News & Analysis

Amid all the uncertainties about North Korea’s unpredictable young leader, Kim Jong Un, one thing is clear: he has an unrelenting focus on security – his […] More

While the end of the Cold War brought the reunification of East and West Germany, the Korean Peninsula has remained divided over the ensuing quarter […] More

Contrary to most expectations – particularly outside of the United States, where suspicions about U.S. motives abound – the nuclear agreement reached between Iran and […] More

Despite the fanfare over the recently reached Iran deal, Tehran remains a bad actor. Iran recently tested a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead […] More

The Iranian people have been waiting for economic relief for many years. U.S. and international sanctions placed against Iran for its nuclear pursuit had a […] More

The Cipher Brief spoke with Adam Smith, Of Counsel at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, about how the lifting of nuclear related sanctions against Iran will […] More

An image of a drowned Syrian boy washed up on the beach clearly signifies a failure on the part of the global humanitarian system. A […] More

Got a secret… Welcome to the Dead Drop. “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is […] More

When leaders of Japan, South Korea, and China gather in Seoul this weekend, it may be best to paraphrase Sigmund Freud: Sometimes, a meeting is […] More

It’s scary out there… Despairing about the state of the world is a popular pastime for amateurs and professionals alike. It’s easier to imagine the […] More

Narushige Michishita, an Asian security expert at the Woodrow Wilson Center, discusses Japan’s new national security law and how it could affect Japan’s ability to […] More

Jim Schoff is a Senior Associate with the Carnegie Asia Program.  Schoff spoke with The Cipher Brief about Japan’s new national security law and its […] More

In late September, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled his “three new arrows” of economic reform, indicating that the first phase of what is referred […] More

Thomas Cynkin spoke with The Cipher Brief about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent economic reforms. Dr. Cynkin discussed potential sectors of the Japanese economy […] More

One country’s patrol is another’s provocation. Chinese state-run media has reacted with outrage to a U.S. Navy destroyer sailing within the 12 nautical mile claim […] More

Despite the concerns of privacy advocates, the Senate has passed cybersecurity legislation, creating a process for the government and private industry to share information on […] More

The U.S.-Mexican border is likely to be a hot a topic of discussion during the Republican debate Wednesday night, with unauthorized immigration as the main […] More

As Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, Michael Fisher is responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing enforcement efforts to secure the border.  He sat […] More