The Ongoing War in the Persian Gulf: Why Does It Matter to the US?

Transcript: https://westminster-institute.org/events/the-ongoing-war-in-the-persian-gulf-why-does-it-matter-to-the-us/

David Des Roches is Associate Professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies at  National Defense University. Prior to this, he was the Defense  Department director responsible for policy concerning Saudi Arabia,  Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Prior  to this assignment, he has served in the Office of the Secretary of  Defense as Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, as senior  country director for Pakistan, as NATO operations director, and as  deputy director for peacekeeping.

An Airborne Ranger in the Army Reserve, he was awarded the Bronze  Star for service in Afghanistan.  He has commanded conventional and  special operations parachute units and has served on the US Special  Operations Command staff as well as on the Joint Staff. He graduated  from the United States Military Academy and obtained advanced degrees in  Arab Politics from the University of London School of Oriental and  African Studies, in War Studies from Kings College London, and Strategic  Studies from the US Army War College. He has also attended the Federal  Executive Institute, the German Staff College’s Higher Officer Seminar,  the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School and the U.S. Army  Command and General Staff College.His academic awards include Phi Kappa  Phi, the British Marshall Scholarship, designation as a Distinguished  Alumnus of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, and  selection as a Joseph Malone Fellow of the National Council of Arab  American Relations.

His most recent publication is “Dominance versus Disruption: Asymmetry in Gulf Security,” which analyzes the security objectives of the Gulf Arab states and Iran. He previously spoke at Westminster on the Push and Pull of Religious Extremism: Who Are the Terrorists, How Are they Recruited, What Can We Do?