Would Iran Be Safer Without a Nuclear Weapon?
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT – International Atomic Energy Agency Chief Rafael Grossi says Iran has already “amassed enough nuclear material for several nuclear weapons.” But he also […] More
Archive for ‘Nuclear’
The Consequences of Success and Failure for Ukraine’s Counteroffensive
Rob Dannenberg, Former CIA Chief of Central Eurasia Division Rob Dannenberg served as chief of operations for CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, chief of the Central Eurasia […] More
America Beefs Up Potential Response as Threat of Russian Nukes Loom
OPINION — Back in late February, four Boeing B-52H strategic bombers from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (23rd EBS), based at Minot Air Force Base, […] More
As the War in Ukraine Intensifies, America’s Nuclear Policy Needs a Fresh Look
OPINION — “I believe improving our ability to deter and counter adversary limited nuclear use in a regional conflict is the single most important challenge […] More
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Are a Threat to All Nations
OPINION — The Joint Statement of the Xi Jinping – Vladimir Putin summit expressed concern about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. That was an understatement. North […] More
The U.S. Has Enough Nuclear Weapons to Destroy the World so Why Build More?
OPINION — It has been 31 years since the U.S. halted nuclear weapons testing, yet last Tuesday Jill Hruby, head of the National Nuclear Security […] More
U.S. and South Korea Back to Pre-Trump Strategies on North Korea
OPINION — The U.S. and South Korea are returning to a pre-Trump era of detailed military planning and large-scale joint exercises in reaction to North […] More
The Concerning Link Between Russian Military Collapse and Nuclear War
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has suggested that a Russian defeat in Ukraine could lead to nuclear war. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has […] More
It’s Time to Accept that North Korea is a Nuclear Power
OPINION — It’s time for the U.S. to drop denuclearization of the Korean peninsula as its goal and begin to deal with North Korea as […] More
The Hope and Strategy Behind the New Realities of Nuclear Conflict
OPINION — There ought to be more public discussion over the following quote from the Biden Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that was released November 8: […] More
It will take the U.S. and China to Defuse the Impasse with North Korea
OPINION (Updated)– On November 2, Pyongyang launched an unprecedented 23 missiles and, on November 3, launched three additional ballistic missiles, that according to Japanese and […] More
Time to Get Tough on Putin’s Dirty Bomb Threat
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Russia is intent on inflicting massive destruction to break Ukrainian morale, to improve its bargaining position at a future negotiation, and to […] More
Despite moves, Putin loses ground in Ukraine
EXPERT Q&A Read also How Dirty and Dangerous will Putin Get in Ukraine for Subscriber+Members The Cipher Brief: What do you see as the significance of […] More
How Dirty and Dangerous Will Putin Get in Ukraine?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Russian officials are warning of a nuclear ‘dirty bomb’ threat as Moscow continues attacking energy and civilian targets in Ukraine. It’s the […] More
Using Psychology as a Nuclear Deterrent
OPINION — I have growing concerns about the naked threats regarding use of nuclear weapons currently voiced by more of the senior characters surrounding Russian […] More
Putin’s Nuclear Risk Calculus
OPINION – Russian President Vladimir Putin is making his threats to use nuclear weapons clear. He recently elaborated on those threats after Russia’s recent humiliating […] More
Should We Worry About Putin’s Nuclear Threats?
OPINION — In an interview published by Al Jazeera last Thursday, Russian Lt. Gen. Leonid Reshetnikov (ret.) described as “impossible and would make little military […] More
A Tale of Biological Terror and Espionage
BOOK REVIEW: IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE: A Novel of Biological Terror and Espionage By James Lawler / BookBaby Reviewed by Anne Gruner, CIA […] More
Why Nuclear Deterrence is an Open-Ended Invitation
OPINION – “For the first time since 1945, the first time for us as a nation, we have two nuclear adversaries. We have always put […] More
How Iran Makes Israel Protector of the Palestinian People
OPINION — Iran openly proclaims its goal of eliminating Israel. Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, commander of the Iranian Army, stated that Iranian forces are working […] More
Welcome to a more Confident and Desperate North Korea
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — On September 9th, Kim Jong-un, at a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, made it officially clear that North Korea will remain […] More
The Impact of JCPOA
As the world waits to see whether a new nuclear deal will be agreed to with Iran, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly spoke […] More
Iran: Deal or No Deal?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The EU may be losing confidence in the prospect of a new nuclear agreement with Iran. The Iran nuclear deal, known as […] More
Chernobyl May Have Been Gorbachev’s Greatest Lesson
OPINION — The late Mikhail Gorbachev wrote for the 20th Anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in April 2006, “Chernobyl opened my eyes like nothing else…One […] More