Contributors

Cody Retherford joined the American Foreign Policy Council as a Junior Fellow in May 2020. He has conducted research on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and state proxy, cyber, and information operations and strategy. He also has a background in market research and geopolitical risk analysis. Cody holds a BA in International Affairs and Middle East Studies. He is currently a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) pursuing an MA in International Economics and International Affairs. Prior to attending SAIS, Cody served as a US Army Officer on active duty for 5 years in light infantry and special operations organizations. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Resolute Support. He has also supported combat operations against terror groups across the Middle East.

Javid Ahmad is a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and a senior intelligence manager at iJET International, a risk management firm, where he manages a fifteen-member team of intelligence analysts and provides analytical content and assessments to business and government clients. He is also a senior policy adviser to Afghanistan's minister of finance, focusing on devising policies and strategies on anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing issues. Additionally, he is a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, where he researches and publishes on pressing security and counterterrorism issues in South Asia.

Previously, Javid worked on South Asia supporting the Pentagon’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program and the US Naval Postgraduate School. He also worked as a program coordinator for Asia for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington-based think tank. In addition, he has worked for the NATO HQ in Brussels, the Voice of America, and the Afghan embassy in Washington. He has also worked on governance issues for organizations in Kabul. Javid’s writing has appeared, inter alia, in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, CNN.com, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, and The Daily Beast. He has a BA in international relations from Beloit College and an MA in security studies from Yale University.

Javid Ahmad is a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and a senior intelligence manager at iJET International, a risk management firm, where he manages a fifteen-member team of intelligence analysts and provides analytical content and assessments to business and government clients. He is also a senior policy adviser to Afghanistan's minister of finance, focusing on devising policies and strategies on anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing issues. Additionally, he is a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, where he researches and publishes on pressing security and counterterrorism issues in South Asia.

Previously, Javid worked on South Asia supporting the Pentagon’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program and the US Naval Postgraduate School. He also worked as a program coordinator for Asia for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington-based think tank. In addition, he has worked for the NATO HQ in Brussels, the Voice of America, and the Afghan embassy in Washington. He has also worked on governance issues for organizations in Kabul. Javid’s writing has appeared, inter alia, in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, CNN.com, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, and The Daily Beast. He has a BA in international relations from Beloit College and an MA in security studies from Yale University.

Javid Ahmad is a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and a senior intelligence manager at iJET International, a risk management firm, where he manages a fifteen-member team of intelligence analysts and provides analytical content and assessments to business and government clients. He is also a senior policy adviser to Afghanistan's minister of finance, focusing on devising policies and strategies on anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing issues. Additionally, he is a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, where he researches and publishes on pressing security and counterterrorism issues in South Asia.

Previously, Javid worked on South Asia supporting the Pentagon’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program and the US Naval Postgraduate School. He also worked as a program coordinator for Asia for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington-based think tank. In addition, he has worked for the NATO HQ in Brussels, the Voice of America, and the Afghan embassy in Washington. He has also worked on governance issues for organizations in Kabul. Javid’s writing has appeared, inter alia, in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, CNN.com, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, and The Daily Beast. He has a BA in international relations from Beloit College and an MA in security studies from Yale University.

Will Goodyear is the Gulf Research Associate and Special Researcher for the Director at the Near East-South Asia Center at the National Defense University. His research interests include Environmental and Natural Resource Security, International Aid and Development, Islamist Politics, and the Modern History of the Arab World.

Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. His fields of teaching and research include conflict in contemporary Islamic Eurasia, and nationalism and Identity in the Caucasus/Central Asia.

David Cook is associate professor of religious studies at Rice University specializing in Islam. He did his undergraduate degrees at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2001. His areas of specialization include early Islamic history and development, Muslim apocalyptic literature and movements (classical and contemporary), radical Islam, historical astronomy and Judeo-Arabic literature. His first book, Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic, was published by Darwin Press in the series Studies in Late Antiquity and Early Islam. Two further books, Understanding Jihad (Berkeley: University of California Press) and Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press) were published during 2005, and Martyrdom in Islam (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2007) as well as Understanding and Addressing Suicide Attacks (with Olivia Allison, Westport, Conn.: Praeger Security Press, 2007) have been completed recently. Cook is continuing to work on contemporary Muslim apocalyptic literature, with a focus upon Shi`ite materials, as well as preparing manuscripts on jihadi groups and Western African Muslim history.


