James Danly, is a former U.S. Army officer and a Contributing Scholar at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) where he conducts research in his areas of expertise: U.S. military counterinsurgency operations, Kurdish political dynamics, Iraqi’s political landscape, elections and security.

Prior to joining ISW, Mr. Danly completed two consecutive tours with the U.S. Army in Iraq working at the strategic and tactical levels. He was also awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. During his first tour, Mr. Danly was a platoon leader in an infantry company assigned to the Doura district in Baghdad under Task Force Dragon. In his second tour, Mr. Danly worked on the staff of Commanding General David H. Petraeus at Multi National Force –Iraq. In this capacity, Mr. Danly completed study projects on tactical counterinsurgency while also focusing on rule of law issues that lead to a reformation of targeting practices by Iraq’s highest intelligence agencies.

Mr. Danly is regularly appears on national media outlets to discuss the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, including appearances on the British Broadcast Corporation, Fox News, National Public Radio and writing in the New York Times online, the International Herald Tribune and U.S. News and World Reports weekly.

Mr. Danly is currently serving as an International Affairs Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Yale University where he studied English and classics.