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
News & Analysis
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
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
U.S. Special Operations Forces at 9-11, Today, and for the Future
Following the tragic attack on 9-11, U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and the CIA, supported by airpower, conducted a punitive expedition that resulted in the […] More
The U.S. Army: Battle Tested, Tough, and More Aware
In the 15 years following 9/11, the U.S. Army pivoted away from its traditional role and took on the challenge presented by new missions and […] More
State of Taliban in Afghanistan Today
Taliban fighters are pushing towards Tirin Kot, the capital of Afghanistan’s southern Uruzgan province, while two other cities – Kunduz in the north and Lashkar […] More
Turkey Faces a Muddled and Constantly Changing Situation in Syria
Turkey is claiming its forces, along with Western-backed Syrian rebels, have completely cut off the Islamic State’s access to the 500-mile long Turkish/Syrian border. Though […] More
My 9/11: A Personal Reflection by General Jack Keane
I was in the Pentagon on 9/11 and lost 85 teammates from the Army Headquarters (among the 125 people killed in the Pentagon and the […] More
Uzbekistan’s New Leader Must Juggle Multiple Interests to Retain Power
Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev is now Uzbekistan’s interim president, following the death of long-time leader Islam Karimov, who had been in power since the […] More
North Korea’s 5th Nuclear Fait Accompli
North Korea announced Friday morning that it had successfully conducted its fifth nuclear test at the subterranean Punggye-ri test site. The U.S. geological survey confirmed […] More