Seth G. Jones
Seth G. Jones is senior vice president, Harold Brown Chair, director of the International Security Program, and director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He focuses on defense strategy, military operations, force posture, and irregular warfare. He leads a bipartisan team of over 50 resident staff and an extensive network of non-resident affiliates dedicated to providing independent strategic insights and policy solutions that shape national security. He also teaches at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
Prior to joining CSIS, Dr. Jones was the director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation. He also served as representative for the commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, to the assistant secretary of defense for special operations. Before that, he was a plans officer and adviser to the commanding general, U.S. Special Operations Forces, in Afghanistan (Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command–Afghanistan). In 2014, Dr. Jones served on a congressionally mandated panel that reviewed the FBI’s implementation of counterterrorism recommendations contained in the 9/11 Commission Report. He is the author of Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran, and the Rise of Irregular Warfare (W.W. Norton, 2021), A Covert Action: Reagan, the CIA, and the Cold War Struggle in Poland (W.W. Norton, 2018), Waging Insurgent Warfare: Lessons from the Vietcong to the Islamic State (Oxford University Press, 2016), Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida since 9/11 (W.W. Norton, 2012), and In the Graveyard of Empires: America’s War in Afghanistan (W.W. Norton, 2009). Dr. Jones has published articles in a range of journals, such as Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and International Security, as well as newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. Dr. Jones is a graduate of Bowdoin College and received his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago.
Three Dangerous Men
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What the Wagner rebellion might mean for Russia’s war in Ukraine
Seth G. Jones in Vox — July 1, 2023
Why Russia crisis requires US vigilance – and an eye for opportunity
Seth G. Jones and Sean Monaghan in Christian Science Monitor — June 30, 2023
Wagner Mutiny Revives U.S. Fears Over Control of Russia’s Nuclear Weapons
Seth G. Jones in The Wall Street Journal — June 25, 2023
Wagner Stops March on Moscow as Belarus Brokers Deal
Seth G. Jones in The Wall Street Journal — June 24, 2023
NATO hesitated when Ukraine begged for weapons. Now their counteroffensive against Russia is hitting snags, analysts say.
Seth G. Jones in Business Insider — June 24, 2023
Ukraine’s Western-Trained Brigades Begin to Enter the Fight
Seth G. Jones in The New York Times — June 23, 2023
Ukraine forces – and Western weapons – face crucial test
Seth G. Jones in The Christian Science Monitor — June 23, 2023
Battling Russia, Ukrainian Leaders Also Fight High Expectations
Seth G. Jones in New York Times — June 21, 2023
All Seth G. Jones Content
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Lessons in Leadership and Risk with Admiral Sandy Winnefeld
Event by Seth G. Jones and Admiral Sandy Winnefeld — July 19, 2023
Press Briefing: Previewing the NATO Summit in Vilnius
Event by Max Bergmann , Sean Monaghan , Seth G. Jones , and Cynthia Cook — June 29, 2023
Lessons in U.S. Intelligence and Special Operations
Event by Seth G. Jones , Eliot A. Cohen , Emily Harding , and Michael G. Vickers — June 16, 2023
Bloodiest Part of Ukraine War
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Seth G. Jones — June 9, 2023
Ukraine’s Offensive Operations: Shifting the Offense-Defense Balance
Brief by Seth G. Jones , Alexander Palmer , and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — June 9, 2023
Global Security Forum 2023: Transatlantic Defense
Event by John J. Hamre , Seth G. Jones , Emily Harding , Cynthia Cook , and Max Bergmann — April 5, 2023
The Future of AUKUS with Admiral Harry Harris Jr., USN (Ret.)
Event by Seth G. Jones , Vice Admiral Peter H. Daly, USN (Ret.) , Admiral Harry Harris Jr., USN (Ret.) , and Charles Edel — March 30, 2023
The U.S. Defense Industrial Base in an Era of Strategic Competition
Event by Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) , Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) , and Seth G. Jones — March 24, 2023
2023 CHEY-CSIS Conference: Cooperation on Scientific Innovation, Supply Chains, and Geopolitical Risk in Northeast Asia
Event by Ambassador PARK, In-kook , Seth G. Jones , Minister AHN, Dukgeun , The Honorable Alan F. Estevez , Cynthia Cook , and Gregory Sanders — March 9, 2023
Russian and Ukrainian Force Disposition
Digital Report by Seth G. Jones , Riley McCabe , and Alexander Palmer — March 3, 2023