B.A. Hebrew University (1994)
Ph.D. University of Chicago (2001)

Javid Ahmad is a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and a senior intelligence manager at iJET International, a risk management firm, where he manages a fifteen-member team of intelligence analysts and provides analytical content and assessments to business and government clients. He is also a senior policy adviser to Afghanistan's minister of finance, focusing on devising policies and strategies on anti-money-laundering and counterterrorism financing issues. Additionally, he is a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, where he researches and publishes on pressing security and counterterrorism issues in South Asia.

Previously, Javid worked on South Asia supporting the Pentagon’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program and the US Naval Postgraduate School. He also worked as a program coordinator for Asia for the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington-based think tank. In addition, he has worked for the NATO HQ in Brussels, the Voice of America, and the Afghan embassy in Washington. He has also worked on governance issues for organizations in Kabul. Javid’s writing has appeared, inter alia, in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, CNN.com, Foreign Affairs, The National Interest, and The Daily Beast. He has a BA in international relations from Beloit College and an MA in security studies from Yale University.

Kyle Orton is an independent researcher focused on the Syrian war and related terrorist groups. His work has been published in various outlets, including Foreign Policy, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He obtained his masters in social science from Liverpool University, completing his thesis on the conditions of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and previously worked at a London think tank.

Katherine Zimmerman is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the research manager for AEI’s Critical Threats Project. As the senior analyst on al Qaeda, she studies how the terrorist network operates globally. Her work is also focused on al Qaeda’s affiliates in the Gulf of Aden region and in western and northern Africa. She specializes in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based al Qaeda faction, and in al Shabaab, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia.

Ms. Zimmerman has testified before Congress about the threats to US national security interests emanating from al Qaeda and its network. She has also briefed members of Congress, their staff, and members of the defense community. Her analyses have been widely published, including in CNN.com, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

She graduated with distinction from Yale University with a B.A. in political science and modern Middle East studies.

Katherine Zimmerman is a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the research manager for AEI’s Critical Threats Project. As the senior analyst on al Qaeda, she studies how the terrorist network operates globally. Her work is also focused on al Qaeda’s affiliates in the Gulf of Aden region and in western and northern Africa. She specializes in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based al Qaeda faction, and in al Shabaab, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Somalia.

Ms. Zimmerman has testified before Congress about the threats to US national security interests emanating from al Qaeda and its network. She has also briefed members of Congress, their staff, and members of the defense community. Her analyses have been widely published, including in CNN.com, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

She graduated with distinction from Yale University with a B.A. in political science and modern Middle East studies.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. His professional focus is on understanding how violent non-state actors (VNSAs) are transforming the world, and how states are in turn trying to adapt to this challenge. Gartenstein-Ross has specialized in jihadist movements, including undertaking detailed research into al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, Boko Haram, and ISIS’s Wilayat Sinai. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Valens Global, a consulting firm focused on the challenges posed by VNSAs, as well as a Fellow with Google’s Jigsaw, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. His professional focus is on understanding how violent non-state actors (VNSAs) are transforming the world, and how states are in turn trying to adapt to this challenge. Gartenstein-Ross has specialized in jihadist movements, including undertaking detailed research into al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, Boko Haram, and ISIS’s Wilayat Sinai. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Valens Global, a consulting firm focused on the challenges posed by VNSAs, as well as a Fellow with Google’s Jigsaw, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program.

Ilan Berman is Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, DC. An expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Russian Federation, he has consulted for both the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense, and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices. Berman is the author or editor of five books:Tehran Rising: Iran’s Challenge to the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005),Dismantling Tyranny: Transitioning Beyond Totalitarian Regimes (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005), Taking on Tehran: Strategies for Confronting the Islamic Republic (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007), Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009), and, most recently, Implosion: The End of Russia and What it Means for America (Regnery Publishing, 2013).

Jared Swanson is a Research Associate at the American Foreign Policy Council. He provides research support for AFPC initiatives and develops quantitative tools and methods to assist with analysis. His research interests include U.S. strategic priorities and development programs in Africa and the Middle East. He has published writings on the Middle East and South Asian Maritime Security issues. Swanson is a graduate of the University of Oregon.

