Jamestown Foundation
William Geimer established the Jamestown Foundation in 1984. This Washington, D.C., based think tank emerged from a specific moment of Cold War history. Arkady Shevchenko had defected from the Soviet Union in 1978. He was the highest-ranking Soviet official ever to defect when he left his position as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Geimer worked closely with Shevchenko before creating this organization. The foundation served as a vehicle to promote the writings of the former Soviet diplomat and those of Ion Pacepa. Pacepa was a former top Romanian intelligence officer. With help from the foundation, both defectors published bestselling books. Central Intelligence Agency Director William J. Casey helped back the formation of the Jamestown Foundation. Casey agreed with complaints that the U.S. intelligence community did not provide sufficient funding for Soviet bloc defectors. The foundation initially dedicated itself to supporting Soviet dissidents. It also aided defecting intellectuals from the Eastern Bloc in disseminating their ideas in the West.
Peter Mattis became president of the Jamestown Foundation in September 2023. He succeeded Glen E. Howard who held the position for 20 years. The board of directors has included Zbigniew Brzezinski. Brzezinski served as National Security Advisor to U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Current board members include Michael Carpenter. Carpenter is the managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He previously served in the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. He also served in the White House as a foreign policy advisor to Joe Biden when Biden was vice president under Barack Obama. He worked on the National Security Council as Director for Russia. Another board member is Michael G. Vickers. Vickers previously served as Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. His role at the Central Intelligence Agency during the Soviet, Afghan War appeared in George Crile's 2003 book Charlie Wilson's War. As of 2021, the foundation's current board includes General Michael V. Hayden. Bruce Hoffman and Matthew Bryza also serve on the board. Robert Spalding acted as an architect of US-China strategy while serving on the National Security Council in the Donald Trump administration. Michelle Van Cleave and Arthur Waldron are also board members. Timothy J. Keating serves on the board as well. Jamestown fellows include Vladimir Socor and Janusz Bugajski. Paul Goble and Michael Scheuer are also fellows. Scheuer claims to have been fired for criticizing the United States' relationship with Israel. Thomas Kent was former president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Willy Wo-Lap Lam is a Hong Kong, based China specialist. Jacob Zenn is a leading expert on Boko Haram. Stephen Ulph is a leading expert on Jihadist ideology.
The Jamestown Foundation focuses primarily on China, Eurasia, Russia, and global terrorism. Its primary analytical areas cover these specific regions and threats. As of 2023, its main publications included China Brief. The organization also published Eurasia Daily Monitor. Terrorism Monitor and Militant Leadership Monitor were other key outputs. Previous publications included Eurasia Security Trends. Fortnight in Review appeared regularly before being discontinued. North Korea Review and Russia and Eurasia Review were earlier efforts. Russia's Week and Spotlight on Terror were also part of their catalog. North Caucasus Weekly formerly operated under the name Chechnya Weekly. Recent From Turkey and Terrorism Focus rounded out past offerings. From 1995 to 1997, the Jamestown Foundation issued Prism: A Monthly on the Post-Soviet States. Along with these periodicals, Jamestown produces occasional reports and books. The organization maintains a dedicated webpage for its book collection. These publications inform policy makers about events and trends regarded as current strategic importance to the United States.
The foundation hosted Russian artist Nikolai Getman's paintings of Gulag camps. Getman was imprisoned for eight years by the Soviet regime. He participated in anti-Soviet propaganda after a friend drew a caricature of Joseph Stalin on a cigarette box. Getman survived imprisonment and labored secretly for four decades creating a visual record of the Gulag system. The Jamestown Foundation displayed this artwork for public viewing. In September 2009, the Jamestown Foundation transferred the Getman collection to The Heritage Foundation. This transfer marked the end of the foundation's direct stewardship over the art. The collection remains a significant historical document regarding Soviet repression. Getman's work provides a unique perspective on life inside the labor camp system. His survival allowed him to create this extensive archive despite official restrictions. The foundation provided a platform for these critical historical records before moving them to another institution.
In 2007, the Russian government said the think tank was spreading anti-Russian propaganda. This statement followed a debate on violence in the Russian republic of Ingushetia. A Foreign Ministry of Russia statement claimed organizers deliberately spread slander about Chechnya and other republics of the Russian North Caucasus. They accused speakers of using supporters of terrorists and pseudo-experts to incite ethnic and inter-religious discord. Jamestown Foundation president Glen Howard responded that Russia was intimidated by the power of the free word. He argued this went against state manipulation of media in Russia. On the 8th of December 2011, Ambassador Daniel Benjamin gave the keynote address at Jamestown's Fifth Annual Terrorism Conference. Benjamin served as State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator for the Obama administration. He praised Jamestown for its research and analysis of terrorism issues. The Right Web project criticized the organization for alleged links to the CIA. This project now operates under the name Militarist Monitor based at the Institute for Policy Studies. Critics also claimed it advanced a right-wing, neoconservative agenda. In 2020, the office of the Prosecutor-General of Russia described Jamestown publications as seeking to fan separatism in some Russian regions. They stated these activities posed a security threat. The office designated the foundation as an undesirable organisation. This designation could result in the organization being banned in Russia under the Russian foreign agent law.
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Common questions
Who established the Jamestown Foundation and when?
William Geimer established the Jamestown Foundation in 1984. This Washington, D.C., based think tank emerged from a specific moment of Cold War history following Arkady Shevchenko's defection from the Soviet Union in 1978.
What are the primary analytical areas covered by the Jamestown Foundation as of 2023?
The Jamestown Foundation focuses primarily on China, Eurasia, Russia, and global terrorism. Its main publications included China Brief and Eurasia Daily Monitor alongside Terrorism Monitor and Militant Leadership Monitor.
When did Peter Mattis become president of the Jamestown Foundation?
Peter Mattis became president of the Jamestown Foundation in September 2023. He succeeded Glen E. Howard who held the position for 20 years before his departure.
Why was the Jamestown Foundation designated an undesirable organization in Russia?
In 2020, the office of the Prosecutor-General of Russia described Jamestown publications as seeking to fan separatism in some Russian regions. They stated these activities posed a security threat under the Russian foreign agent law.
Which artist's paintings of Gulag camps were displayed by the Jamestown Foundation?
The foundation hosted Russian artist Nikolai Getman's paintings of Gulag camps where he was imprisoned for eight years by the Soviet regime. In September 2009, the Jamestown Foundation transferred the Getman collection to The Heritage Foundation.