Speaker details

Biography

Jason Blazakis is a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) where he focuses on threat financing, sanctions, violent extremism, and special operations related research. He is also the Director of MIIS’s Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism where he directs research on domestic terrorism, terrorism finance, recruitment, propaganda, and the use of special operations to counter transnational threats. CTEC provides expert guidance to and reports on the nature of far-right and far-left wing extremism to world-leading Silicon Valley companies as they fend off extremist efforts to abuse their platforms. From 2008-2018, he served as the Director of the Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office, Bureau of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State. In his former role, Jason was responsible for directing efforts to designate countries, organizations, and individuals as terrorists, also known as State Sponsors of Terrorism, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. From 2004-2008, Jason previously held positions in the Department of State’s Political-Military Affairs, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Intelligence and Research Bureaus, and at U.S. Embassy Kabul. Prior to working at the Department of State, Jason served as a domestic intelligence analyst at the Congressional Research Service. In addition, he was the national security adviser to a United States Congressional Representative. He also has worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration. Jason is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. He has published articles in Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time Magazine, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Lawfare and many other publications. He regularly is quoted by the media (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, amongst others) on a wide range of terrorism and sanctions related matters. His first book was published earlier this year, in August, and is titled, The Mediterranean Connection: Criminal Networks and Illicit Economies in North Africa. He holds degrees from the University of Mississippi, Columbia University, and Johns Hopkins University.