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Outlet profile

FDD's Long War Journal

U.S. right / hawkish national-security (think-tank project)

Owned byA project of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C. 501(c)(3) think tank. The site grew out of Bill Roggio's blog and was earlier run through Public Multimedia Inc., a nonprofit Roggio founded in 2007. FDD is led by CEO Mark Dubowitz and President Clifford May.
FundingFunded through FDD, which is supported by private donations and foundation grants. It reported about $23.9 million in revenue in 2023. Past major donors reported by watchdogs and the press include the Marcus Foundation (Bernard Marcus), Paul Singer and Sheldon Adelson, along with smaller grants from the Bradley Foundation. FDD says it takes no money from foreign governments. The site also has a public donation page.
On the administrationmixed

Background

The Long War Journal began as a blog by Bill Roggio, a former U.S. Army and New York Air National Guard member who became an embedded reporter in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was run through Public Multimedia Inc., a nonprofit set up in 2007, and later became a project of FDD, where Roggio is a senior fellow and editor. Thomas Joscelyn, also an FDD senior fellow, served as its senior editor. FDD was formed in 2001, after the September 11 attacks, and is generally described as neoconservative, pro-Israel and hawkish on Iran. The journal is known for detailed tracking of al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Islamic State, and Iran-backed groups. It also maintains databases of U.S. airstrikes and terrorist designations, and its staff often testify before Congress. Critics say FDD's donors and policy goals push toward confrontation with Iran, and that this shapes its framing. Supporters value its sourcing and granular tracking of militant groups. In 2026, press coverage such as Al Jazeera's has described FDD as influential on Trump's Iran policy, with FDD material echoed by the White House and a former FDD Action official joining the Iran negotiating team. FDD experts have mostly pushed for a tougher line than the administration took in some negotiations.

Sources

  1. FDD's Long War Journal (Wikipedia)
  2. Foundation for Defense of Democracies (Wikipedia)
  3. What is the FDD, the pro-Israel think tank shaping Trump's Iran policy? (Al Jazeera)
  4. Marcus Foundation Bankrolls Pro–Iran War Group (The American Prospect)
  5. Foundation for Defense of Democracies (Influence Watch)
  6. Please Support The Long War Journal
  7. Bill Roggio bio (House Foreign Affairs testimony)

Profile compiled 2026-10-20; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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