Seth Jones
Encyclopedia
Seth Jones is a political scientist
at the RAND Corporation
and adjunct professor at Georgetown University
's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.
He was also a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School
in Monterey, California
.
and U.S. foreign policy
. Jones attracted considerable attention for his historical analysis of Afghanistan and Pakistan in his book In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan. The book examines the collapse of the Zahir Shah regime, the rise of the anti-Soviet war, the Afghan civil war in the early 1990s, the Taliban take-over of much of the country in the late 1990s, the U.S-led overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001, and the subsequent insurgency.
Jones also received considerable attention for his work with Ambassador James Dobbins on nation-building. Their RAND book America's Role in Nation-Building, which examined the U.S. history of nation-building since World War II
, suggested that the U.S. needed nearly 500,000 soldiers to stabilize Iraq
after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein
's government. L. Paul Bremer
, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority
in Iraq, took the study to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
and President George W. Bush
. Based on the study's conclusions, Bremer suggested that the United States military needed to reconsider downsizing its forces in Iraq and, on the contrary, increase them to help patrol cities and villages. But Bremer's memo was ignored.
Jones is the author of The Rise of European Security Cooperation (Cambridge University Press, 2007). He published articles on U.S. foreign policy in The National Interest, Political Science Quarterly, Security Studies, the Chicago Journal of International Law
, International Affairs, and Survival, as well as such newspapers and magazines as The New York Times, Newsweek
, Financial Times
, International Herald Tribune
, and Chicago Tribune
.
He received his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago
.
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the RAND Corporation
RAND
RAND Corporation is a nonprofit global policy think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the United States armed forces by Douglas Aircraft Company. It is currently financed by the U.S. government and private endowment, corporations including the healthcare industry, universities...
and adjunct professor at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was also a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
.
Biography
Jones is a well-known expert on AfghanistanAfghanistan
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...
and U.S. foreign policy
Foreign relations of the United States
The United States has formal diplomatic relations with most nations. The United States federal statutes relating to foreign relations can be found in Title 22 of the United States Code.-Pacific:-Americas:-Caribbean:...
. Jones attracted considerable attention for his historical analysis of Afghanistan and Pakistan in his book In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan. The book examines the collapse of the Zahir Shah regime, the rise of the anti-Soviet war, the Afghan civil war in the early 1990s, the Taliban take-over of much of the country in the late 1990s, the U.S-led overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001, and the subsequent insurgency.
Jones also received considerable attention for his work with Ambassador James Dobbins on nation-building. Their RAND book America's Role in Nation-Building, which examined the U.S. history of nation-building since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, suggested that the U.S. needed nearly 500,000 soldiers to stabilize Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's government. L. Paul Bremer
L. Paul Bremer
Lewis Paul "Jerry" Bremer III is an American diplomat. He is most notable for being the U.S. Administrator to Iraq charged with overseeing the country's occupation after the 2003 invasion. In his role as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, he reported primarily to the U.S. Secretary of...
, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
in Iraq, took the study to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
and President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Based on the study's conclusions, Bremer suggested that the United States military needed to reconsider downsizing its forces in Iraq and, on the contrary, increase them to help patrol cities and villages. But Bremer's memo was ignored.
Jones is the author of The Rise of European Security Cooperation (Cambridge University Press, 2007). He published articles on U.S. foreign policy in The National Interest, Political Science Quarterly, Security Studies, the Chicago Journal of International Law
Chicago Journal of International Law
The Chicago Journal of International Law is a semiannual, student-edited law review published by the University of Chicago Law School since spring 2000. CJIL contains articles covering issues of international law and policy....
, International Affairs, and Survival, as well as such newspapers and magazines as The New York Times, Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
, and Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
.
He received his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Books
- In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan (W.W. Norton, 2009).
- How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering Al Qa'ida (RAND, 2008).
- Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan (RAND, 2008).
- The Rise of European Security Cooperation (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
- The Implications of Network-Centric Insurgencies on U.S. Army Operations (RAND, 2006).
- Securing Health: Lessons From Nation-Building Missions (RAND, 2006).
- Building a Successful Palestinian State: Security (RAND, 2006).
- Establishing Law and Order after Conflict (RAND, 2005).
- The UN’s Role in Nation-Building: From Congo to Iraq (RAND, 2005).
- Building a Successful Palestinian State (RAND, 2005).
- America’s Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Japan (RAND, 2003).
Articles
- “Cellphones in the Hindu Kush,” The National Interest, No. 96, July/August 2008. (with Bruce Hoffman)
- “The Rise of Afghanistan’s Insurgency,” International Security, Vol. 32, No. 4, Spring 2008.
- “Pakistan's Dangerous Game,” Survival, Vol. 49, No. 1, Spring 2007.
- “Fighting Networked Terror Groups: Lessons from Israel,” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Vol. 30, 2007.
- “The Rise of a European Defense,” Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 121, No. 2, Summer 2006.
- “Averting Failure in Afghanistan,” Survival, Vol. 48, No. 1, Spring 2006.
- “Arming Europe,” National Interest, No. 82, Winter 2005/2006. (with F. Stephen Larrabee)
- “The UN’s Record in Nation-Building,” Chicago Journal of International Law, Vol. 6, No. 2, Winter 2006. (with James Dobbins)
- “Measuring Power: How to Predict Future Balances,” Harvard International Review, Vol. 27, No. 2, Summer 2005.
- “Law and Order in Palestine,” Survival, Vol. 46, No. 4, Winter 2004-05. (with K. Jack Riley)
- “An Independent Palestine: The Security Dimension,” International Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 2, March 2004. (with Robert Hunter)
- “The European Union and the Security Dilemma,” Security Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring 2003.
- “Terrorism and the Battle for Homeland Security,” in Russell Howard, James Forest, Joanne Moore, eds., Homeland Security and Terrorism (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006).
- “The Rise of a European Defense Industry,” US-Europe Analysis Series, Brookings Institution, May 2005.
- “A Dangerous Peace,” Newsweek, August 9, 2004.
- “Terrorism and the Battle for Homeland Security,” Foreign Policy Research Institute E-Note, May 21, 2004.