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

Sudan’s War Without Borders: How Global Powers Turned Darfur into a Proxy Battleground

Foreign states are arming rival militias in Sudan, fueling one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and reshaping the balance of power across northeast Africa.

Sudan’s War Without Borders: How Global Powers Turned Darfur into a Proxy Battleground

DEEP DIVE — Entire cities in the Darfur region of Sudan have been burned and razed, millions have fled their homes, and unspeakable terror and [...] More

Africa
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The Open Source Report

Signs that read 'No Drone Zone' are placed around the Brussels-National Airport on October 21, 2025 in Steenokkerzeel, Belgium.

Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Kyiv denies Russian reports claiming embattled Pokrovsk has fallen

Europe is trapped in a mysterious ‘gray zone’ between war and peace

Yemen’s Houthi rebels signal that they’ve stopped attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping

China Hatches Plan to Keep U.S. Military From Getting Its Rare-Earth Magnets

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Uncovering the Truth Behind Trump’s Call to Resume Nuclear Testing

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “Nearly 1,000 feet below the Nevada desert, [U.S.] scientists and engineers are conducting groundbreaking nuclear weapons research. Subcritical experiments, or ‘subcrits’ for short, play a crucial role in [...] More

NuclearWalter PincusFine Print

America’s Next National Security Crisis: A War on Its Own Energy Base

Vice Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.)

OPINION — Every mission begins with trust. In World War II, the U.S. government trusted private energy producers to deliver aviation gasoline at record scale, and those companies trusted Washington to stand behind them. [...] More

national securityEconomics
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News & Analysis

The Brave New World of Drone Swarms

The Brave New World of Drone Swarms

DEEP DIVE – A drone weapon heads behind enemy lines, on a mission to kill troops and destroy equipment. To its left and right are a dozen other armed [...] More

Tech/Cyber

Opinion

Why Putin Is Losing The War In Ukraine That He Thinks He Is Winning

Gilbert W. Merkx

Why Putin Is Losing The War In Ukraine That He Thinks He Is Winning

OPINION — The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in January 2022 is now approaching its fourth year. The cost for Ukraine has been very high, but [...] More

RussiaUkraineGilbert W. MerkxEuropeAlternative 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

Central Europe Survives: A Battlefield of Ideas Still Unfolding Today
Central Europe Survives: A Battlefield of Ideas Still Unfolding Today

Realism and Rivals: McCloskey’s The Persian Rings True
Realism and Rivals: McCloskey’s The Persian Rings True

Behind the Mask: The Politics of Hidden Intervention
Behind the Mask: The Politics of Hidden Intervention

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The Best National Security Gossip

CONVERTING UNIFORMS TO UPLOADS: Turns out the military isn’t just about drills and deployments anymore. Business Insider recently ran a three-part series about some military members making more from their side hustles of TikTok dances and viral videos than they get from Uncle Sam. The appropriateness and legality of some of this stuff is a bit fuzzy. But we can understand the attraction of the side gig. YouTube is not as likely as the feds of threatening to withhold your paychecks, after all. The latest article notes that “Military guidelines prohibit advertisements, but don't address newer ways influencers can make money [...] 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

Shawn Chenoweth has one of the most fascinating titles in government, Director of Cognitive Advantage at the National Security Council. Sean explains the concept of cognitive advantage, the challenges of measuring success, and talks about the 'Kill Web' concept, which highlights the interconnectedness of information and cognitive processes in modern warfare.

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.