Don Rassler, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences and Director of the Harmony Research Program at the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, will discuss his book, 
"Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012," noon April 1 at START Headquarters (8400 Baltimore Ave., Suite 250, College Park, MD 20740). The event is free and open to the public, but registration should be made online at the link to the left.
About the Book
Drawing upon a wealth of previously unresearched primary sources in many languages, the authors shed much new light on a group frequently described as the most lethal actor in the current Afghan insurgency, and shown here to have been for decades at the center of a nexus of transnational Islamist militancy, fostering the development of jihadi organizations from Southeast Asia to East Africa. Addressing the abundant new evidence documenting the Haqqani network’s pivotal role in the birth and evolution of the global jihadi movement, the book also represents a significant advance in our knowledge of the history of al-Qaida, fundamentally altering the picture painted by the existing literature on the subject.
About the Speaker
His research interests are focused on the Haqqani network, the early history of al-Qaida and understanding the changing dynamics of Afghanistan’s and Pakistan’s militant landscapes. Rassler has advised a number of operational units and been interviewed by various media outlets. He is the co-author, with Vahid Brown, of "Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus, 1973-2012," a book recently released by Hurst/Columbia University Press.
Prior to joining the CTC, Rassler worked on intelligence, defense reform and NATO transformation projects for the Department of Defense as a Senior Consultant at Detica. He holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a B.S. from the University of Oregon.