Jason M. Blazakis
Jason Blazakis (Bluesky – LinkedIn – X) is a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) where he focuses on threat financing, violent extremism, and special operations related research. He is also the founding Executive Director of MIIS’s Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism.
From 2008-2018, he served as the Director of the Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office, Bureau of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State. In his former role, Jason was responsible for directing efforts to designate countries, organizations, and individuals as terrorists, also known as State Sponsors of Terrorism, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Jason previously held positions in the Department of State’s Political-Military Affairs, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Intelligence and Research Bureaus, and at U.S. Embassy Kabul.
Prior to working at the Department of State, Jason served as a domestic intelligence analyst at the Congressional Research Service. In addition, he was the national security adviser to a United States Congressional Representative.
Jason is also an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. His first book, the Mediterranean Connection, was published in 2024. He has also published articles in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and many other publications. He regularly is quoted by the media (Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, ABC, CBS, NBC, amongst others) on a wide range of national security issues.
