Brian Ellison

Expertise

• Russia political/military affairs
• Afghanistan
• Irregular and unconventional warfare
• Insurgency and counterinsurgency
• Guerilla warfare
• Counter-terrorism
• Counter-IED operations
• Energy geopolitics
   

Brian Ellison conducts research and analysis on irregular warfare, insurgencies, Russian strategic con-cepts and geopolitical energy issues. His work has advised the Marine Corps and the Department of Defense in both wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, on the subjects of counter-IED operations, unconventional warfare concepts, maintaining influence, and insurgent networks. He has also conducted research on shadow governments and foreign support to insurgencies. He recently deployed to Afghanistan as a counter-IED operations and intelligence analyst for Regional Command East.

Recent Work: Marine operations in Afghanistan; Taliban insurgency; tribal relations and security in Afghanistan; Russian strategic issues and the former Soviet republics; Russian leadership; the Soviet-Afghan War; Iranian policy in the Caspian

Previous Positions: Brookings Institution, World Security Institute, Project on National Security Reform

Education: M.A. in International Affairs/International Security from the American University’s School of International Service, B.A. in Political Science from California State University Northridge

Publications of Interest

• "Withdrawing from Long Occupations: Insights from Iraq, Aden, and Afghanistan (U)," CNA Research Memorandum D0020511.A2/Final Unclassified, July 2009.
• "The Energy Conversation," (CNA Publication, 2010).
• “Assessing Russian Grand Strategy in the South Ossetia War,” Demokratizatsiya, (Summer 2011).
• “Elements of a Theory for Covert Policy: The U.S. and China in Africa,” working paper, (2009).