies – by Athan Theoharis. Political Science Quarterly, 123(3), 506.

Articles

  • Russell, R. L. (2010). Off and Running: The Middle East Nuclear Arms Race. Joint Forces Quarterly 58.3.
  • Russell, R. L. (2009). Future Gulf War: Arab and American Forces Against Iranian Capabilities. Joint Force Quarterly : JFQ, 58(3), 35-40.
  • Russell, R. L. (2008). Assessing the Nuclear Threat. Harvard International Review 29.4.
  • Russell, R. L. (2008, Fall). Israel’s Survival Instincts and the Dangers of Nuclear Weapons in Iranian Hands. Joint Force Quarterly, 50(3), 85-91. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2007). Low-Pressure System: A Review Essay. The American Interest 2.6.
  • Russell, R. L. (2006, November/December). Military Planning for a Middle East Stockpiled with Nuclear Weapons. Military Review, 86(4), 97-101.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005, Winter). The Persian Gulf’s Collective Security Mirage. Middle East Policy, 12(4), 77-88. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2005, September). A Weak Pillar for American National Security: The CIA’s Dismal Performance Against WMD Threats. Intelligence and National Security, 20(3), 466-485.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005, September). China’s WMD Foot in the Greater Middle East’s Door. Middle East Review of International Affairs, 9(3), 108-124. [download]
  • Russell, R. (2005, Spring). Iraq’s Chemical Weapons Legacy: What Others Might Learn from Saddam. The Middle East Journal, 59(2), 187-208. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, Fall). Spies Like Them. The National Interest, 77, 59-62.
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, Autumn). Iran in Iraq’s Shadow: Dealing with Tehran’s Nuclear Weapons Bid. Parameters, 34(3), 31-45. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2002, Autumn). War and the Iraq Dilemma: Facing Harsh Realities. Parameters, 32(3), 46-61. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2002, Summer). Swords and Shields: Ballistic Missiles and Defenses in the Middle East and South Asia. Orbis, 46(3).

Book Chapters

  • Russell, R. L. (2010). Competitive Analysis: Techniques for Better Gauging Enemy Political Intentions and Military Capabilities. In Loch K. Johnson (Ed.), The Oxford University Handbook of National Security Intelligence. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007). Achieving All-Source Fusion in the Intelligence Community. in L. Johnson (Ed.), Handbook of Intelligence Studies. London and New York: Routledge.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007). CIA’s Strategic Intelligence in Iraq. in L. Johnson and J. Wirtz (Eds.), Intelligence and National Security: The Secret World of Spies, (pp. 65-92). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007). The Intelligence War Against Global Terrorism. in L. Johnson (Ed.), Strategic Intelligence: Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism – Defending the Nation Against Hostile Forces. Westport: Praeger Security International.
  • Russell, R. L. (2006). Saudi Arabia’s Conundrum and the al-Qaeda Insurgency. in A. Aldis and G. P. Herd(Eds.) The Ideological War on Terror: Worldwide Strategies for Counter-Terrorism. New York and London: Routledge.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005). The Weakest Link: Intelligence for Pre-emptive and Preventive Military Action. in A. McIvor (Ed.), Rethinking the Principles of War, (pp. 207-224). Annapolis: Naval Institute Press.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005). Arab Security Responses to a Nuclear-Ready Iran. in H. Sokolski and P. Clawson (Eds.), Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran, (pp. 23-50). Carlisle: US Army War College Press. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2004). Tug of War: The CIA’s Uneasy Relationship with the Military. In R. George and R. Kline (Eds.), Intelligence and the National Security Strategist: Enduring Issues & Challenges. Washington, DC: National Defense University Press.

