Dr. James A. Russell is an Associate Professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, US, where he teaches US foreign policy in the Middle East, military innovation, and national security strategy. His articles and commentaries have appeared in several media and scholarly outlets worldwide. His latest articles are: “Saudi Arabia: The Strategic Dimensions of Environmental Insecurity,” Middle East Policy 28, no. 2 (Summer 2016); “Nuclear Reductions and Middle East Stability: Assessing the Impact of a Smaller Nuclear Arsenal,” Nonproliferation Review 20, no. 2 (Summer 2013): 263–268; and “Counterinsurgency American Style: Considering David Petraeus and 21st Century Irregular War,” in Small Wars and Insurgencies 25, no. 1 (2013): 69–90. His latest books include Military Adaptation in Afghanistan, ed., with Theo Farrell and Frans Osinga (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2013) and Innovation, Transformation and War: US Counterinsurgency Operations in Anbar and Ninewa Provinces, Iraq, 2005–2007 (Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2011). His next book is a volume titled Naval Innovation and Maritime Strategy, forthcoming with the Naval Institute Press. From 1988–2001, Dr. Russell held several positions in the Office of the Assistant Secretary Defense for International Security Affairs, Near East South Asia, Department of Defense. During this period, he traveled extensively in the  Arabian Gulf and the Middle East, working on US security policy. He holds a Master’s in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in War Studies from the University of London.