Foundation for Defense of Democracies

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies focuses on Saudi Arabia’s complicated rolein the war on terror, as a source of both intelligence and funding for al-Qaeda. In 2011, FDD is also undertaking a study of Saudi religious clerics, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, their ideologies and their political influence.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies focuses on Saudi Arabia’s complicated rolein the war on terror, as a source of both intelligence and funding for al-Qaeda. In 2011, FDD is also undertaking a study of Saudi religious clerics, both sanctioned and unsanctioned, their ideologies and their political influence.

FDD’s experts on Saudi Arabia include Jonathan Schanzer, FDD’s vice president of research, who served previously as a Middle East counterterrorism intelligence analyst for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and has an intimate understand of terrorist financing.

By Jonathan Schanzer and Steven Miller

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In addition, FDD senior fellow John Hannah served from 2005 to 2009 as a senior foreign policy to Vice President Dick Cheney, in which capacity he addressed Saudi strategic and intelligence matters.

FDD Chairman R. James Woolsey served as U.S. Director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995, in which capacity he followed al-Qaeda through its first attack on the World Trade Center. In addition, FDD senior fellow and Long War Journal editor Bill Roggio follows al-Qaeda’s activities, and speaks often to military and intelligence officials responsible for addressing the threat.

FDD also employs senior fellow Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former CIA senior operative specializing in Middle East affairs, who has traveled widely in the region, and writes regularly for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.