Op-Eds and Commentaries

  • Russell, R. L. (2010, May 13). Working Toward Peace, Letter to the Editor. The Economist.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007, November). Intelligence. Commentary Magazine, 124(4), 18.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007, September/October). Missing Intelligence. Foreign Affairs, 86(5), 162.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007, August 11). Higher Risks [Letter to the editor]. The Economist, 384(8541).
  • Russell, R. L. (2006, January 25). Oil for Missiles: Our Friends the Saudis Make Friends with the Chinese. The Wall Street Journal, p. A12.
  • Russell, R. L. (2005, November 15). Saudi Arabia’s Insurgency in Waiting. Foreign Policy, web-only. [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, July 14). Don’t Count on NATO in Iraq. The National Interest, 3(28). [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, July 07). Coalition Warfare in Iraq: Then and Now. The National Interest, 3(27). [download]
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, February 03). Time to Vet CIA Spies: Directorate of Operations Needs Reform. The Washington Times.
  • Russell, R. L. (2004, January 05). Saudi Nukes: A Looming Intelligence Failure. The Washington Times.

Monographs

  • Russell, R. L. (2010, September). Military Options: Useless or Indispensable?” in J. Krause (Ed.) The Strategic Implications of the Iranian Nuclear Problem. Berlin, Germany: Aspen Institute, 93-112.
  • Russell, R. L. (2007). Iran’s Nuclear Program: Security Implications for the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Region. Emirates Lecture Series, no. 70. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, 2007.

Education

  • Ph.D. Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia
  • M.A. International Affairs, American University
  • B.A. Economics, cum laude, Union Colleg

 

Michael Sharnoff

Michael Sharnoff – Associate Professor

Michael Sharnoff is Associate Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington D.C. In this role, he organizes, moderates, and delivers lectures and seminars on topics related to the politics and security of the Middle East. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University. Prior to joining NESA, he served as Associate Professor of Middle East Studies and Director of Regional Studies at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security. While at DMGS, Dr. Sharnoff taught graduate courses on the Arab-Israeli conflict and the History and Politics of the Modern Middle East.

Prior to joining DMGS, Dr. Sharnoff worked at policy centers in Washington, DC. He has lectured for the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management (DISAM) at Wright-Patterson AFB. He publishes frequently on the Middle East and his articles have appeared in popular domestic and international media outlets.

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Dr. Sharnoff holds a Ph.D. in Middle East Studies from King’s College, London, and his academic work focuses on the modern political history of the Middle East. He is the author of Nasser’s Peace: Egypt’s Response to the 1967 War with Israel (New York: Routledge, 2017).

Areas of Expertise

  • The history and politics of Egypt and the Levant
  • The Arab-Israeli conflict
  • Abraham Accords
  • U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East

Publications

Books:

  • Nasser’s Peace: Egypt’s Response to the 1967 War with Israel (Routledge, 2017)

Journals and Magazines:

 

Education

  • Ph.D., Middle East Studies, King’s College, London
  • M.A., Middle Eastern History, Tel Aviv University
  • B.A., History, College of Charleston

 

Photo of Brianne ToddBrianne Todd – Professor of Practice at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, focuses on U.S. policy toward Central Asia and transnational threats and regional security issues in Central Asia.  In addition to developing and facilitating the NESA Center’s programs in and with the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), Professor Todd regularly lectures on Central Asia and advises U.S. and foreign government officials and military officers on issues related to the region.  Concurrently, Professor Todd serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Security Studies in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where she teaches a graduate-level seminar on “Power and Violence in Central Asia.”

From 2021-2023, Professor Todd was detailed to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where she served as a Country Director for Central Asia.  In recognition of her work on Central Asia and Afghanistan, she received an Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Achievement and a Golden Pen Award and was twice nominated for the Richard L. Armitage Award for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.  READ MORE

Professor Todd holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Russian Language & Literature, and Russian & East European Studies from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Arts degree in Eurasian, Russian & East European Studies from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  She is currently completing her doctorate (Ph.D.) in the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

 

Area of Interest

  • Transnational Threats
  • Central Asian Regional Security

Education

  • M.A., Eurasian, Russian & Eastern European Studies, Georgetown University
  • B.A., Political Science, University of Notre Dame

