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

The Kremlin's Kill List: Inside a Culture of State-Sponsored Murder

Russian intelligence agencies have been executing defectors, dissidents, and rivals for more than a century. Under Putin, the practice has become strategic—and celebrated

The Kremlin's Kill List: Inside a Culture of State-Sponsored Murder

EXPERT OPINION / PERSPECTIVE — The 2024 spy swap between Russia and the West exposed a brutal truth: Moscow still treats innocent civilians as [...] More

RussiaEurope
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The Open Source Report

France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a joint press conference at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on December 1, 2025.

Global Intelligence Report for Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Zelensky says U.S. peace plan “looks better” after revisions but cautions work still remains

Trump met with senior advisers on Venezuela as U.S. ramps up pressure

U.S. Alarmed by Israel’s Strikes in Syria, Warns Netanyahu Against “Self-Destructing”

Sudan Offers Russia Its First Naval Base in Africa

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Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Second Strike, No Survivors: The Legal and Political Questions Around Trump’s Narco-Boat Killings

Walter Pincus

OPINION — “As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy [...] More

Walter PincusAmericasLatin America

A Real Life Example of Russian Information Operations

Glenn Corn

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — In January of 2018, I was involved in organizing and supporting the visit of General Aleksandr Bortnikov, and Sergey Naryshkin, the heads of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and Foreign [...] More

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News & Analysis

‘Mind-Blowing’ Pentagon Overhaul Will Reshape Acquisition

‘Mind-Blowing’ Pentagon Overhaul Will Reshape Acquisition

FEATURED INTERVIEW — As the Pentagon undertakes its most ambitious overhaul yet of how it acquires new warfighting capabilities, Silicon Valley [...] More

Tech/CyberBrad Christian

Opinion

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

Siddhant Kishore

The Delhi Blast and Pakistan’s Proxy War: Why Another Clash Looks Likely

OPINION — South Asia has once again returned to the global spotlight after a suicide bombing struck the heart of India’s capital on November 10. The [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesAsia

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

Want a Security Clearance? Stop Smoking Pot and Read This
Want a Security Clearance? Stop Smoking Pot and Read This

When the Chekists Took Up the Pen
When the Chekists Took Up the Pen

The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller
The Nazis Never Left. A Worthy Successor to a Classic Thriller

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The Best National Security Gossip

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVES: It sounds like a story out of Hollywood. According to a recent piece by Reuters, there was a raid on a secret CIA archival facility in the national Capital region. The invading force – showing up in mini-vans, were not Russian operatives but instead a team dispatched by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The mission that day back in April, was reportedly to get their hands on highly classified CIA files relating to the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK, Jr. We know what you’re wondering. Why was a DNI team arriving unannounced at a partner organization’s warehouse full of [...] 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


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.