Richard Ghazal

Richard Ghazal is executive director of In Defense of Christians (IDC), an institute of the IRD. He is responsible for the organization’s strategic planning, the implementation of policy priorities, and advocacy initiatives in the legislative and executive branches of government. Richard is a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and Judge Advocate, where he served as legal advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, and federal criminal prosecutor. As an intelligence officer, Richard was the U.S. Air Force in Europe’s Chief of Levant political-military intelligence. He’s commanded over 1,500 mission-hours of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. Richard completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy at Rhode Island College, and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer School. As an active duty Airman, Richard earned a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership at Regent University, and Juris Doctorate at New England School of Law. Richard’s work has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Newsweek, The National Interest, Forbes, and Syriac Press.  Richard is an ordained Reader in the Syriac Orthodox Church, and speaks the Turoyo dialect of Aramaic.