Counterterrorism Expert Dr. Matthew Levitt Named Fromer-Wexler Fellow
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dr. Matthew Levitt, one of the nation's leading counterterrorism experts, has been named The Washington Institute's Fromer-Wexler Fellow in recognition of a generous, long-term commitment to the research organization by two members of its Board of Directors, Robert Fromer of Palm Beach and Gary Wexler of New York.
"We are thrilled by the gift made by Messrs. Fromer and Wexler and the confidence they have in the power of Matt Levitt's research, writing, and speaking," said Dr. Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute. "Through this gift, the Fromer and Wexler families are ensuring that Matt has a platform from which to make ever more vital contributions to the fight against Islamic extremism and global terrorism."
Dr. Levitt, founding director of the Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, is the author of three books, including the just-published Hezbollah: The Global Reach of Lebanon’s Party of God (Georgetown University Press). Revelations in that book helped convince European governments to designate the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in 2013.
"I am deeply honored to be named the Fromer-Wexler Fellow," said Dr. Levitt. "This generous support will strengthen the Institute's ability to draw attention to a critical but often overlooked aspect of America's counterterrorism strategy -- combatting the ideological component of radical Islamism."
Before joining the Institute in 2007, Dr. Levitt was deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In that capacity, he served both as a senior official within the department's terrorism and financial intelligence branch and as deputy chief of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, one of sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies coordinated under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He previously served as a counterterrorism intelligence analyst at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he provided tactical and strategic analytical support for counterterrorism operations, focusing on fundraising and logistical support networks for Middle Eastern terrorist groups.
Dr. Levitt holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Yeshiva University, as well as a master's degree in law and diplomacy and a doctorate in international relations from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He was a graduate research fellow at Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation and has taught at both Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and its Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
About the Washington Institute: The Washington Institute is an independent, nonpartisan research institution that advances a balanced and realistic understanding of U.S. interest in the broader Middle East. Drawing on the research of its fellows and the experience of its policy practitioners, the Institute promotes informed debate and scholarly research on U.S. policy in the region.