Dr. Sara Harmouch

Dr. Sara Harmouch is the CEO of H9 Defense, a research and advisory consultancy specializing in counterterrorism, national security, geopolitical risk, threat assessments, and open-source intelligence (OSINT). A counterterrorism expert and national security researcher, she focuses on political violence, terrorism, militancy, armed groups, Islamist militant organizations, irregular warfare, non-state actor behavior, alliance dynamics, and the conditions under which militant groups shift from domestic to international violence. Her work also examines the intersection of terrorism, emerging technologies, unconventional capabilities, and weapons of mass destruction, with a focus on how militant organizations adapt, endure, expand operationally, and interact with states, insurgent actors, and rival organizations. Raised in Lebanon and a native speaker of Arabic and French, Dr. Harmouch draws on fieldwork and primary-source research across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, and Europe, including interviews and direct engagement with members of extremist groups. She regularly briefs and advises U.S. and international security agencies on terrorism trends and emerging security issues. Her work has appeared in The Washington Quarterly, Lawfare, The Long War Journal, NatSec Matters, Defense One, War on the Rocks, NPR, and VOA, among others, and has been cited in congressional testimony. She holds a PhD in Justice, Law, and Criminology from American University and a master's degree in International relations, Science, and Technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Follow her on X (Twitter): @Dr_SaraHarmouch