Daniel Mahanty
Director, US Program, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) (website)
twitter: @danmahanty
email: dan [at] civiliansinconflict [dot] org
phone: (202) 316-2715
Director, US Program, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) (website)
twitter: @danmahanty
email: dan [at] civiliansinconflict [dot] org
phone: (202) 316-2715
arms sales | security assistance | harm to civilians - casualties, human rights, development | child soldiers
Daniel Mahanty is the director of CIVIC's U.S. Program, where he engages U.S. policymakers to promote the adoption of policies and practices that enhance the protection of civilians in conflict, including through international security cooperation and assistance. Prior to joining CIVIC, Dan spent 16 years at the U.S. Department of State. In 2012, he created and led the Office of Security and Human Rights in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In this role, he oversaw efforts to integrate human rights in U.S. security assistance and arms sales, advance the prevention of recruitment and use of child soldiers, and promote policies related to protecting civilians in conflict. As an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University, he also designed the course "Human Rights and U.S. National Security" for the Center for Security Studies, which he taught for three years with his wife, Kristen.
Mahanty holds a Masters from Georgetown in U.S. National Security Policy and a Bachelors in Economics from George Mason University. He is a Colin L. Powell Fellow, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Truman National Security Fellow.
Daniel Mahanty is the director of CIVIC's U.S. Program, where he engages U.S. policymakers to promote the adoption of policies and practices that enhance the protection of civilians in conflict, including through international security cooperation and assistance. Prior to joining CIVIC, Dan spent 16 years at the U.S. Department of State. In 2012, he created and led the Office of Security and Human Rights in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In this role, he oversaw efforts to integrate human rights in U.S. security assistance and arms sales, advance the prevention of recruitment and use of child soldiers, and promote policies related to protecting civilians in conflict. As an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University, he also designed the course "Human Rights and U.S. National Security" for the Center for Security Studies, which he taught for three years with his wife, Kristen.
Mahanty holds a Masters from Georgetown in U.S. National Security Policy and a Bachelors in Economics from George Mason University. He is a Colin L. Powell Fellow, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Truman National Security Fellow.
Recent Publications*:
- "When exceptions become the rule, 'forever wars' result," with Elias Yousif, The Hill, December 8, 2020.
- "The Next Administration Should Bring the Shadow Wars into the Light," Defense One, November 25, 2020.*
- "Exception(s) to the Rule(s): Civilian Harm, Oversight, and Accountability in the Shadow Wars," Center for Civilians in Conflict, Security Assistance Monitor, and Stimson Center, November 2020.*
- "Having Their Say: Guidelines for Involving Local Civil Society in the Planning, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of U.S. Security Assistance and Cooperation," Center for Civilians in Conflict, October 2020.
- "Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: End Unlawful, Secret, and Unaccountable Use of Lethal Force," Just Security, September 11, 2020.*
- "U.S. Support to Security Sector Reform in Fragile States," CSIS Briefs, Center for Strategic and International Studies, August 26, 2020.
- "Are those who seek to protect civilians in armed conflict helping to prolong our endless wars?" Responsible Statecraft, August 20, 2020.
- "Grading DoDs Annual Civilian Casualties Report: 'Incomplete'," Just Security, May 7, 2020.
- "Great Expectations: AFRICOM's New Quarterly Report on Civilian Casualties," Just Security, April 21, 2020.
- "U.S. Security Aid Is a Faith-Based Policy," Just Security, April 14, 2020.
- "Renovating ‘the Swamp’ post COVID-19 by reconfiguring budgets and bureaucracy," Responsible Statecraft, April 8, 2020.
- "Time to flip the script on congressional arms sales powers," The Hill, March 15, 2020.
- "In Search of Answers: U.S. Military Investigations and Civilian Harm," War on the Rocks, February 20, 2020.
- “IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS: U.S. Military Investigations and Civilian Harm,” CIVIC and Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute, February 2020.
- "Hidden Gems: Civilian Casualties and Use of Force Reporting Provisions in the Annual Defense Bill," Just Security, December 17, 2019.*
- "We Americans Always Say We Do Our Best Not to Hurt Civilians. But Our Best Isn't Good Enough | Opinion," Newsweek, October 17, 2019.
- "Niger: A Bulwark against Further Instability in West Africa," CSIS Briefs, July 24, 2019.
- "Protecting Civilians Still Matters in Great- Power Conflict," DefenseOne, May 3, 2019.*
- "The Pentagon's 2018 Civilian Casualties Report: What's In It and What's Next," Just Security, May 2, 2019.*
- "Costs of War Can’t Be Assessed Without Official Civilian Casualty Estimates" Just Security, April 3, 2019.
- "Avoiding the Next Yemen: Applying Hard Lessons for Security Partnerships," Just Security, Feb. 6*
- "In Coalition Ops, Civilian Protections Are Only as Strong as the Weakest Link," Defense One, Jan 30, 2019.*
- "The Sum Of All Parts: Reducing Civilian Harm in Multinational Coalition Operations," Center for Civilians in Conflict, Jan 23, 2019.
- “How the ‘Arms Sales Oversight Act’ Could Prevent American Arms from Contributing to the Next Overseas Crisis,” Just Security, Dec 5, 2018.*
- "The Department of Defense’s Report on Civilian Casualties: A Step Forward in Transparency?,” Just Security, June 13, 2018.*
- "Reducing the Human Costs of 'By, With and Through'," DefenseOne, May 9, 2018.
- "If We're Going to Export More US Arms, Let's Do It Smarter" (with Shannon Dick and Rachel Stohl), Defense One, Feb. 1, 2018.
- "With Great Power: Modifying US Arms Sales to Reduce Civilian Harm," CIVIC/Stimson Center, Jan. 10, 2018.
- "America takes turn for the worse on cluster bombs," The Hill, Dec. 14, 2017.
- "We're loosening the rules for killing. This won't end well," USA Today, Oct. 30, 2017.
- "Why Are More Civilians Dying in US Airstrikes on ISIS?," DefenseOne, Aug. 11, 2017.
- "Don't Loosen the Rules on Civilian Casualties During Drone Strikes," Defense One, June 23, 2017.
- "The “Leahy Law” Prohibiting US Assistance to Human Rights Abusers: Pulling Back the Curtain," Just Security, June 27, 2017.
- "Before drones sold to Jordan and UAE safeguards needed, [commentary]," Defense News, April 24.
*Indicates co-author, or contributor.