Andrew Exum
Encyclopedia
Andrew Exum is a former US Army officer, an American scholar of the Middle East and a Fellow of the Center for a New American Security
(CNAS). He also participated in General Stanley McChrystal's review of the American strategy in Afghanistan
.
(1996) and the University of Pennsylvania
(2000), where he was a columnist for the Daily Pennsylvanian, Exum, a US Army officer, led a platoon of light infantry in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks
and subsequently led a platoon of Army Ranger
s as a part of special operations task forces in Kuwait
and Afghanistan
with the rank of Captain. He is a veteran of Operation Anaconda
. He earned a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut
. In 2006-2007, Exum was a Soref fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
. He was awarded a doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King's College London
.
Blake Hounshell of Foreign Policy
calls Exum, “one of the sharpest Middle East analysts around.”
While still on active duty, but “laid up with a non-combat knee injury,” Exum wrote his first book, This Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Front Lines of the War on Terrorism.
On May 30, 2008, Exum revealed himself to be the founder of the blog Abu Muqawama (Arabic, أبوالمقاومة for "father or expert of the Resistance"). This blog, "dedicated to following issues related to contemporary insurgencies," was followed by many notable students and practitioners of counterinsurgency in the military, academia and the media. It has also been referred to as Small Wars Journal
's "rogue cousin" partially due to the large overlap in topics and participants, and due to its ability to initiate discussion about topics that are not yet appropriate for the more professional forum. At the time of the revelation, Exum also announced he was leaving the blog to pursue his research. Partly due to the unexpected perceived value generated by such an unofficial forum, Exum subsequently returned to the blog and continues to post under the pseudonym Abu Muqawama. The blog is now hosted by CNAS.
Center for a New American Security
The Center for a New American Security is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank established in 2007 by co-founders Michèle Flournoy and Kurt M. Campbell which specializes in U.S. national security issues...
(CNAS). He also participated in General Stanley McChrystal's review of the American strategy in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Life
After graduating from The McCallie School in Chattanooga, TennesseeChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
(1996) and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
(2000), where he was a columnist for the Daily Pennsylvanian, Exum, a US Army officer, led a platoon of light infantry in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and subsequently led a platoon of Army Ranger
Army Ranger
Army Ranger can refer to:* Canadian Rangers, a component of the army of the Canadian Forces* Irish Army Rangers* Pakistan Army Rangers* United States Army Rangers* Vietnamese Rangers, part of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam...
s as a part of special operations task forces in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
with the rank of Captain. He is a veteran of Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
. He earned a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
. In 2006-2007, Exum was a Soref fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy is a think tank based in Washington, D.C. focused on United States foreign policy in the Middle East. It was established by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 1985...
. He was awarded a doctorate from the Department of War Studies, King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
.
Blake Hounshell of Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
calls Exum, “one of the sharpest Middle East analysts around.”
While still on active duty, but “laid up with a non-combat knee injury,” Exum wrote his first book, This Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Front Lines of the War on Terrorism.
On May 30, 2008, Exum revealed himself to be the founder of the blog Abu Muqawama (Arabic, أبوالمقاومة for "father or expert of the Resistance"). This blog, "dedicated to following issues related to contemporary insurgencies," was followed by many notable students and practitioners of counterinsurgency in the military, academia and the media. It has also been referred to as Small Wars Journal
Small Wars Journal
The Small Wars Journal facilitates and supports the exchange of information among practitioners, thought leaders, and students of Small Wars, in order to advance knowledge and capabilities in the field...
's "rogue cousin" partially due to the large overlap in topics and participants, and due to its ability to initiate discussion about topics that are not yet appropriate for the more professional forum. At the time of the revelation, Exum also announced he was leaving the blog to pursue his research. Partly due to the unexpected perceived value generated by such an unofficial forum, Exum subsequently returned to the blog and continues to post under the pseudonym Abu Muqawama. The blog is now hosted by CNAS.
External links
- Exum's CNAS bio
- Abu Muqawama Exum's blog