Fictionalizing Syria
It is now almost six years since the Syrian Revolution began, and to this day, the concept of an “ideal” end state remains vague and […] More
Middle East
ISIS is Hurt But Its End Is Not In Sight
This is a good moment to assess the state of ISIS – its strengths and weaknesses – given that America is heading into a bruising […] More
How Terrorism’s Titanic Egos Help Our National Security
Like a divorced couple in a bitter custody battle, al Qaeda and the Islamic State’s (ISIS) leaders can’t help but to denounce each other in […] More
The ISIS-Al Qaeda Rivalry
Jabhat al-Nusra, al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, is “splitting” from the al Qaeda network. During a news conference earlier today, Nusra leader Abu-Muhammad al-Joulani appeared […] More
Despite Coup Failure, Turkish Democracy Still at Risk
One week after the failed military coup took place in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken significant steps to consolidate his power, firing thousands […] More
Crossing the Line: A Failed Coup in Turkey
Now that the dust has settled over last Friday’s failed military coup attempt in Turkey, we are beginning to witness the full extent of that […] More
Troubling Forces Unleashed
In a conversation with The Cipher Brief, Soner Cagaptay, the Director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says […] More
Failure is Almost as Bad as Success: the Coup Attempt in Turkey
The attempted military coup in Turkey over the weekend may have been unsuccessful, but it raises questions about the stability of democracy in Turkey and […] More
Intelligence and Policy in the Face of Terrorism
A slightly different version of this article appeared recently in the Washington Times. General Hayden has requested that we reprint it in The Cipher Brief […] More
Implications of Top Pakistani Taliban Leader’s Death
The leader of one of the deadliest factions within the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), Omar Mansoor, was killed in an airstrike in Afghanistan on Wednesday, U.S. […] More
Hezbollah's Many Faces
Designated by the United States as a terrorist group in 1997, Hezbollah is a Shia extremist organization and political party based in Lebanon that wears […] More
Axis of Resistance: The Hezbollah-Iran-Syria Relationship
Tehran likes to style the alliance between itself, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria as the core of an “Axis of Resistance.” The name […] More
A Proxy for Iran
The Cipher Brief sat down with Matt Levitt, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the Treasury Department, to discuss Hezbollah’s roles in […] More
Erdogan's Weathervane Foreign Policy
On June 27, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey would be normalizing relations with Israel and Russia. This 180-degree policy shift came after his […] More
Is Turkey Returning to a Policy of “Zero Problems?”
Once defined by the catchphrase “Zero Problems with Neighbors,” the foreign policy of current Turkish President—and former Prime Minister—Recep Tayipp Erdogan and his Justice and […] More
Turkey’s Tourism Prospects Dim Further After Istanbul Attack
Turkey’s tourism industry had been in trouble before Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack — and with the targeting of Istanbul’s international airport, analysts say the impact […] More
Turkey Rocked by Terrorist Attacks This Year
Terrorists killed at least 41 people and wounded hundreds more in a deadly attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport Tuesday evening. No group has yet […] More
Turkey Rocked by Terrorist Attacks This Year
Terrorists killed at least 41 people and wounded hundreds more in a deadly attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport Tuesday evening. No group has yet […] More