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The Cipher Brief: National Security news, analysis and expert commentary.

What Would Follow a Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation?

The move to label Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist groups could reshape regional alliances, financial networks, and U.S. domestic politics.

What Would Follow a Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation?

DEEP DIVE — On November 24, 2025, President Trump launched a process to designate Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as [...] More

Middle EastTerrorism
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The Open Source Report

<span>Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, December 17, 2025</span>

Global Intelligence Report for Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Trump orders naval blockade of oil tankers linked to Venezuela

Zelensky says draft peace plan could be presented to Russia within days

U.S. and China hold defense talks in Washington

Trump administration reportedly considers financial limits on over-budget defense contractors

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Anti-Semitism is a National Security Issue: It’s Time to Treat it Like One

Nick Fishwick

EXPERT OPINION / PERSPECTIVE -- Less than three months ago, two people were killed in a terrorist attack on Jewish people in a synagogue in Manchester, UK, on the most solemn day of the Jewish religious calendar.Three [...] More

TerrorismNick Fishwick

How the U.S. Military’s Top Officer is Looking at the World’s Hotspots

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “Our [the Joint Chiefs of Staff] job is to present and my job with the Joint Chiefs and others is to present the range of [military] options that this President or any President should consider with all of the [...] More

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News & Analysis

Winter is Coming to Ukraine as it Faces a New Kind of War and Uncertainty About a Key Ally

Winter is Coming to Ukraine as it Faces a New Kind of War and Uncertainty About a Key Ally

EXPERT INTERVIEW — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Berlin on Monday for an intense round of diplomacy with top U.S. and European [...] More

EuropeUkraine

Opinion

The Cipher Brief's Recommended Reads for the Holidays

Bill Harlow

The Cipher Brief's Recommended Reads for the Holidays

BOOK REVIEWS & RECOMMENDATIONS -- Welcome to our annual holiday book review and recommendations list, where we highlight some of the terrific books [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Tapping a China Vibe in South Koreaplay icon

Tapping a China Vibe in South Korea

The Open Source Report

Book Reviews

History's Most Mistrusted Friendship
History's Most Mistrusted Friendship

Stealing Success: A Hard Look at China's Rise
Stealing Success: A Hard Look at China's Rise

The FBI’s Pursuit of Chi Mak and the Challenge of Modern Spycraft
The FBI’s Pursuit of Chi Mak and the Challenge of Modern Spycraft

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The Best National Security Gossip

GERMANY’S FUTURE SPIES ARE CREEPY, CRAWLY AND CLASSIFIED: Intelligence agencies have long been concerned about bugs – but that concern is now being taken to a new level. CBS News reports that Germany is playing around with six-legged espionage. Researchers are strapping tiny “backpacks” with cameras and microphones onto “Madagascar hissing cockroaches” and steering them with electrodes attached to their antennae. Right now, the experiments involve using the bugs for reconnaissance and communications, but (so far) they are not being tasked with carrying explosives. Currently the cockroaches can transport backpacks weighing [...] More

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Events

Live Events

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2026 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of March 13, 2026. This Black-Tie event is invite only, please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 13 March, 2026

Podcasts

State Secrets


Join Suzanne Kelly as she delves into the world of Russian intelligence with former CIA operations officer Sean Wiswesser. Discover the intricacies of Russian operations, the impact of propaganda, and the ongoing secret war led by Putin. Gain insights into the challenges faced by the Russian people and the global implications of state-sponsored actions. Don't miss this eye-opening episode of the State Secrets Podcast.

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment


David McCloskey, former CIA Analyst turned novelist is out with his fourth book, The Persian, about an Iranian dentist who is recruited by Mossad to take on a dangerous mission inside Iran. Cover Stories Host Suzanne Kelly digs in on how McCloskey’s real-life Intelligence background fueled his latest novel, and discovers a few of McCloskey’s own secrets along the way.