Cordesman, Anthony H. 1939- (Tony Cordesman)

PERSONAL:

Born August 2, 1939. Hobbies and other interests: High-fidelity audio.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1800 K St. N.W., Washington, DC 20006. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, policy expert, military strategist, educator, commentator, and consultant. Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, director, Dynamic Net Assessment of the Middle East, and codirector, Middle East Program. U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, national security assistant to Senator John McCain; Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, director of intelligence assessment; U.S. Forces in Europe, Commander in Chief, advisor. Deputy U.S. Secretary of Defense, civilian assistant. Worked in various positions in the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Energy, and NATO International. Served in foreign assignments in Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf. Georgetown University, Washington, DC, professor of national security. ABC News, security analyst, military correspondent, and consultant. National Public Radio (NPR), commentator.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Distinguished Service Medal, U.S. Department of Defense; Smithsonian Institution, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Fellow (twice).

WRITINGS:

(With John M. Collins) Imbalance of Power: An Analysis of Shifting U.S.-Soviet Military Strengths, Presidio Press (San Rafael, CA), 1978.

Deterrence in the 1980s, International Institute for Strategic Studies (London, England), 1982.

Jordanian Arms and the Middle East Balance, Middle East Institute (Washington, DC), 1983, updated edition, 1985.

The Gulf and the Search for Strategic Stability: Saudi Arabia, the Military Balance in the Gulf, and Trends in the Arab-Israeli Military Balance, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1984.

The Arab-Israeli Military Balance and the Art of Operations: An Analysis of Military Lessons and Trends and Implications for Future Conflicts, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (Washington, DC), 1987.

The Iran-Iraq War and Western Security, 1984-87: Strategic Implications and Policy Options, Jane's (New York, NY), 1987.

Western Strategic Interests in Saudi Arabia, Croom Helm (Wolfeboro, NH), 1987.

The Gulf and the West: Strategic Relations and Military Realities, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1988.

NATO's Central Region Forces: Capabilities, Challenges, Concepts, Jane's (New York, NY), 1988.

(With Abraham R Wagner) The Lessons of Modern War, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1990.

Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, Brassey's (Washington, DC), 1991.

Strategy and Technology, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College (Carlisle Barracks, PA), 1992.

After the Storm: The Changing Military Balance in the Middle East, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1993.

Iran and Iraq: The Threat from the Northern Gulf, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1994.

U.S. Defense Policy: Resources and Capabilities, Royal United Services Institute for Defense Studies (London, England), 1994.

Perilous Prospects: The Peace Process and the Arab-Israeli Military Balance, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1996.

Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE: Challenges of Security, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

(With Ahmed S. Hashim) Iran: Dilemmas of Dual Containment, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

(With Ahmed S. Hashim) Iraq: Sanctions and Beyond, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

Kuwait: Recovery and Security after the Gulf War, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

Saudi Arabia: Guarding the Desert Kingdom, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

U.S. Forces in the Middle East: Resources and Capabilities, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1997.

Iran's Military Forces in Transition: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Praeger (Westport, CT), 1999.

Iraq and the War of Sanctions: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction, Praeger (Westport, CT), 1999.

Transnational Threats from the Middle East: Crying Wolf or Crying Havoc?, Strategic Studies Institute (Carlisle, PA), 1999.

The Lessons and Non-lessons of the Air and Missile Campaign in Kosovo, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2001.

A Tragedy of Arms: Military and Security Developments in the Maghreb, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

Cyber-Threats, Information Warfare, and Critical Infrastructure Protection: Defending the U.S. Homeland, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

Iraq's Military Capabilities in 2002: A Dynamic Net Assessment, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2002.

The Lessons of Afghanistan: War Fighting, Intelligence, and Force Transformation, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2002.

Peace and War: The Arab-Israeli Military Balance Enters the Twenty-first Century, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

Strategic Threats and National Missile Defenses: Defending the U.S. Homeland, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Defending the U.S. Homeland, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2002.

The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, and Military Lessons, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2003.

Saudi Arabia Enters the Twenty-first Century: The Military and International Security Dimensions, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2003.

Saudi Arabia Enters the Twenty-first Century: The Political, Foreign Policy, Economic, and Energy Dimensions, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2003.

(With G. Ryan Faith) Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East: Regional Trends, National Forces, Warfighting Capabilities, Delivery Options, and Weapons Effects, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 2003.

