North America

Round Two of the U.S. Presidential Debates

It was a U.S. presidential debate unlike we have ever experienced.  Personal attacks and accusations expressed by Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary […] More

NSA Leaks: How Could This Happen Again?

The filing of a criminal complaint by the U.S. government against a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor has once again raised the harrowing possibility that […] More

Nuclear No First Use: Ambiguity vs. Clarity

In a Presidential race dominated by immigration, trade, and an almost unprecedented level of political mudslinging, one could be forgiven for missing moderator Lester Holt’s […] More

No Alternative in Sight

Since June 2016, there has been a spirited debate in Washington regarding the U.S. adoption of a No-First-Use (NFU) policy. A NFU policy would be […] More

How the Terrorist Watchlist Works

How the Terrorist Watchlist Works In the wake of recent domestic terrorist incidents, the spotlight has once again fallen on the terrorist watchlist. What is […] More

The Post-9/11 U.S. Intelligence Community

Fifteen years ago, 19 hijackers and four planes shattered American illusions of security. An outside attack seemed remote to most Americans, and there appeared to […] More

A Mixed Bag

As we mark another 9/11 anniversary, the Cipher Brief asked me to assess the impact of the past 15 years on the American intelligence community. […] More

Measured Progress

In the aftermath of 9/11, the American intelligence community (IC) went through one of the most transformative periods in its history. From the creation of […] More

The Post-9/11 U.S. Military

The crisis after 9/11 forced every branch of the military to reevaluate its mission set, its structure, and its identity. Fifteen years later, the process […] More

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