Raymond Ibrahim is associate director of the Middle East Forum, author of The Al Qaeda Reader (Doubleday, 2007), and deputy publisher of The Middle East Quarterly. A widely published author on Islam, he regularly discusses that topic with the media, including Fox News, C-SPAN, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, NPR, CBN, and PBS. Mr. Ibrahim guest-lectures at the National Defense Intelligence College (Washington, D.C.), briefs governmental agencies (such as U.S. Strategic Command), provides expert testimony for Islam related lawsuits, and has testified before Congress regarding the conceptual failures that dominate American discourse concerning Islam. He began his career as a reference assistant at the Library of Congress’ Near East Section.

Christopher Deliso is an American journalist and author concentrating on the Balkans. Over the past decade, Chris has established a dedicated presence in the Balkans, and published analytical articles on related topics in numerous relevant media outlets, such as UPI, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst and Jane's Intelligence Digest. Chris is also the founder and director of the Balkan-interest news and current affairs website, www.balkanalysis.com, and the author of The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West (Praeger Security International, 2007).

Christopher Deliso is an American journalist and author concentrating on the Balkans. Over the past decade, Chris has established a dedicated presence in the Balkans, and published analytical articles on related topics in numerous relevant media outlets, such as UPI, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst and Jane's Intelligence Digest. Chris is also the founder and director of the Balkan-interest news and current affairs website, www.balkanalysis.com, and the author of The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West (Praeger Security International, 2007).

Christopher Deliso is an American journalist and author concentrating on the Balkans. Over the past decade, Chris has established a dedicated presence in the Balkans, and published analytical articles on related topics in numerous relevant media outlets, such as UPI, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst and Jane's Intelligence Digest. Chris is also the founder and director of the Balkan-interest news and current affairs website, www.balkanalysis.com, and the author of The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West (Praeger Security International, 2007).

Christopher Deliso is an American journalist and author concentrating on the Balkans. Over the past decade, Chris has established a dedicated presence in the Balkans, and published analytical articles on related topics in numerous relevant media outlets, such as UPI, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and Jane's Islamic Affairs Analyst and Jane's Intelligence Digest. Chris is also the founder and director of the Balkan-interest news and current affairs website, www.balkanalysis.com, and the author of The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West (Praeger Security International, 2007).

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

David A. Grantham, Ph.D., is a leading expert in national security matters and international affairs. Dr. Grantham currently serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow for the George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security where he works on projects related to terrorism and the influence of Middle East actors in Latin America. Prior to his work with GW, Dr. Grantham served as Senior Fellow of National Security at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) where he published work on issues, ranging from defense spending and infrastructure protection to terrorist finance and regional security strategies. Dr. Grantham also served as an officer in the United States Air Force and as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). Dr. Grantham holds a PhD in Modern History from Texas Christian University where he taught courses on Latin America and Middle East history. He earned his Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University and Bachelor of Art in History from University of South Florida in 2004.

David A. Grantham, Ph.D., is a leading expert in national security matters and international affairs. Dr. Grantham currently serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow for the George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security where he works on projects related to terrorism and the influence of Middle East actors in Latin America. Prior to his work with GW, Dr. Grantham served as Senior Fellow of National Security at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) where he published work on issues, ranging from defense spending and infrastructure protection to terrorist finance and regional security strategies. Dr. Grantham also served as an officer in the United States Air Force and as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). Dr. Grantham holds a PhD in Modern History from Texas Christian University where he taught courses on Latin America and Middle East history. He earned his Master of Science in International Relations from Troy University and Bachelor of Art in History from University of South Florida in 2004.

Rachel is a Program Manager at the Center for a Secure and Free Society (SFS). She first joined SFS in 2014 as an undergraduate intern in the Fund for American Studies Institute on Economics and International Affairs program. As an intern, Rachel worked on translation of policy reports and op-eds on Latin American politics and the production of the 2014 book “Iran’s Strategic Penetration of Latin America."

Following her internship at SFS, Rachel worked with the US Consulate in Guadalajara, MX as an intern in the US Department of State’s Virtual Student Foreign Service Program, researching economic and political data in Mexico and creating reports for the consulate. In 2015, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Linguistics, and was awarded the Senior Recognition Award for Service to the Department by the USC Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Rachel continues to work as a translator with Latin American investigative journalists and contributed to research on the 2016 special report “After Nisman: How the death of a prosecutor revealed Iran’s growing influence in the Americas” by SFS Executive Director Joseph Humire.

Rachel has been certified by the Spanish government as fluent in Spanish at the B2 level, and has lived and worked in Spain and Mexico.

