David Bender
Analyst, Middle East
David Bender joined Eurasia Group's Middle East and Africa practice in the beginning of 2008. He covers Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and provides secondary coverage on Iran, the GCC, and Lebanon. He also works on the political aims and strategic objectives of Islamist groups in Arabia, Iraq, and the Levant. David has a master's degree in Middle Eastern studies from New York University and a bachelor's degree in history from Carleton College (Northfield, MN). He is proficient in Arabic (particularly Syrian dialect) and French.
David has extensive experience in the Middle East and lived in Syria for nearly three years (2004-2007), as well as in Egypt and Jordan for shorter periods. In 2006-2007, he was in Damascus on a Fulbright fellowship studying Syrian politics and society. He was a Thomas J. Watson fellow in 1999-2000, during which time he spent 12 months in the Middle East studying the role of the media. He has also had two internships at the United Nations, where he worked on Sudan and the relationship between the UN and international NGOs.