Energy Developments in the Middle East, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2004.

The Military Balance in the Middle East, Praeger (Westport, CT), 2004.

The War after the War: Strategic Lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2004.

The Challenge of Biological Terrorism, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2005.

Iran's Developing Military Capabilities, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2005.

(With Patrick Baetjer) Iraqi Security Forces: A Strategy for Success, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2005.

(With Jennifer Moravitz) The Israeli-Palestinian War: Escalating to Nowhere, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2005.

(With Nawaf Obaid) National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, and Challenges, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2005.

Arab-Israeli Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2006.

(With Khalid R. Al-Rodhan) The Changing Dynamics of Energy in the Middle East, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2006.

(With Khalid R. Al-Rodhan) The Global Oil Market: Risks and Uncertainties, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2006.

(With Khalid R. Al-Rodhan) Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Real and Potential Threat, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, DC), 2006.

(With Paul S. Fredericksen and William D. Sullivan) Salvaging American Defense: The Challenge of Strategic Overstretch, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2007.

(With Martin Kleiber) Chinese Military Modernization: Force Development and Strategic Capabilities, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2007.

(With Khalid R. Al-Rodhan) Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2007.

(With Martin Kleiber) Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities: The Threat in the Northern Gulf, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2007.

(With Adam Mausner) Iraqi Force Development: Conditions for Success, Consequences of Failure, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2007.

(With George Sullivan and William D. Sullivan) Lessons of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah War, CSIS Press (Washington, DC), 2007.

(With Emma R. Davies) Iraq's Insurgency and the Road to Civil Conflict, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2008.

(With Aram Nerquizian and Ionut C. Popescu) Israel and Syria: The Military Balance and Prospects of War, Praeger Security International (Westport, CT), 2008.

Contributor to books, including Technology and the Future Strategic Environment, edited by Kenneth B. Moss, Wilson Center Press (Washington, DC), 1991; Iran and the Gulf, edited by Jamal S. al-Suwaidi, Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia), 1996; The Persian Gulf at the Millennium, edited by Gary G. Sick and Lawrence G. Potter, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997; Oxford Companion to American History, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1999; To Prevail: An American Strategy for the Campaign against Terrorism, edited by Kurt M. Campbell and Michele A. Fornoy, CSIS (Washington, DC), 2001; The Future of Iraq, edited by Lyle Goldstein and Ahmed Hashim, U.S. Naval War College, 2002; and Governance and the Challenge of Contemporary Crisis, Paragon (White Plains, NY), 2003.

Contributor to periodicals and journals, including the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, San Diego Union Tribune, Military Power Review, Middle East Policy, Miami Herald, Washington Post, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Armed Forces, Journal of the Royal United Services Institute, Middle East Economic Digest, National Security Studies Quarterly, Christian Science Monitor, Armed Forces Journal International, Absolute Sound, Stereophile, Guardian (London, England), and Middle East Insight.

SIDELIGHTS:

Writer, policy expert, military strategist, educator, and consultant Anthony H. Cordesman is an expert in Middle East policy and politics. He is the prolific author or coauthor of nearly sixty books and reports, most of which cover topics of vital importance to U.S. interests in the Middle East. He has written on military topics, such as the Arab-Israeli War, the balance of military power in the Middle East, Arab and Israeli military forces, the type and extent of military forces in Iraq and Iran, U.S. defense policy, conflicts between Israel and Syria, the potential for weapons of mass destruction in Iran's arsenal, the Iraqi insurgency, the potential for biological and nuclear terrorism, and more. Other of his books address topics such as energy and oil resources in the Middle East, the global oil market, dynamics of the Middle Eastern energy market, and more. John J. Moore, writing in the Middle East Journal, commented that Cordesman is "clearly the pre-eminent American expert on military developments" in the Middle East. He has been national security assistant to Senator John McCain, a consultant and advisor to numerous departments of the U.S. government, and serves as the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, director of the Dynamic Net Assessment of the Middle East, and codirector of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

In After the Storm: The Changing Military Balance in the Middle East, Cordesman provides a country-by-country analysis of the military powers in the Middle East. "This outstanding contribution to the literature on militarization in the Middle East provides a comprehensive and exhaustive assessment of the strength and effectiveness of every army, navy, air force, and air defense force in the region," remarked Robert Looney, writing in Armed Forces & Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

With Arab-Israeli Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars, Cordesman "summarizes the overall balance of military forces in the Middle East," in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine," noted a writer in Reference & Research Book News.

