Nuclear North Korea: A No-Win Scenario?
The latest North Korean nuclear test was the largest to date, yet the international consensus on a response is as fractured and indecisive as ever. […] More
News & Analysis
Lessons from the Past
The fifth North Korean nuclear test has left policy makers scrambling for both short term and long term solutions to a problem that, so far, […] More
Reenergizing North Korea Policy in a New Administration
The United States and its allies in East Asia have had sound reasons for the current approach to dealing with North Korea. However, it carries […] More
Turkish Leverage Over the United States and European Union
Since its birth, modern Turkey has occupied a delicate position in the world. Straddling both Asia and Europe, the ancient Ottoman capital of Istanbul captures […] More
Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States
Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have been on the rise, beginning with different priorities over Syria and ISIS, and then ham-handed American reactions to, […] More
In His Own Words – Snowden's Former Boss Reflects
The controversial new movie “Snowden,” which is provocative director Oliver Stone’s take on NSA leaker Edward Snowden, was released in the United States on Friday. […] More
Syrian Refugees: Ankara’s Trump Card Against Europe
In March of this year, Turkey came to an agreement with the European Union (EU) on Syrian migration. In return for $6 billion in aid […] More
Climate Change is “Risk to U.S. National Security,” Say Military & Security Experts
During the Cold War, the nuclear threat was a defining national security challenge. Now, climate change is “the great global challenge of our era,” says […] More
Building Trust Between the Government and the Private Sector in Cyberspace
The U.S. government continues to face a “trust deficit” with the technology community and must emphasize building relationships with the private sector in order to […] More
The World is Watching: The American Election and Saudi Arabia
As we draw closer to November 8 and the U.S. presidential race heats up, countries around the world have focused on how the potential election […] More
Riyadh Endures Extremist Rhetoric and Bids for Time
If Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee for the presidency of the United States, found it convenient to propose a ban of all Muslims from […] More
If Saudi Arabia Could Vote
Throughout American electoral history, Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family, particularly the kings, has refrained from commenting on U.S. presidential candidates. But if they could […] More
South Africa: ANC Losing Its Grip on Power
The political party almost synonymous with anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress (ANC), is losing its grip on power. At the same time, […] More
Urban-Rural Divide
The political party associated with anti-apartheid leader and former South African President Nelson Mandela – the African National Congress (ANC) – may, for the first […] More
Corrupt Party
South Africa’s ruling party since the end of apartheid in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC), has been dropping in popular support, exemplified by recent […] More
First on The Cipher Brief: Snowden’s Boss Shares Lessons Learned
The man who was Edward Snowden’s boss when the National Security Agency (NSA) leaker fled the United States is now speaking out about his experiences […] 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