 

Thomas Wagstaff – Academic Advisor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Prior to this, he had a full career, serving 34 years as a commissioned officer in the British Military. He commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an Infantry Officer into The Prince of Wales’s Regiment of Yorkshire in 1986. During his military career, he was deployed on operations to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq, Abkhazia/Georgia, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and other assignments to Germany, Canada, Oman, Cyprus, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. He has served on operations with his Battalion at most command appointments: infantry Platoon Commander, anti-tank Platoon Commander, Adjutant, Company Commander, and Battle Group Chief of Staff/Deputy Commanding Officer. His Battalion’s roles included light, mechanised, armoured infantry and air mobility. The Battalion has always operated in an extensive and complex environment, from combined arms brigade to division or at UK Joint and coalition/multi-national (mainly NATO but also UN).    READ MORE

Highlights of command include, as a young captain, leading Battlegroup Alternative HQ during the First Gulf War. Additionally, leading his company in Northern Ireland within a multi-agency network in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary anti-terrorism and counterinsurgency. Finally, at UK Joint operations, he commanded an all-arms company group within a UK Joint Task Force, which deployed to Sierra Leone in support of government forces to stabilise the Country. At the multi-national level, he was the Battle Group Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander on deployment as part of the NATO-led International Stabilisation Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Staff and individual appointments have mainly focused on G3/J3. He was the G3 Operations & Training at HQ 20th Armoured Brigade, Germany. The Brigade deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as the Multi-National Divisional HQ, part of the NATO-led International Stabilisation Force. Further G3 appointments included G3/J3 Operations with UK’s HQ Joint Force Logistic Component on two deployments: in 2001 to Oman in support of the US/UK task forces in Afghanistan and then in 2003 deploying to Iraq in support of the UK’s Joint Forces within the Coalition during Gulf War 2. Two deployments to Afghanistan included an assignment to the UK-led Multi-National Headquarters Regional Centre (South) based at Kandahar as the lead mentor in a joint Afghan/Coalition Operations Coordination Centre. On the second deployment, he was responsible as the Commanding Officer Mentor for delivering the inaugural commissioning course at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy, a UK-led project modelled on the Sandhurst officer training. Other staff appointments have been in Germany, as Chief of Staff, Germany Support Group and G2/G3/G6 at HQ British Forces Germany. These assignments both focused on coordinating sustainment and life support in Germany for over 12,000 UK servicemen, MOD civil servants, and their families.

Thomas Wagstaff’s final military assignment was in 2015 to Saudi Arabia as a UK Military Advisor embedded with the Saudi Arabia National Guard in Riyadh. During this time, he was fortunate to perform two appointments. Initially, he was assigned to a frontline unit, the 2nd Special Security Brigade, advising the Brigade Commander and his staff on G1-G8. In his second appointment, he was Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander British Military Mission, embedded at the Ministry of National Guard (MNG). His main role was to advise senior MNG leaders, mainly in the G7 Education and Training department. He was also invited to attend the MNG Transformation (TMO) technical committee as an advisor to the MNG TMO programme.

Thomas Wagstaff attended and qualified from the United Kingdom Defence Academy, Joint Services Command and Staff College with psc(j) and graduated with a Master of Arts in Defence Studies (King’s College London). He also holds a diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership (Chartered Management Institute).

 

WiersemaRichard Wiersema – Professor recently was on the faculty of the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi as an assistant professor and planning advisor. He retired from the United States Army after thirty years of service, where his last duty was as Director of the Joint Advanced Warfighting School at the National Defense University. His military experience includes service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina.    READ MORE

Areas of Expertise

  • Professional Military Education
  • Senior Leader Development
  • Strategy and Planning
  • Decision Making

Education

  • B.A., College of William & Mary
  • M.S., School of Advanced Military Studies
  • M.A., Army War College