AI and the IC: The Tangled Web of Budget and Acquisition
Corin Stone, Washington College of Law Corin Stone is a Scholar-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor at the Washington College of Law. Stone is on leave from the […] More
Archive for ‘Intelligence’
The Connection Between Words and Action in National Security
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist at The Cipher Brief. Pincus spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on […] More
After 9/11, Good Intelligence is More Important than Ever
Cipher Brief Expert Daniel Hoffman is a former senior officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as a three-time station chief and a senior executive […] More
What Intelligence was there on Afghanistan?
When The Washington Post reported this week that CIA Director William Burns slipped into Afghanistan on Monday to meet with Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, […] More
National Security and the Orthodoxy of Tribes
Carmen Medina is a former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. A 32-year veteran of the Intelligence Community, she is also the author of Rebels at […] More
Reviewing National Security Law for the Coming AI Revolution
BOOK REVIEW: The Centaur’s Dilemma: National Security Law for the Coming AI Revolution By James E. Baker / Brookings Institution Press Reviewed by W. Renn […] More
What Iran’s Election Tells Us About Where It’s Headed
Hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi won Iran’s presidential election on Saturday in a move that is expected to bolster the conservative legacy of the country’s supreme […] More
Why the China – Russia Relationship Should Worry You – Part Two
When the PRC decides to move on Taiwan, it is unlikely to move in a manner that makes a US decision on intervention clear cut. […] More
Why the China – Russia Relationship Should Worry You – Part One
In 1937, Winston Churchill contrasted the “two rival religions” of Nazism and Communism then afflicting the world. Those fascist and communist “infernal twins”, he wrote, […] More
Doing Business with Hackers, Terrorists and Dictators
Dr. Kenneth Dekleva served as a Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist (including 5 years at the U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russian Federation) with the U.S. Dept. of State […] More
Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA
BOOK REVIEW: Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA By Marc Polymeropoulos / HarperCollins Reviewed by Ken Dilanian The Reviewer: Ken Dilanian is the […] More
Mapping China by the Numbers: Toward a Government Data Ecosystem
As part of a week-long series focused on Mapping China’s Ambitions, The Cipher Brief is partnering with Harvard Research Fellow and former British diplomat Jamie Burnham […] More
Mapping China by the Numbers: Organizing to Win
As part of a week-long series focused on Mapping China’s Ambitions, The Cipher Brief is partnering with Harvard Research Fellow and former British diplomat Jamie Burnham […] More
Intelligence on Afghanistan: A Difficult but not Impossible Task
Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. is former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, where we reported directly to the Under Secretary of Defense for […] More
Intelligence Sharing in a Complicated World: The Future of Five Eyes
In the midst of World War II, facing multiple threats in a complicated series of engagements around the world, the US and the UK entered […] More
Book Review: Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy
BOOK REVIEW: Japanese Foreign Intelligence and Grand Strategy: From the Cold War to the Abe Era By Brad Williams / Georgetown University Press Reviewed by […] More
Contending with China’s Rise to Great Power Status
The Cipher Brief’s Academic Incubator partners with national security-focused programs from colleges and Universities across the country share the work of the next generation of national security […] More
The US Intelligence Community Needs a ‘Wild Bill’ Moment
Ellen McCarthy, Former Asst. Secretary of State for Intelligence & Research Cipher Brief Expert Ellen E. McCarthy was appointed by President Trump to be the […] More
Congress’ Failure to Inform on Worldwide Threats
Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist for The Cipher Brief. He spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on topics from nuclear […] More
Afghanistan: How Six Good Reasons Can Still Lead to a Bad Decision
Cipher Brief Expert Tim Willasey-Wilsey served for over 27 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office where his focus was on South Asia and […] More
A Worldwide Threats Hearing Guide from the Bleachers
As US Worldwide Threats hearings get underway in Washington after a two-year hiatus, experts will be watching to see how the Biden Administration’s new senior […] More
A Female Spy Thriller that gets it Right
BOOK REVIEW: Red Widow: A Novel / Putnam By: Alma Katsu Reviewed by Alison Bouwmeester THE REVIEWER —Alison P. Bouwmeester served for 28 years as a […] More
On Nuclear: Iran and North Korea are a Package Deal
Cipher Brief Expert John E. McLaughlin served as Acting Director of Central Intelligence from July to September 2004 and as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence […] More
Tracking U.S. Engagement in Undeclared Warfare
Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist for The Cipher Brief. He spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on topics from […] More