Egyptian and Israeli Cold Peace Has Never Been Warmer
Although relations between Egypt and Israel have often been referred to as a “cold peace,” the emergence of mutual security threats over the past few […] More
Middle East
Netanyahu and Sisi Building Strong Security Ties
The Cipher Brief spoke to Perry Cammack, a fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about the current state […] More
President Obama's Counterterrorism Legacy
In what many expect to be the final national security speech of his presidency, U.S. President Barack Obama reflected on U.S. counterterrorism achievements during his […] More
Al Qaeda Assessment Off the Mark
Throughout his two terms in office, President Barack Obama faced an array of challenges from both al Qaeda and ISIS. In an interview with The […] More
Comprehensive Terrorism Strategy Needed
The Cipher Brief sat down with Bruce Hoffman, Director for Security Studies at Georgetown University, to discuss President Obama’s counterterrorism legacy and the outlook for […] More
Living Under the Heavy Hand of ISIS
MOSUL, IRAQ — Ahmed Salam received a printed citation signed by an Islamic State fighter for shaving his beard and wearing tight-fitting, Western-style clothes. Considering […] More
Syria: Options Remain If America is Willing to Take Them
One of the biggest foreign policy challenges that President-elect Donald Trump will face is Syria. Here are how things look on the ground today and […] More
Sisi, the IMF, and Egypt's Crumbling Economy
When the Arab Spring reached Egypt in January 2011, sparking unprecedented mass protests in Tahrir Square and across the country, calls for democratic reform and […] More
Egypt's IMF Deal Dodges Crisis—For Now
November has arrived, and with it, the long-anticipated devaluation of the Egyptian pound. Precipitated by weeks of growing panic in the currency market, the measure […] More
Egypt's Economy: Not Out of the Woods Yet
Two weeks ago, Egypt appeared to be on the brink. The Egyptian pound, which sold at 5.9 LE/$ at the time of Egypt’s January 2011 “Arab […] More
Trump Triumph Prompts Concern in the Arab World
The Arab world woke up to a new U.S. President-elect after an election race many had closely followed. The Cipher Brief’s Executive Editor, Fionnuala Sweeney […] More
The State of Play in Syria
Amid the dizzying array of jihadist groups, rebel militias, umbrella opposition alliances, and state-level actors either directly or indirectly involved in Syria’s conflict, it can […] More
Incoherent U.S. Policy Will Doom Raqqa Campaign
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter’s assertion that the battle to dislodge the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from Raqqa “starts in the next […] More
Telling Friend from Foe in Syria
Following the aggressive Russian and Turkish interventions in Syria, it can be difficult to tell where the various parties in the conflict stand. Between the […] More
The Price of Turkish Posturing in Iraq
As Iraqi Army forces enter Mosul proper and anti-ISIS coalition forces encircle the city, the complex and bloody operation to safely wrest a city of […] More
Erdogan and Abadi: Making a Mess
Over the past month, the exchange of words between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi has reached a bitter […] More
Ankara's Influence: Asset or a Liability?
The Mosul operation, launched on October 17, has once again highlighted the complicated nature of Turkey’s involvement in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). […] More
Al Qaeda in Syria: The Split That Wasn't
Regardless of its name change and highly publicized “split” from al Qaeda this past summer, Jabhat Fateh-al Sham (JFS), formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, remains […] More