arms sales | security assistance | export control, transfer policy and laws | Middle East
Josh Paul is a senior advisor at DAWN. He resigned from the State Department in October 2023 due to his disagreement with the Biden administration's decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the State Department, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Congressional staffer for Representative Steve Israel (D-NY).
Paul grew up between London and New York and holds master's degrees from Georgetown University and the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Recent Publications:
Josh Paul is a senior advisor at DAWN. He resigned from the State Department in October 2023 due to his disagreement with the Biden administration's decision to rush lethal military assistance to Israel in the context of its war on Gaza. He had previously spent over 11 years working as a Director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the State Department, which is responsible for U.S. defense diplomacy, security assistance, and arms transfers. He previously worked on security sector reform in both Iraq and the West Bank, with additional roles in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Army Staff, and as a Congressional staffer for Representative Steve Israel (D-NY).
Paul grew up between London and New York and holds master's degrees from Georgetown University and the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Recent Publications:
- "Reflections on the End of a Pause, as the U.S. Lifts Ban on Air-to-Ground Munitions to Saudi Arabia," DAWN, August 13, 2024.
- "Competing Against Ourselves: How a Narrow Focus on 'Strategic Competition' Undermines U.S. Middle East Policy," DAWN, February 29, 2024.
- "Security Assistance and Arms Transfers: Human Rights Frameworks and Recommendations for Strengthening," Institute for Middle East Understanding, November 10, 2023.