Jon B. Alterman

Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
Jon B. Alterman

Jon B. Alterman is a senior vice president, holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and is director of the Middle East Program at CSIS. Prior to joining CSIS in 2002, he served as a member of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State and as a special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, and from 2009-2019 he served as a member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. In addition to his policy work, he often teaches Middle Eastern studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the George Washington University. Earlier in his career, Alterman was a scholar at the U.S. Institute of Peace and at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a legislative aide to Senator Daniel P. Moynihan (D-NY) responsible for foreign policy and defense. From 1993 to 1997, Alterman was an award-winning teacher at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in history.

Alterman has lectured in more than 35 countries on five continents on subjects related to the Middle East and U.S. policy toward the region. He is the author or coauthor of four books on the Middle East and the editor of five more. In addition to his academic work, he is sought out as a consultant to business and government and is a frequent commentator in print, on radio, and on television. His opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and other major publications. He is a former international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is now a life member. He received his A.B. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.

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Energy 360°

Qatar: Energy & Geopolitics

Frank Verrastro (Senior Vice President and Trustee Fellow, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS) and Jon Alterman (Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program, CSIS), sat down in mid-August to discuss the political crisis in Qatar and its neighbors Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.

Podcast Episode by Frank A. Verrastro and Jon B. Alterman — September 5, 2017

CSIS Energy 360

Qatar Crisis: Turmoil in the GCC

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, along with Egypt, broke diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5 and simultaneously announced a trade embargo. The trade restrictions include closing airspace to Qatari planes and banning Qatari seaborne vessels. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar, which represent 30 percent of global LNG trade, as well as smaller amounts of crude oil and LNG by-products are affected.

Commentary by Frank A. Verrastro and Jon B. Alterman — June 14, 2017

In Memoriam

As the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), it was my honor and great pleasure to work closely with Dr. Brzezinski. Among the products of our work together were two video projects, one on his advice for young people, and one looking more broadly at the state of the world. In our many conversations, I saw Dr. Brzezinski’s love of the counterintuitive observation that led to deep insight. He had many of them. At the same time, I saw his remarkable ability to talk with you in a way that conveyed complete honestly and complete intimacy, as if there were no one else in the world with whom he’d rather share time right then. While his rivals criticized him for arrogance, I always found him searching for people and information that would help him refine his ideas. His commitment to intellectual rigor sometimes made him an outsider in governmental discussions, and his commitment to having a practical impact made him an outsider in academic ones. For me, he was an inspiration.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — June 9, 2017

Middle East Notes and Comment: Trump of Arabia

Someone, perhaps, is very rich today because he or she placed a $2 bet on November 9 that President Donald Trump’s first overseas trip would be to Saudi Arabia. Less than 18 months ago, Candidate Trump called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Now, President Trump is rushing to the cradle of Islam. The strange secret is that, despite his campaign rhetoric, he will be welcomed warmly. The important thing is that he not be too comfortable.

Newsletter by Jon B. Alterman — May 17, 2017