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

The Sahel’s Terror Surge Signals a New Front in Global Security

Extremist groups are expanding unchecked across West Africa as U.S. influence wanes

The Sahel’s Terror Surge Signals a New Front in Global Security

DEEP DIVE — On the night of June 20, 2025, the Nigerien village of Manda became the stage for one of the deadliest massacres in the Sahel in recent [...] More

Africa
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The Open Source Report

President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro says goodbye after a press conference at Hotel Melia Caracas on September 01, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Global Intelligence Report for Monday, November 3, 2025

Trump Says War With Venezuela Is Unlikely but Suggests Maduro’s Time Is Up

No Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine, for now

U.S. allies await answers before committing to Trump’s Gaza peace force

China’s updated sixth-generation fighter jets put US on notice for air supremacy

Access Today’s Report

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Putin’s Strategic Failure: How the Ukraine War Is Eroding Russia From Within

Rob Dannenberg

And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck.- John Steinbeck, East of EdenEvil people don’t have songs. How is it, then, that the [...] More

RussiaUkraineEurope

Inside Xi Jinping’s Military Purge: Loyalty, Power, and Taiwan

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

OPINION — Last week’s Fourth Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party witnessed a purge of China’s senior military leaders, culminating in over two years of the removal of senior military officials once loyal to President Xi [...] More

ChinaAmbassador Joseph DeTraniAsia
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News & Analysis

Soldiers of the Mexican Army stand guard as they secure an area during a military operation in Culiacan, Sinaloa State, Mexico, on September 19, 2024

From the Caribbean to Jalisco, Trump Takes Aim at Cartels — But Will He Strike the Kingpins?

DEEP DIVE — Eight weeks ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio went to Mexico City, the epicenter of the global illegal drug trade, and declared, “The [...] More

AmericasLatin America

Opinion

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

Sami Omari

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

OPINION — One of the most enduring security issues in South Asia has been rekindled by the recent border conflicts between the Taliban-led [...] More

AfghanistanAlternative 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

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

Courage and Betrayal in the Heart of Hitler's Germany
Courage and Betrayal in the Heart of Hitler's Germany

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The Best National Security Gossip

SLOW BOAT? On Friday October 24, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced on social media that the “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth had ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to leave the Mediterranean and head for the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility to support “the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism.” Armchair admirals started to calculate how quickly FORD and friends would show up off the coast of Venezuela. The carrier strike group was reported to be off the coast of Croatia when the announcement was made but five days [...] 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.