Michael Sobolik joined AFPC as a Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies in September 2019. His work covers American and Chinese grand strategy, regional economic and security trends, America’s alliance architecture in Asia, and human rights. Michael also serves as editor of AFPC’s Indo-Pacific Monitor e-bulletin, AFPC’s review of developments in the region. His analysis has appeared in The Diplomat, The Hill, The National Interest, National Review, Newsweek, and Providence.

Prior to joining AFPC, Michael served as a Legislative Assistant to Sen. Ted Cruz from 2014 to 2019 and managed his Indo-Pacific policy portfolio. While in the Senate, Michael drafted legislation on China, Russia, India, Taiwan, North Korea, and Cambodia, as well as strategic systems and missile defense.

Michael is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he studied political philosophy as an undergraduate. He also earned his Master of International Affairs degree in American grand strategy and U.S.-China relations at the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman is the Coordinator of the Malaysia Program and a Research Associate with Contemporary Islam Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests include the domestic and international politics of Southeast and South Asian countries, transnational Islamic political movements and counter-radicalization. Nawab has written various papers, books and journal articles relating to his research interests. Some of these articles have been featured in prominent journals such as Southeast Asia Research, South Asia, Pacific Review, Studies and Conflict in Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Indonesia and the Malay World. Several of his articles have been featured in leading dailies such as The Straits Times, India Express, The Nation (Thailand), Jakarta Post, Manila Times and Today’s Zaman (Turkey). Nawab is also a social activist and serves as the Vice-President of the Professional Expatriate Network of Singapore. He also sits in the boards of Association of Muslim Professionals, Jamiyah Singapore and Forum for Islamic and Democracy in Southeast Asia. As a former student activist, he served as President of National University of Singapore.

Yahia H. Zoubir is Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics at KEDGE Business School, France. Prior to joining KEDGE in September 2005, he taught in the United States. He has been Visiting Faculty in various universities in the China, Europe, the United States, and India, His numerous publications include books, such as North African Politics: Change and Continuity (Routledge, 2016); Global Security Watch—The Maghreb: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (ABC/CLIO, 2013); North Africa: Politics, Region, and the Limits of Transformation (Routledge, 2008) and articles in scholarly journals, such as Third World Quarterly, Mediterranean Politics, International Affairs, Journal of North African Studies, Middle East Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, etc.. He has also contributed many book chapters and various entries in encyclopedias. He is currently collaborating on the Project on Rivalries in the Middle East & North Africa and another on Sahel Security and the Mediterranean.

Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman is the Coordinator of the Malaysia Program and a Research Associate with Contemporary Islam Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests include the domestic and international politics of Southeast and South Asian countries, transnational Islamic political movements and counter-radicalization. Nawab has written various papers, books and journal articles relating to his research interests. Some of these articles have been featured in prominent journals such as Southeast Asia Research, South Asia, Pacific Review, Studies and Conflict in Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Indonesia and the Malay World. Several of his articles have been featured in leading dailies such as The Straits Times, India Express, The Nation (Thailand), Jakarta Post, Manila Times and Today’s Zaman (Turkey). Nawab is also a social activist and serves as the Vice-President of the Professional Expatriate Network of Singapore. He also sits in the boards of Association of Muslim Professionals, Jamiyah Singapore and Forum for Islamic and Democracy in Southeast Asia. As a former student activist, he served as President of National University of Singapore.

Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman is the Coordinator of the Malaysia Program and a Research Associate with Contemporary Islam Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests include the domestic and international politics of Southeast and South Asian countries, transnational Islamic political movements and counter-radicalization. Nawab has written various papers, books and journal articles relating to his research interests. Some of these articles have been featured in prominent journals such as Southeast Asia Research, South Asia, Pacific Review, Studies and Conflict in Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Indonesia and the Malay World. Several of his articles have been featured in leading dailies such as The Straits Times, India Express, The Nation (Thailand), Jakarta Post, Manila Times and Today’s Zaman (Turkey). Nawab is also a social activist and serves as the Vice-President of the Professional Expatriate Network of Singapore. He also sits in the boards of Association of Muslim Professionals, Jamiyah Singapore and Forum for Islamic and Democracy in Southeast Asia. As a former student activist, he served as President of National University of Singapore.

Ariel Cohen is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation. He received his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts. Dr. Cohen is also a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, and Association for the Study of Nationalities. His research interests include the economic development and political reform in the former Soviet Republics, and continuing conflicts in the Middle East. He has on multiple occasions testified on Russian and Eurasian politics, economics, and law before the U.S. Congress. Dr. Cohen has also published numerous pieces of writing.