William Rosenau, Ph.D.

William Rosenau has led or participated in CNA research on irregular warfare, terrorism and political violence, disinformation, and police and paramilitary assistance in conflict zones. His books include U.S. Internal Security Assistance to South Vietnam: Insurgency, Subversion, and Public Order (Routledge, 2005) and Tonight We Bombed the U.S. Capitol: The Explosive Story of M19, America’s First Female Terrorist Group (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster, 2020). His articles have appeared in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence, Intelligence and National Security, Small Wars & Insurgencies, and other peer-reviewed journals. He has also written for War on the Rocks, Politico, Foreign Policy, the Wall Street Journal, and the National Interest.

Before joining CNA, Rosenau held research and staff positions at the RAND Corporation, the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the Department of State, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict, the U.S. Department of Defense Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces, and the National Security Program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Rosenau holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from Kings College, London; a Master of Arts in history from Cambridge University; and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Columbia University.