Ohio State visiting scholar can discuss terrorism issues with media

The FBI sent an alert to law enforcement agencies on Friday (9/5) to be on the lookout for four suspected al-Qaida operatives believed to be independently planning terrorist attacks against the United States. Mark Jacobson, a visiting scholar at The Ohio State University’s Mershon Center who formerly worked for Office of the Secretary of Defense, is an expert on U.S. counterterrorism policy and operations and national security. He is available to discuss terrorism and national security issues with media.

Jacobson works in the International Security and Public Policy program for Ohio State’s Mershon Center, where he examines a range of national defense policy issues with emphasis on counterterrorism, psychological operations, public diplomacy and special operations. The Mershon Center focuses on the interdisciplinary study of international security and public policy.

Jacobson served for eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1996-97 he served as a part of the NATO Peace Implementation Force in Bosnia and in 1998 he received the Association of the United States Army’s Soldier of the Year Award. In 2001 Mr. Jacobson accepted a commission in the United States Naval Reserves and is assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Jacobson is a graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A. History), The Ohio State University (M.A. History), and The Department of War Studies, King’s College, London (M.A. War Studies) and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs.