Michael DiMino

Michael DiMino

Public Policy Manager & Fellow

Areas of expertise: Military analysis, intelligence policy, national security policy, great power competition, grand strategy, Russian military, PRC military, air power, naval power, South China Sea, information warfare, special operations warfare, counterterrorism, Middle East

Michael DiMino is Public Policy Manager and Fellow at Defense Priorities. As a former career CIA military analyst and counterterrorism officer, DiMino is an expert on a broad range of defense, terrorism, and intelligence issues.

At CIA, he worked on sensitive national security problems spanning the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. He served in operational assignments overseas, and at Headquarters, where he authored key strategic intelligence assessments—including for the President’s Daily Brief—and led regular briefings for senior US government officials. He also coordinated on crisis response and policy implementation across various interagency working groups in the Intelligence Community and Executive Branch.

Most recently, DiMino served as a consultant to the Department of Defense, advising the Joint Chiefs of Staff and United States European Command on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, he was a Global Governance Analyst at The Streit Council and a Legislative Fellow to Sen. John McCain. He holds a B.A. from American University and M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

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Research and writing

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Weighing additional U.S. responses to Houthi Red Sea attacks
Weighing additional U.S. responses to Houthi Red Sea attacks

Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have shown no signs of stopping, as multiple rounds of U.S. airstrikes inside Yemen have only succeeded in prompting more reprisals against merchant vessels. As regional tensions stemming from the Israel-Hamas war continue to build, policymakers must thoroughly consider all aspects of national power in approaching this problem. What policy options are available to the White House in handling this crisis? What do they entail? What are their advantages and drawbacks? This brief presents and evaluates various U.S. policy responses to Houthi attacks and finds that less escalatory prescriptions like diplomacy, buck-passing, and defense stand a better chance at success while carrying fewer risks for the United States than more aggressive options like indefinite military operations in Yemen.

Israel-Saudi normalization agreement: What is in it for the U.S.?
Israel-Saudi normalization agreement: What is in it for the U.S.?

The Israel-Saudi normalization deal is still alive and still could be a bad deal for the United States. The war in Gaza has pushed the sweeping U.S.-backed diplomatic normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel to the back burner, but both governments are likely to try to revive it at some point. This brief examines the drivers of the normalization deal, analyzes the case for and against it from the perspective of U.S. interests, and concludes that it is not worth much to Americans—nothing like the reported concessions the United States was prepared to make. Security guarantees for Saudi Arabia in particular should be avoided.

Understanding the Israel-Hamas war
Understanding the Israel-Hamas war

The Israel-Hamas conflict shows little signs of slowing down, and the risk of a wider war remains credible. This brief examines and addresses the complex dynamics at play that could cause the crisis to expand, and it clearly defines parameters for how the U.S. should navigate the conflict. Washington should avoid direct U.S. military involvement, work with all parties to prevent escalation, and redeploy troops out of Syria—and eventually Iraq—which denies Iran leverage for broadening the war.