Mary Habeck is a professorial lecturer in strategic studies at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she teaches courses on military history and strategic thought. Before coming to SAIS, Habeck taught American and European military history in Yale's history department from 1994 to 2005. She received her Ph.D. in history from Yale in 1996, a master's in international relations from Yale in 1989, and a bachelor's in international studies, Russian, and Spanish from Ohio State in 1987.
Habeck was appointed by President Bush to the Council on the Humanities at the National Endowment for the Humanities (2006-present), and in 2008-09 she was special advisor for strategic planning on the National Security Council staff.
In addition to books and articles on doctrine, World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and al-Qaida, her publications include Knowing the Enemy: Jihadist Ideology and the War on Terror (Yale, 2005) and three forthcoming sequels, Attacking America: Al-Qaida’s Grand Strategy (Basic Books, 2014), Managing Savagery: Al-Qaida’s Military and Political Strategies (2015), and Fighting the Enemy: The U.S. and its War against al-Qaida (2016).
Abstract
The war with al-Qaida is not over. Despite the best efforts of three U.S. presidents, the engagement of the world's most competent and effective militaries, and counter-terrorism campaigns supported and carried out by the international community, al-Qaida has grown in strength and reach over the past 20 years. How an organization without territory and without the institutions and protections of a nation-state has managed to thrive under constant pressure from almost every country on the globe demands explanation. It is also vital for our security that we understand al-Qaida’s likely future courses of action. While there are many ways to approach these critical issues, understanding the strategies used by al-Qaida not only to survive, but to flourish during the fight, is absolutely essential. Mary Habeck will address the key issue of al-Qaida's grand strategy, which is also the subject of her new book Attacking America: Al-Qaida's Grand Strategy (Basic Books, 2014).
The Mershon Center is located on the south end of the Ohio State campus at the corner of Neil and 8th avenues.
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Parking
Faculty, staff and students with an Ohio State parking pass may park in the appropriate spots in any of the campus parking lots or garages. There is a small lot off Pennsylvania Avenue behind the Mershon Center. The closest parking garage is the 9th Avenue West Garage.
Off-campus visitors may use one of a few meters in the small lot off Pennsylvania Avenue behind the Mershon Center, or more reliable paid parking can be found in the Safe Auto Hospitals Garage near the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center at 185 Westpark Street.