Cordesman provides an assessment of a major U.S. conflict in The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, and Military Lessons. He provides a strategic overview of the 2003 war and its outcome, and "an almost encyclopedic collection of data, mostly from official releases, and laces it with generally well-reasoned judgments regarding validity, accuracy, and significance," reported James R. Blaker in a Joint Force Quarterly review.

Energy Developments in the Middle East offers a "historical, economic, and geopolitical analysis, laden with numerous charts and tables, of the hydrocarbon resources of the Middle East," noted reviewer Gawdat Baghat, writing in the Middle East Journal. Cordesman makes a helpful distinction between direct and indirect dependence on Middle Eastern oil. The U.S. has a direct dependence on petroleum resources from the Middle East. However, the U.S. also depends on many manufactured goods that come from Asia, which itself has a direct dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Through its relationship with Asia, the United States also maintains an indirect dependence on Middle Eastern energy resources. Baghat concluded that the book is a "treasure trove of information and data, and a cogent analysis of the energy resources of the Middle East—a valuable tool for both students of energy and specialists in the oil and natural gas industry."

In The Military Balance in the Middle East, Cordesman "presents a factual layout of the quantitative and qualitative trends in the military balance" throughout the heavily armed Middle East, noted Military Review contributor John E. Taylor. He provides a "good knowledge base" on particular countries and subregions in the area, Taylor observed.

In National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, and Challenges, Cordesman and coauthor Nawaf Obaid consider the post-9/11 threats and challenges to Saudi Arabia, one of America's most stable Middle Eastern partners. The authors conclude that Saudi Arabia's most significant threats come from within, in the form of Islamic extremism and associated acts of terrorism.

Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars, written with Khalid R. Al-Rodhan, is a two-volume set offering an in-depth analysis of the extent and capabilities of military forces deployed throughout the Persian Gulf region. The authors assess the military power of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen, with information on material resources, weapons, human resources, and related aspects of each country's military, security forces, and intelligence agencies.

Other of Cordesman's works center on the Middle Eastern country of Iran and remain relevant to the increasing threat of an international crisis in the early twenty-first century. Iran's Military Forces in Transition: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction is an "indispensable reference source for those wanting to know what weapons Iran has and how its military could fight," commented Patrick Clawson, writing in the Middle East Quarterly.

Iran: Dilemmas of Dual Containment, written with Ahmed S. Hashim, contains the authors' assessment of Iran and whether it is a rogue state, a sponsor of terrorism, and a threat to Israel and its Middle Eastern neighbors. The authors portray "Iran more objectively than usual" in a book that "should help crystallize the debate for policy makers, government analysts, academics and media pundits. It is strongly recommended to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Iran and the problems it poses for U.S. policy," commented Benedict F. FitzGerald in Middle East Policy. "Cordesman and Hashim have produced a laudable, objective book with conclusions based on facts and tightly reasoned analysis," FitzGerald stated. "Thus, this volume provides superb insights into an enormously complicated series of issues."

Cordesman sometimes writes on military issues outside the scope of the Middle East. In Chinese Military Modernization: Force Development and Strategic Capabilities, written with Martin Kleiber, he presents an "overarching assessment of the current state of Chinese military capabilities," without being judgmental of the Chinese government, noted a Reference & Research Book News contributor. Cordesman and Kleiber also seek to forecast trends associated with the modernization of the Chinese military. They look carefully at Chinese defense doctrine, available human resources, force structure, and military spending. They also explore China's nuclear capabilities and consider the abilities of the country's paramilitary forces.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Air & Space Power Journal, summer, 2005, Daniel J. Hughes, review of The Iraq War: Strategy, Tactics, and Military Lessons, p. 107.

Armed Forces & Society: An Interdisciplinary Journal, fall, 1994, Robert Looney, review of After the Storm: The Changing Military Balance in the Middle East, p. 162.

