Jason Blazakis
@jason-blazakis.bsky.social
I am the Executive Director (and Professor) of the Middlebury Institute's Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism. I am sanctioned by Vladimir Putin and once headed up the State Department's counterterrorism sanctions office.
The #antifa #terrorism threat the #Trump administration describes does not exist. My latest for @theconversation.com theconversation.com/the-antifa-t...
The antifa terrorism threat the Trump administration describes does not exist
Antifa is a scattered movement of local collectives that opposes fascism. It has no leader, command hierarchy, funding structure or record of deadly attacks.
theconversation.com
Can terrorist financing ever be stopped? I joined @rusi.bsky.social's Suspicious Transaction Report podcast to answer that question. Lots of issues explored while trying to answer the question - intelligence, private sector, role of govts and multilateralism. Listen: 🎧 www.rusi.org/podcasts/sus...
Episode 23: Can Terrorist Financing Ever Be Stopped?
Why disruption, intelligence and genuine public–private partnership matter more than promises to eliminate every terrorist dollar.
rusi.org
I'm in today's @washingtonpost.com on Rubio's #antifa push. I ran State's designation process for a decade+. A group must be foreign to be designated. Antifa's domestic presence puts it out of reach. Counterterrorism authority should track threats, not politics www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Rubio tries to enlist other nations in antifa fight, but some allies recoil
The secretary of state plans to convene foreign ministers in Washington next week. The event has unsettled some U.S. and European officials.
washingtonpost.com
Quoted in @inkstickmedia.com on the Prairieland "#Antifa cell" sentencing. 30 to 100 years. Prosecutors leaned heavily on Signal chats and zines to prove shared beliefs, not conduct. That should worry anyone who cares about free speech. inkstickmedia.com/antifa-trial...
'Antifa Trial' in Texas Heightens Fears of Free Speech Chill in US
Will the outcome of a controversial trial against protesters accused of being Antifa lead to a chill on free speech in the US?
inkstickmedia.com
Thankful for the chance to speak @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @csns-uk.bsky.social about my recent book, Terror Disrupted. Also, had the chance to talk about #terrorist #financing w/ the UK Govt National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (folks I miss working w/ when I was in the USG).
I have a piece in @wsj.com today on emerging threat: movements that worship Artificial Intelligence (#AI). www.wsj.com/opinion/chat...
Opinion | Chatbots May Need a Cult Deprogrammer
Some users mistake AI for a god, while the violent Zizians believe it is the devil.
wsj.com
I spoke with @keranews.org about the Frisco, Tex, mayoral runoff, where a candidate told Muslim residents they are not welcome and drew applause. This is not right and it is driven, in part, by national discourse. That is now trickling down into local politics. More: www.keranews.org/news/2026-06...
Comments about Muslim community a factor in Frisco mayoral runoff
Early voting in the Frisco mayor runoff between Mark Hill and Rod Vilhauer starts Monday. Vilhauer's anti-Muslim statements have generated controversy during the race.
keranews.org
⏰ Last change to register! ⏰ Join us next Monday for the launch of @jason-blazakis.bsky.social's new book: 'Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism'. Chaired by Dr Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens. 📅 Mon 8 Jun, 18:00-19:15 📍 King's College London
Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism - CSNS | Centre for Statecraft & National Security
csns.uk
"Rubio’s terrorism framing for Cuba is not new, but the factual basis for using it expired long ago," writes Jason Blazakis (@jason-blazakis.bsky.social). From 2008-2018, Blazakis served as the director of the Counterterrorism Finance and Designations Office at the State Department.
Trump Administration Labels Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism
Cuba’s inclusion on the SST list reflects shifting U.S. policy, not evidence, highlighting how the designation is used for political aims.
justsecurity.org
As always, appreciate the chance to write for @justsecurity.org. Check out my latest piece on #Cuba - BLUF - invading Cuba using the pretext of counterterrorism, as #Trump Admin has been pointing to, is the wrong approach. www.justsecurity.org/140246/trump...
Trump Administration Labels Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism
Cuba’s inclusion on the SST list reflects shifting U.S. policy, not evidence, highlighting how the designation is used for political aims.
justsecurity.org
Some deep concerns regarding some of the policy shifts by the Trump Admin in the area of counter #terrorist #finance #policy. Check out my latest for Homeland Security Today. 👇
CTEC@ctecmiis.bsky.social · 3mo agoYesterday, CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social shared his thoughts on recent Trump Admin policies in the area of illicit finance. Check it out: www.hstoday.us/subject-matt...
London Calling! Book talk at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social on June 8 at 6pm BST. I'll be discussing Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org. Free and open to the public. Would love to see London folks there. Sign up at: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/book-...
Book Talk: Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism with Prof Jason M. Blazakis | King's College London
Terrorism and organised violence are crucially reliant on adequate sources of funding
kcl.ac.uk
CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social is at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social on June 8 at 6pm BST for a book talk on Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism. Open to the public. www.kcl.ac.uk/events/book-...
Book Talk: Terror Disrupted: Countering the Financing of Terrorism with Prof Jason M. Blazakis | King's College London
Terrorism and organised violence are crucially reliant on adequate sources of funding
kcl.ac.uk
Really enjoyed catching up with friends at #ACAMSAssembly last week. One highlight: joining Kieran Beer on Financial Crime Matters for a long conversation on the threats facing the U.S. — Iran, ISIS, AQ, and more. #Podcast soundcloud.com/financialcri...
