Members Only Are We Witnessing the First Global Energy Crisis?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — European Energy pressures exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have forced a reset in energy production and supply. “I don’t believe there […] More
Members-only Briefs & Analysis
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Members Only What Emperor for Life Looks Like in China
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — There was something unnerving about the 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. It was orchestrated meticulously, except for the removal […] More
Members Only Tehran’s Protest Problem may run deeper than it thinks
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Students at dozens of universities across Iran faced tear gas and gunfire over the weekend as they continue to defy officials in […] More
Is This Our Digital Sputnik Moment?
“Just as we pulled together as a nation in the early days of the space race, we simply must redouble our efforts to develop the […] More
Members Only How Dirty and Dangerous Will Putin Get in Ukraine?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Russian officials are warning of a nuclear ‘dirty bomb’ threat as Moscow continues attacking energy and civilian targets in Ukraine. It’s the […] More
Members Only China’s Post-Ukraine Playbook
Cipher Brief Expert and retired CIA Senior Executive Mark Kelton took part in a Russia panel during the recent Cipher Brief Threat Conference, along with […] More
Members Only Is a US – China Face-off over Taiwan Looming?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on Sunday with a speech that makes clear where […] More
Taiwan and the Perils of Strategic Ambiguity
The concept of strategic ambiguity has its advantages but also its perils. It means that a US President may have just a few hours to […] More
Members Only Today’s Global Threat from Terrorism
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The US – Europe Group on Afghanistan, which includes special envoys and representatives for Afghanistan from France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the UK, […] More
Members Only The Impact of JCPOA
As the world waits to see whether a new nuclear deal will be agreed to with Iran, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly spoke […] More
Members Only Iran: Deal or No Deal?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The EU may be losing confidence in the prospect of a new nuclear agreement with Iran. The Iran nuclear deal, known as […] More
Members Only The Drone Series: What’s Over the Horizon?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE – Russian authorities say they shot down a Ukrainian drone over the area that serves as headquarters for the Russian Black Sea Fleet […] More
We Know Afghanistan’s Past but Where is it Headed?
The United States’ policy errors which led to the chaotic exit from Afghanistan were only surpassed by Pakistan’s blunder in championing the Taliban and the […] More
Members Only The New Age of Energy Crisis and Diplomacy
The energy pressures created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are continuing to shape a new global energy future. An EU embargo on Russian coal imports […] More
Justice by Hellfire: The Killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri
It’s possible that the terrorist leader, wanted for his role in plotting the 9/11 attacks and later becoming the head of al Qaeda after the […] More
Today’s Terrorist Threat
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — MI5 Director General, Ken McCallum’s, joint address on 6th July with the FBI Chief saw a welcome rebalancing of the Security Service’s […] More
The Middle East and the Cost of Strategic Inconsistency
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The main objective of President Joe Biden’s recent trip to the Middle East was to signal to both partners and adversaries that […] More
Free Access The Biggest Winner in Ukraine is Beijing
This article is free to view for a limited timeToby Esterhase: “You’re an old spy in a hurry, George. You used to say they were the worst.” “The Cipher Brief has become the most […] More
Members Only The Drone Series: A New Battle in the Air
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: The presence of drones/UAV’s in armed conflicts as varied as Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine is not only influencing military tactics and strategy but it’s […] More
Members Only What the East-West Rift Over Ukraine Really Means
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Threats from Russia and its “ally” Belarus are still coming as the invasion of Ukraine grinds through its fifth month but where […] More
Members Only The Drone Series: Expanding Horizons for Drone Technology
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: Superlatives have been piling up about a weapon of war that’s been around for decades, but has taken on new prominence across the battlefields […] More
Members Only China’s foray among Pacific Islands provokes U.S., Australian concerns
EXPERT ANALYSIS — A security agreement signed by China and the Solomon Islands in April, has created waves of concern throughout the region and reaching […] More
This is How Putin’s Strategic Patience May Pay Off in Ukraine
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — Russia is gradually beginning to prevail in Ukraine and the West is just starting to lose focus. Neither France and Germany nor […] More
The Potential of Integrating Intelligence and Intuition
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — When I was just starting out at CIA, there was an analyst in my group who worked in a particularly methodical way. […] More