Foreign Affairs, winter, 1991, Gregory F. Treverton, review of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Middle East, p. 185; September-October, 1993, William B. Quandt, review of After the Storm, p. 173; November-December, 1996, William B. Quandt, review of Perilous Prospects: The Peace Process and the Arab-Israeli Military Balance, p. 164; July-August, 1997, Eliot A. Cohen, review of U.S. Forces in the Middle East: Resources and Capabilities, p. 152; March-April, 2007, Richard N. Cooper, "Economic, Social, and Environmental," review of The Changing Dynamics of Energy in the Middle East, p. 166.

Joint Force Quarterly, December 1, 2004, James R. Blaker, "Operation Iraqi Freedom," review of The Iraq War, p. 110.

Library Journal, February 1, 2004, Charles M. Minyard, review of The Iraq War, p. 108.

Middle East Journal, spring, 2005, review of The Military Balance in the Middle East, p. 325; summer, 2005, Gawdat Bahgat, review of Energy Developments in the Middle East, p. 502; winter, 2006, Thomas W. Lippman, review of National Security in Saudi Arabia: Threats, Responses, and Challenges, p. 175; spring, 2006, Caldwell Bailey, review of Iraqi Security Forces: A Strategy for Success, p. 404.

Middle East Policy, May 1, 1997, Michael Collins Dunn, review of Saudi Arabia: Guarding the Desert Kingdom, p. 200; May, 1997, Benedict F. FitzGerald, review of Iran: Dilemmas of Dual Containment, p. 201; May, 1997, review of Iraq: Sanctions and Beyond, p. 203; January, 1998, Michael Collins Dunn, review of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE: Challenges of Security, p. 191; January, 1998, review of Kuwait: Recovery and Security after the Gulf War, p. 191; January, 1998, review of U.S. Forces in the Middle East, p. 191.

Middle East Quarterly, June, 2000, Patrick Clawson, review of Iran's Military Forces in Transition: Conventional Threats and Weapons of Mass Destruction, p. 80; summer, 2004, John W. Sutherlin, review of Saudi Arabia Enters the Twenty-first Century: The Political, Foreign Policy, Economic, and Energy Dimensions, p. 93; spring, 2007, Simon Henderson, "Saudi Arabia in Books," review of National Security in Saudi Arabia, p. 57; winter, 2008, review of Iraqi Security Forces, p. 86.

Military Review, January-February, 2006, John E. Taylor, review of The Military Balance in the Middle East, p. 120.

New York Times, August 4, 2002, Lisa Tozzi, "In Slaying Terrorism, It's Good to Be Better Than Buffy," p. 7.

New York Times Book Review, October 14, 2001, Robert D. Kaplan, "The Faceless Enemy," review of Terrorism, Asymmetric Warfare, and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Defending the U.S. Homeland, p. 11.

Parameters, summer, 2002, Richard M. Meinhart, review of The Lessons and Non-lessons of the Air and Missile Campaign in Kosovo, p. 130.

Reference & Research Book News, August, 2005, review of Iran's Developing Military Capabilities, p. 287; November, 2005, review of National Security in Saudi Arabia; February, 2006, review of The Israeli-Palestinian War: Escalating to Nowhere; May, 2006, review of Iraqi Security Forces; August, 2006, review of Iran's Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Real and Potential Threat; August, 2006, review of The Global Oil Market: Risks and Uncertainties; February, 2007, review of Arab-Israeli Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars; February, 2007, Gulf Military Forces in an Era of Asymmetric Wars; February, 2007, review of The Changing Dynamics of Energy in the Middle East; August, 2007, review of Chinese Military Modernization: Force Development and Strategic Capabilities; August, 2007, review of Salvaging American Defense: The Chal-lenge of Strategic Overstretch; February, 2008, review of Iran's Military Forces and Warfighting Capabilities: The Threat in the Northern Gulf.

Shofar, fall, 2003, Stuart Cohen, review of Peace and War: The Arab-Israeli Military Balance Enters the Twenty-first Century, p. 177.

ONLINE

CATO Unbound Web site,http://www.cato-unbound.org/ (May 22, 2008), biography of Anthony H. Cordesman.

Center for Strategic and International Studies Web site,http://www.csis.org/ (May 22, 2008), biography of Anthony H. Cordesman.

Greenwood Publishing Group Web site,http://www.greenwood.com/ (May 22, 2008), biography of Anthony H. Cordesman.

Sourcewatch,http://www.sourcewatch.org/ (May 22, 2008), biography of Anthony H. Cordesman.

Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College Web site,http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/ (May 22, 2008), biography of Anthony H. Cordesman.