Disrupting Terror Finance, with the Middlebury Institute's Jason Blazakis
In this episode of “Financial Crime Matters,” Kieran talks with Jason Blazakis about his book,
soundcloud.com
Thankful for the team at @booksandbooks.bsky.social for hanging out with me during the book signing today at the #ACAMS Meeting in Hollywood Florida!
New episode of Middlebury's New Frontiers podcast: I talked about how US terrorist designations actually get made, the real consequences for those listed, and why the Trump admin's departures from longstanding practice should worry counterterrorism professionals. www.middlebury.edu/rohatyn/new-...
middlebury.edu
Recently, spoke to the Monterey community at MIIS on the topic of "Branding the Enemy" — who gets labeled a terrorist in the U.S., and who decides, and how #Trump is doing things differently in this space. Chapter 6 of my book Terror Disrupted w/ @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org goes deep on this.
CTEC Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social is now part of the GTSC Homeland Security Today Counterterrorism Editorial Board
Hello Middlebury and @cityofmonterey.bsky.social - please join on April 7 for this timely discussion that is free to the public. Sign up at: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
A new paper I have published through @ctecmiis.bsky.social examines the full U.S. designation record against #Hamas linked charities (2003 to 2026) and proposes two structures to break the cycle of episodic enforcement. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac... #sanctions #terrorism #Iran
The Charities of Hamas – Designations History and Policy Recommendations
It has now been more than two years since Hamas’s deadly attack in Israel. As someone who worked for more than a decade in the United States Government (USG) as head of the State Department’s Countert...
middlebury.edu
New from CTEC: Executive Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social examines two decades of U.S. sanctions against Hamas-linked charities. The record reveals bursts of sanctions followed by long silences in which Hamas rebuilt Read the paper: www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac... #Hamas #Iran #Terrorism
The Charities of Hamas – Designations History and Policy Recommendations
It has now been more than two years since Hamas’s deadly attack in Israel. As someone who worked for more than a decade in the United States Government (USG) as head of the State Department’s Countert...
middlebury.edu
If you are interested in issues related large language models, Artificial Intelligence and intersections with illicit activity, pls join a @rusi.bsky.social webinar that I will be speaking at: my.rusi.org/events/webin... Would love to see former/current students there! You can register below:
my.rusi.org
The judge’s antics in this case are also making me think these defendants aren’t going to have a fair trial.
CTEC@ctecmiis.bsky.social · 6mo agoCTEC Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social joined @npr.org on the Texas “#antifa” case tied to the July 4 protest outside the Prairieland ICE facility near Alvarado. Takeaway: serious incident, but the “antifa cell” framing is a stretch. Listen in: www.npr.org/transcripts/...
CTEC shoutout: @npr.org / @oyousef.bsky.social referenced J.M. Berger’s “lawful extremism” work—how extremist-coded rhetoric can migrate into state messaging with plausible deniability. www.npr.org/2026/02/16/n...
Extremist rhetoric is often found in government messaging. Who's the target?
In a rare move, the White House recently took down a racist post from one of President Trump's social media accounts. Extremism researchers say it fits a pattern of mainstreaming extremist ideas.
npr.org
Thrilled to announce Noor Almusahwi as our next Michael Donnelly Fellow (Spring 2026). Noor brings deep experience on human rights and digital security—paired with rigorous research on terrorism, political violence, and rule of law. Congrats, Noor! www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
I wrote a new @rusi.bsky.social briefing on LLM-enabled terrorist financing: risks, likely pathways, and practical mitigations. #Terror #Finance #AI #LLM www.projectcraaft.eu/research-bri...
Terrorist Financing in the Age of Large Language Models — Project CRAAFT
The research briefing by Jason Blazakis examines how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) could be exploited to support terrorist financing activity. The report ar...
projectcraaft.eu
Can’t thank @universitypress.cambridge.org enough for its patience. Terror Disrupted focuses on CTF tools but also the financing of groups like ISIS and more broadly, the radical right. Thanks to Dan Byman, Bruce Hoffman @jessmarindavis.bsky.social and Ali Soufan for their endorsements.
CTEC@ctecmiis.bsky.social · 6mo agoRecently, CTEC Exec Director @jason-blazakis.bsky.social published w/ @universitypress.cambridge.org Terror Disrupted. A book that examines how terrorist financing is countered. www.cambridge.org/core/books/t...
Important reporting by @newyorksun.bsky.social. Time to increase the pressure on the Taliban in this case.
CTEC@ctecmiis.bsky.social · 6mo agoIn a recent NYSun piece on Mahmood Habibi, CTEC Exec Director Jason Blazakis explains why public pressure can matter more with a de facto government like the Taliban than with ISIS—and outlines U.S. leverage: frozen assets, recognition, and UN sanctions, incl. Qatar as a key intermediary.
As always great work by CTEC’s senior researcher, Isabela Bernardo. Give her latest report a read!
CTEC@ctecmiis.bsky.social · 6mo agoCTEC just released a new report, Seeds of Extremism, by Isabela Bernardo. It examines how ecofascist ideas can intersect with accelerationist culture—and what that means for prevention and policy. Thanks to the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative for support. www.middlebury.edu/institute/ac...
